Spearheaded by Britney’s highly-successful Piece of Me residency at Planet Hollywood, a Las Vegas residency has been reborn as a lucrative stage for pop icons alike.
The concept of a residency in the Nevada city is nothing new, it’s been around since the 1940s when Liberace aka Mr. Showmanship took to the stage. What has changed are the artists taking up the attractive offer and the audiences flocking to see them. Las Vegas has become a live music mecca in recent years with artists such as Adele, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga lighting up the strip with spectacular shows.
The revival of the residency can be pinpointed to the one and only Britney Spears. When Britney announced her Piece of Me residency in 2013 many were surprised she had chosen Sin City rather than choose to embark on a world tour for fans across the globe.
A Vegas residency had previously been reserved for performers who passed the prime of their career so for Britney, one of the world’s biggest popstars, it was a risky move. But that risk paid off, thanks to her stardom, breath-taking sets, exceptional choreography and a setlist packed full of hits, the show went on to become a huge success and ran for four years to high acclaim.
Since then, some of pop’s biggest superstars have followed suit, changing the perception of a stint on the Las Vegas strip and bringing in a host of new audiences from all over the world including:
Jennifer Lopez who brought the glitz and the glam with her All I Have residency performing hits including Let’s Get Loud, Waiting For Tonight, Jenny from the Block and All I Have.
Lady Gaga who debuted an innovative two-show residency, Enigma which focussed on her biggest hits and theatricality and Jazz & Piano which showcased her vocals with strip back versions of her songs as well as American classics.
Christina Aguilera presented The XPerience, a retro-futuristic themed journey through her impressive career with audiences enjoying hits including Dirty, Ain’t No Other Man and Beautiful.
And there have been many others from Janet Jackson to Gwen Stefani, Mariah Carey to Cardi B. But that’s not all, the resurgence shows have no sign of stopping as some of the current hottest Vegas tickets include pop princess Katy Perry’s Play, vocal powerhouse Adele’s Weekends with Adele and Kelly Clarkson’s Chemistry shows.
If you’re heading to Las Vegas any time soon, you are more than spoilt for choice. You never know who will announce a residency next, but I’m sure we can expect many more in the future.
ROARA Magazine 