REO Speedwagon is a band that needs little to no introduction, except for the fact that they have created some of the world’s most recognizable power ballads. The key song that they have released is “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, which has since become Gold-certified in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and performed incredibly well on worldwide music charts. It’s one of the power ballads, and REO Speedwagon’s success is in part due to this hit.
If anything could make a classic power ballad even more uplifting and meaningful, it’s a version that includes a family duet. In this video, REO Speedwagon performs “Can’t Fight This Feeling”, one of their biggest hits, live at the Kaaboo Festival in September 2019, with frontman Kevin Cronin’s daughter providing guest vocals. It’s a beautiful moment between father and daughter, and an awesome experience for die-hard fans of the band to witness. Watch below:
Before this touching duet, Kevin Cronin warms up the crowd with some words of admiration towards all those who attended, while also showcasing his vibrant personality, which is part of why the band has been so popular over the years. He says: “Between everybody out there, and everyone here on stage, together we are living proof that rock and roll will keep you young forever!” When it’s time for “I Can’t Fight This Feeling”, Holly comes on stage to cheer and their performance together is magical.
REO Speedwagon may have created the iconic rock ballad “I Can’t Fight This Feeling”, which has been used tremendously in commercial opportunities over the years, but that’s far from this ensemble’s only huge hit. In the over 40 years that the band has been active, they have sold more than 40 million records and managed to hit the Top 40 charts 13 times. One of the songs that helped them reach these heights is the iconic ballad “Keep On Loving You”, which was released in 1980.
Kaaboo Festival was an annual music and arts festival held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in California, United States of America. Alongside REO Speedwagon, it featured a whole array of A-list celebrities and musical acts, from Imagine Dragons and Pink to Aerosmith and Snoop Dogg. Despite debuting in 2015, the festival has been postponed since 2021 due to complications from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It is yet to be announced whether Kaaboo will return.
According to Cronin, “Can’t Fight This Feeling” is about “that moment in time where…it gets too painful to be where you are and you know you have to change…but change is hard…and you overcome that fear of change.” This change in question was sparked from feeling hurt when he fell for a woman who was in his friend group. This is a feeling that many of us can relate to, which is part of why the song became so popular in the 1980s.