Sting and Shaggy discussed their forthcoming joint album with Billboard’s Chelsea Briggs on the red carpet at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Gala on Saturday (Jan. 27).
Earlier this week, the unlikely duo announced that they had recorded a full-length album together, titled 44/876, while also dropping the first single off the LP, “Don’t Make Me Wait.”
“They call us the ‘not-so-odd couple,’” Shaggy jokes of their partnership, adding that the album — which is set for release on April 20 – is “a very Caribbean-infused record.”
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Sting explains that when he and Shaggy first met, they had an “instant rapport,” adding that they both love reggae music. “[Shaggy] brought me a song – the song we released as a single – and I thought it was a hit,” he says, “and so we started to work on that, and then that grew into another song, and then another song, and then it became an entire album. But based on fun and rapport.”
Speaking of their relationship, Sting explains that Shaggy is “very spontaneous” while he is not, adding that they have both learned from each other in the process of creating the record.
“We’re not as different as it may seem,” explains Shaggy. “We have a lot in common, and we found that out in making this record, how alike we are, about our values and about our craft, about music, about humanity, about nature. So that all boils into the record, you’ll hear all of that.”
As for which topics will be covered on the record, Sting says it will focus on “hope for tomorrow. Looking forward to a better day tomorrow. I think we all have to because these are pretty dark times, so I think this album is a breath of fresh air and some sunshine and joy.”
Watch the video above to hear more from Sting and Shaggy about their forthcoming album, and to hear about their possible plans for taking the record on tour.