New Edition to Light Up Las Vegas With New Jack Swing Residency

by Diamond Brown

The iconic R&B group, New Edition, has exciting news for their devoted fans. The Grammy-nominated sextet is set to kick off their residency, New Edition: Las Vegas, on February 28th.

Image Credit: ABC / Contributor / Getty Images

Over the years, the group's New Jack Swing tunes have captured the hearts of many, and this residency will allow fans to experience their electrifying performances in the vibrant city of Las Vegas.

The Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, known for hosting legendary acts such as Diana Ross, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, and Brad Paisley, will be the stage where New Edition showcases their unparalleled talents. The six members of the group, including Ronnie DeVoe, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, and Ricky Bell, are gearing up to give fans an unforgettable experience.

The decision to take up a residency in Las Vegas comes after the group's mesmerizing and tightly-choreographed tribute to the Spinners at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York City. New Edition has been inundated with requests from fans, primarily through social media, urging them to grace the entertainment capital of the world with their electrifying presence.

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"We just caught lightning in a bottle," exclaimed Ronnie DeVoe, a founding member of New Edition, as he shared the group's excitement. New Edition is eager to embrace the opportunity to perform in Sin City, a place that has hosted some of the most iconic music acts in the world. "We're looking to touch that stage and continue on with the legacy," DeVoe stated.

New Edition's journey began as childhood friends in the housing projects of Boston, and they later became one of the trailblazers of the modern-day boy band phenomenon. Their debut album, "Candy Girl," released in 1983, revitalized the teen music scene, similar to The Jackson Five's impact, with chart-topping hits like "Candy Girl," "Mr. Telephone Man," and "Cool It Now."

The group's transition into adulthood did not diminish their success; rather, it laid the foundation for subsequent boy bands such as New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, and Boyz II Men. Nevertheless, New Edition was not without its fair share of conflicts, including Bobby Brown's erratic behavior during a concert tour, which led to his expulsion from the group. Tensions escalated when Brown was replaced by Johnny Gill.

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While Bobby Brown achieved solo stardom with the hit "Don't Be Cruel" in 1988, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant embarked on their solo careers. Meanwhile, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe formed the group Bell Biv Devoe and achieved phenomenal success with their 1990 debut album, "Poison," which went quadruple platinum.

Ultimately, the allure of a New Edition reunion proved irresistible. The group reconciled and reunited to create their sixth studio album, "Home Again," in 1996. Since then, New Edition has embarked on multiple tours, much to the delight of their fervent fanbase. Ricky Bell observed that the tours have not only built cohesiveness but also offered the members an opportunity to appreciate each other more. He reflected, "We have each other, we have our health, we have our families. Everybody's still here."

Michael Bivins highlighted that the authentic brotherhood witnessed during New Edition's recent tours will be on full display in Las Vegas. "Our audience got a chance to see growth, bond, brotherhood," he explained. "Sometimes that's bigger than any record because people come to look for separation. But I think we'll give them the glue."

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New Edition's last studio album was released in 2004, but Ronnie DeVoe hinted that there's a good chance of new music surfacing before their upcoming residency stint. "It makes sense," he said, "I think it'll be a great time to get in the studio and put our vocals on something new and fresh, so we can deliver that to our fans in anticipation of their residency."

As New Edition prepares to take the stage at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas, fans can anticipate an extraordinary and intimate musical journey with the legendary group. The residency is set to be a more theatrical and personal experience compared to their previous Legacy and Culture tours. With a seating capacity of 1,480, the Encore Theater will provide the perfect setting for fans to connect with their favorite New Jack Swing icons.

For New Edition, it's about preserving a legacy and providing a transformative experience that will captivate and entertain their audience. Sin City's lights will undoubtedly shine even brighter with the arrival of New Edition: Las Vegas, and fans from around the world are eagerly awaiting this historic residency.