Return to form
You may know Matt Goss from the sexy, swinging sounds of his cabaret-style show at The Mirage’s 1 OAK Nightclub, but as the former frontman of UK pop group Bros, Goss has a lot more music in his bag of tricks. His new single “Red Flares” demonstrates his versatility and it’s just the beginning of a wave of new music from the international entertainer.
“This track has that really contemporary beat and melody and I just wanted to dig into that world again,” Goss recently said.
“I’m definitely not done creating music for radio as well as for myself, and it’s an interesting challenge to write something and put my name behind it while keeping it contemporary,” he said. It’s tougher than it seems.”
Songs that stick
From “We Don’t Talk Anymore” to “See You Again,” Charlie Puth’s carefully crafted, incredibly catchy songs have been ubiquitous radio fixtures for the last three years. The 26-year-old New Jersey-born singer, songwriter and producer upped the ante with this year’s Voicenotes, his second major label studio album, featuring hit singles “Attention” and “How Long” and a distinct infusion of late ’80s and early ’90s R&B sounds. Puth has guest spots from Boyz II Men and Kehlani on the record, but he also has James Taylor, proving his infectious sound can’t be pigeonholed. “I have a more mature listening palate now. I’ve been around the world touring,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “I’ve always wanted to combine jazz and pop music and now is the perfect time to do it.” Puth’s Voicenotes Tour stops in The Pearl at Palms on Aug. 12.
Quick hits
Halsey knows how to Vegas. The alt-pop star really made the most of a recent visit, starting with a tour stop at the Pearl at Palms and then headlining Playboy’s Midsummer Night’s Dream at Marquee in The Cosmopolitan. She even found time to join dance music pal Diplo in the DJ booth at XS Nightclub at Wynn the same night. On day two, after Instagramming a hot tub shot from her suite at Palms (captioned “Vegas is growing on me.”) she dined at Scotch 80 Prime and returned to XS to check out Marshmello.
Halsey wasn’t the only famous face spending times at Palms recently. Keeping Up with the Kardashians reality star Scott Disick had his first experience with the edgy style of Apex Social Club. Also spotted: rappers Taleb Kweli and Raul Conde and baseball great Jason Giambi.
The “original social media influencer” Perez Hilton debuted as guest host of Chippendales The Show at the Rio in a steampunk-inspired ringmaster costume (his mother was even in the audience to cheer him on). When you’re a dance superstar and you come to Vegas, how do you decide which dance spectacular to check out? Dancing with the Stars judge and triple-threat entertainer Julianne Hough hit the late show at Magic Mike Live at the Hard Rock Hotel to celebrate her sister’s bachelorette party.
Captain America himself, aka actor Chris Evans, partied with friends recently at Drai’s Nightclub at The Cromwell when ultra-hot R&B duo DVSN took the stage for a few songs during new Drai’s resident Ty Dolla $ign’s set.
Brock Radke is an award-winning entertainment reporter who has been covering the city since 2000, and interviews key movers and shakers on his All The Vegas podcast, available at allthevegas.com
