Twisted – Keith Sweat | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#2) & R&B (#1 for 3 weeks); 1996
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Harlem-born Keith Sweat has it all: good looks, a college education, plus experience as a commodities broker with the prestigious Paine Webber. Oh, and then there’s his gig in music. Keith first struck gold with I Want Her, cut in collaboration with Teddy Riley.
Melding classic R&B with the newer hip-hop beat, I Want Her hit #1 R&B and #5 Pop (1988), and helped usher in New Jack Swing. Keith’s debut album sold multi-platinum, yielding two more Top 3 R&B tunes in the process.
LP’s #2 and #3 generated six Top 5 R&B hits, including three more #1’s. Then, from mid-1992 until 1996, Keith managed just one #9 R&B hit. 1996’s Keith Sweat disc reversed his slide.
It’s first single, Twisted – Keith’s take on the value of moving slowly in a relationship – became his first single to enter the Top 10 in six years.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Keith Sweat
- Eric McCaine
Lyrics Written by:
- Keith Sweat
- Eric McCaine
- Athena Cage
- Lavonn Battle
- Tabitha Duncan
- Marvin Gaye
- David Ritz
- Elliott Brown
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).