Released June 4, 1996 Genre R&B, hip hop soul Label Elektra | Recorded 1995 Length 4:30 | |
Format CD single, Cassette single | ||
"Twisted" is a single by Keith Sweat released in 1996. It was the first song off his self-titled third album, Keith Sweat. R&B group Kut Klose and fellow the remix rapper Pretty Russ are also featured on the song. It spent three weeks at number-one on the U.S. R&B chart, and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his biggest pop hit. "Twisted" peaked at number one on the Rhythmic Top 40, staying there for 14 consecutive weeks, the most amongst any song except TLC's smash "No Scrubs, (which spent 15 weeks at the top position on the Rhythmic Top 40).
Contents
The radio version of "Twisted" omitted Pretty Russ' rap before the final chorus, though some urban stations kept the rap verse. A second mix of the song, referred to as "Twisted (Flavahood Sexual Remix)", features a different backbeat sampled from Marvin Gaye's hit song, "Sexual Healing". "Flavahood" also saw significant airplay on radio, but was never released on an album.
On 2012, VH1 ranked the song at #35 on their list of the "40 Greatest R&B Songs of the '90s".
Music video
A music video released for the song features Sweat as a homicide detective pursuing a female suspect who assassinated a police commissioner. The video was directed by Paul Hunter.
Keith is a homicide detective first seen at a royal party but the party is interrupted when an unidentified killer shoots a man of Chinese royalty and steals diamonds from him. The killer escapes and is revealed to be a woman. Keith later arrests the woman but steps out of his car and she escapes.
The woman is now on the run and had made her way to the roof of a building but on her way up the ladder she is stopped and Keith is called to the scene. (The music cuts out) Keith orders them not to shoot, but when he turns his back an unidentified cop shoots the woman. (The music is continued) She is left hanging from the ladder, dead. The music video premiered the week of April 16, 1996.