Ronan Keating Duets with Swedish Star Carola on “No Matter What”
In 2018, Irish vocalist Ronan Keating took part in Allsang på Grensen, a popular Norwegian music festival. The audience sat eagerly on a garden-themed stage, awaiting the famous pop artist. Keating walked onto the platform alongside Swedish music icon Carola to deliver an unforgettable duet that has gathered over 21 million YouTube views. As the opening notes of "No Matter What" – a global success for Keating's group Boyzone in 1998 – began playing, the crowd fell silent with excitement at this union of highly praised performers. As a solo artist, Keating has sold more than 20 million albums globally, with an additional 25 million during his time with Boyzone. Carola has remained one of Sweden's top vocalists since her rise to fame in the 1980s.
Keating sang the first verse, originally performed by Stephen Gately in the Boyzone version. In the crowd, a mother and daughter moved rhythmically to the music. The singers then joined voices before alternating solo parts. Carola took control at the song's conclusion with her powerful voice, causing Keating to touch his chest in admiration. They embraced and bowed to the delighted crowd after finishing.
Carola holds celebrity status throughout Scandinavia. Her first album, "Främling," came out in 1983. It has reached one million copies sold in Sweden, making it the country's top-selling album ever, surpassing even ABBA's releases. She has represented Sweden three times at Eurovision Song Contest, winning by a slim margin in 1991. Her victory came with the lively track "Fångad av en stormvind," with her winning performance video attracting more than 350,000 YouTube views.
The 46-year-old Keating released his most recent album, "Songs from Home," in 2021, marking his twelfth solo project. It contained eleven covers of songs by Irish musicians and one new track co-written by Keating and Dan Healy. Recently, Keating has shifted toward television work, serving as a coach on both The Voice Kids UK and The Voice of Germany.
