Twisted (Keith Sweat song)

"Twisted"
Single by Keith Sweat
from the album Keith Sweat
Released	June 4, 1996 (1996-06-04)
Recorded	1995[1]
Genre	R&B[2] pop[3] soul[4]
Length	4:30
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	Keith Sweat Eric McCaine Athena Cage Lavonn Battle Tabitha Duncan Marvin Gaye David Ritz Elliott Brown
Producer(s)	Keith Sweat Eric McCaine
Keith Sweat singles chronology
"Get Up on It" (1994) "Twisted" (1996) "Nobody" (1996)
Music video
"Twisted" on YouTube

"Twisted" is a song by American singer Keith Sweat, released as a single in June 1996. It was the first song released from his self-titled fifth album. R&B group Kut Klose and remix rapper Pretty Russ are also featured on the song. The radio version of "Twisted" omits Pretty Russ' rap before the final chorus, though some urban stations kept the rap verse. A second mix of the song, referred to as the Flavahood Sexual remix, features a different backbeat sampled from Marvin Gaye's song "Sexual Healing". "Flavahood" also saw significant airplay on radio but was never released on an album.

Commercially, "Twisted" spent three weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Sweat's biggest hit. "Twisted" also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover chart, staying there for 14 consecutive weeks, the most amongst any song except TLC's "No Scrubs", which spent 15 weeks at the top position. Outside the US, "Twisted" topped the New Zealand Singles Chart for six weeks and became a top-20 hit in Australia and the Netherlands. In 2012, VH1 ranked the song at number 35 on their list of the "40 Greatest R&B Songs of the '90s".^[5]

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 as he steps out of his car she manages to escape. As he returns to his apartment, the woman appears awaiting, with her handcuffs off and proceeds to seduce him. Keith is clearly "twisted" as he is unable to emotionally apprehend her.

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 the woman draws a gun but before she can fire the weapon an unidentified cop shoots the woman. (The music is continued) Sweat looks on at her as she is left hanging from the ladder, dead. Flashbacks of their encounters occur while he stands watching her in the rain before the video ends. The music video premiered the week of June 9, 1996

Track listings

US CD single[6] "Twisted" (album version) "Twisted" (Flavahood Sexual Remix) "Twisted" (Sweat Shop Party Remix) Album excerpts: "Chocolate Girl" / "Funky Dope Lovin'" / "Just a Touch" "Twisted" (album version instrumental) "Twisted" (a cappella) US cassette single[7] A. "Twisted" (radio version) B. Album excerpts: "Chocolate Girl" / "Funky Dope Lovin'" / "Just a Touch"

UK and Australian CD single[8] "Twisted" (radio version with rap) – 4:10 "Twisted" (Flavahood Sexual remix) – 5:03 "Twisted" (Sweat Shop Party remix edit w/o rap) – 4:12 "Twisted" (Flavahood Sexual remix edit w/o rap) – 4:01 "Twisted" (Flavahood Sexual instrumental) – 5:03 "Twisted" (a cappella) – 4:33

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996–1997) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[9] 9 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[10] 16 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[11] 21 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[12] 35 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 14 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 17 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 1 UK Singles (OCC)[16] 39 UK Dance (OCC)[17] 6 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[18] 6 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 2 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[20] 5 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 1 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[22] 7 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[23] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 55 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[25] 95 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[26] 7 US Billboard Hot 100[27] 10 US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)[28] 5 US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[29] 45 US Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover (Billboard)[30] 1 Chart (1997) Position Australia (ARIA)[31] 43 US Billboard Hot 100[32] 93 Decade-end charts Chart (1990–1999) Position US Billboard Hot 100[33] 89

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[34]	Platinum	70,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[35]	Platinum	10,000^*
United States (RIAA)[37]	Platinum	1,600,000[36]
^* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	May 21, 1996	Rhythmic contemporary radio	Elektra	[38]
	June 4, 1996	CD		[39]
United Kingdom	June 10, 1996	12-inch vinyl CD cassette		[40]
United States	July 16, 1996	Contemporary hit radio		[41]

See also

• List of number-one R&B singles of 1996 (U.S.)

References

1. [1] ^{[dead link‍]}
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6. Twisted (US CD single liner notes). Keith Sweat. Elektra Records. 1996. 66031-2.
7. Twisted (US cassette single sleeve). Keith Sweat. Elektra Records. 1996. 4-64282.
8. Twisted (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). Keith Sweat. Elektra Records. 1996. EKR223CD, 7559-66010-2.
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36. "Best-Selling Records of 1996". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 3. BPI Communications Inc. January 18, 1997. p. 61. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
37. "American single certifications – Keith Sweat – Twisted". Recording Industry Association of America.
38. "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1146. May 17, 1996. p. 39. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
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