The Casanova of R&B returns to the Flamingo with spellbinding musical hits 30 years after his debut album ‘Make It Last Forever’
Keith Sweat is back this summer for his Las Vegas residency. Returning to a limited engagement at the Flamingo in Las Vegas in the Donny and Marie Osmond Showroom for the “Keith Sweat: Last Forever” concert from July 5th – 22nd, the singer-songwriter and record producer will set the stage with a variety of notable classics for anticipating fans.
“It’s my second time doing this, so I feel great that I’m able to go into the Donny and Marie Osmond [Showroom] and perform on the strip of Vegas,” Sweat states.
When you think of Keith Sweat, the musical term, “grown and sexy music” may come to mind. Sweat is not the first R&B male singer to produce ‘feel good music,’ nor has he been the last, however, a pioneer, he is considered to have helped usher in the soulful and sensual R&B music genre in the 80s and 90s. A part of the new jack swing period, Sweat rose to the scene with popular song “I Want Her,” the first single from his debut album, “Make It Last Forever,” in 1987. His voice possessed a unique soulful, yet affectionate sound, that produced nostalgic urban love songs including, “I’ll Give All My Love To You”, “Make You Sweat,” “Am I Dreaming,” and countless others, establishing Sweat as an artist in the music industry.
A fan favorite among women, he is considered to be a Casanova of R&B. However, his undeniable voice has shown to be timeless, proving his staying power among his contenders, even after a 30-year career in the music industry.
On his favorite singles, “Make it Last Forever” and “Nobody,” for the fans, those are the songs that stand out when I’m performing live,” he states.
Sweat shied away from the notion that he has been known for seducing women with his voice, stating, “I sing from the heart, whatever I touch on, is what I sing about.” It’s not something that’s ever planned out,” he regards.
A veteran in the music industry, the R&B icon is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of his triple-platinum album “Make It Last Forever”, performing mega-hits “I Want Her,” “Twisted” and “Nobody.”
“It’s been 30 years since my first album,” said Sweat. “I’m happy to be one of the artists that has sustained and been in the game as long as I have been. It’s exciting for me to be able to do Vegas and be in this industry from that period of time.”
Sweat landed his first residency at the Flamingo earlier this year from Jan. 17 through Feb. 4, stating, “it was the second act of his career and that fans came from all over the country to see him perform at the legendary Flamingo, and he was more excited than ever to bring R&B back to the heart of The Strip,” he told the Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper.
The Las Vegas Review Journal reported, “You couldn’t ask for better entertainment and a mesmerizing performance to start the New Year. There was as much fun for me listening to his music as it was watching the ladies fall under his extraordinary spell.”
Sweat will continue his Vegas show with a catalogue of songs, albums and duets (Xscape and LSG-Levert, Sweat & Gill) that have stood the test of time. A platinum chart-topper, he has delivered five #1 albums, selling more than 25 million records worldwide to date. This year alone, the in-demand crooner has already performed nearly 100 dates reaching more than 450,000 fans, with numerous sold-out shows.
Despite having many hits and becoming a respected musician in the business, his talent for performing wasn’t discovered overnight. His dream to perform was rooted at a young age. Sweat began singing as a kid, performing at the Apollo Theater, stating “I always had the desire to be a singer, that was something that was instilled in me,” he said.
Better than ever, he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down going on his 12th studio album, “Dress To Impress.” The album includes the #1 hit single, “Good Love” and two Top Ten singles including, “Tonight” and “Just The Two Of Us.”
On his upcoming projects, “I’m working on a new album at the moment; I haven’t named it yet, but I’m in the studio trying to do that at the moment,” he states. “I’m touring and I’ll be going to Australia right after. That should be my first time in Australia, so that should be exciting for me.”
On the secret to having longevity in the music industry, “I try to be relevant and consistent,” said the singer. “Stay true to who you are and what you are. I stay true to music that I do, and that works for me.”
On the younger generation not setting a precedent of unique sound and music today, “I don’t really see a lot of artists producing … but I don’t focus on what the younger generation is doing,” he admits. “Times are changing; the music game is a lot different than it was when I came out. People talk about totally different things now, then what I talked about. New artists have different perspectives. The music industry was totally different than it was when I came out, but you can’t really knock that, because as we grow, the world changes,” said the veteran singer.
“R&B is not the dominant sound right now, as far as it was back in the day. Hip-hop and Pop are now the popular sound,” he adds.
Music artists from the 90s are returning to the forefront of music. Xscape united recently with a reported documentary and reality show in the works and New Edition received a 3-part miniseries documenting their personal and professional rise to stardom. Sweat, being a part of that lineage of artists, didn’t have much to say about that, stating “it is great to see them and it all depends on the musician.”
To purchase tickets for “Keith Sweat: Last Forever” at the Flamingo in Las Vegas visit keithsweatvegas.com.
