SINGAPORE – In recent years, Sting has been collaborating with a long list of musicians from all genres and backgrounds, from Jamaican-American reggae singer Shaggy and American hip-hop veteran Snoop Dogg to American music icons Barbra Streisand and Dolly Parton.
Despite being one of the most successful musicians in the past few decades, the 73-year-old British singer says each of these partnerships has been a learning experience for him.
“I’m the eternal student. I’m here to learn. I’m still learning about music,” he tells The Straits Times in an exclusive Zoom interview from his house in Italy. “(These collaborators) always bring something new, something I hadn’t discovered, something I can learn.”
Sting’s work with Shaggy includes 44/876 (2018), which earned a Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2019, Sting’s 17th win.
The collaborations are on brand for the performer, whose wide repertoire since the late 1970s has encompassed genres ranging from jazz and classical to new wave and opera.
Sting’s music adapts easily to different artistes’ styles, which makes these tie-ups with fellow music stars exciting and educational for him. “There’s a reason they’re successful, and it’s great to be in the same room with them.”
The singer and bassist is also full of praise for the two musicians who are accompanying him on stage for his current Sting 3.0 World Tour – British guitarist and long-time collaborator Dominic Miller and London-based drummer Chris Maas. Their global jaunt includes a date in Singapore at Arena @ Expo on Sept 23.
While previous iterations of his live band have included up to seven musicians, paring it down to just three on stage – just like his former ground-breaking pop-rock band The Police – has been very exciting and fresh.
“We have to work harder, but the challenge is something that we all look forward to.”
The audiences at the shows have been surprised by how dynamic a three-piece band can sound, and he notes that “it’s never the same performance every night”.
British singer Sting with fans at Koninklijk Theater Carre, where he said the new version of his musical The Last Ship will have its world premiere in Amsterdam in 2026.
PHOTO: AFP
Still, fans in Singapore can look forward to hearing all the songs that made the sometime-actor famous, from his solo output dating back to the mid-1980s, as well as hits by The Police from the late 1970s and early 1980s.
“I always want to play the hits that people know. I don’t want people disappointed that they haven’t heard Roxanne (1978) or Englishman In New York (1987). So, I always give them that.
“But within that context, I give them something that only this band can do, which is something close to improvisation. We’re not playing jazz, but the sensibility of jazz is within the band.”
The upcoming concert comes a mere two years after he last performed in Singapore at The Star Theatre in 2023, which was part of another global tour in support of his 2019 album, My Songs.
He has also played here several times in the past, including a show with The Police at Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2008, part of their reunion tour.
Sting says there is no secret to his long and successful career, which kicked off in the early 1970s with jazz gigs in England.
Both his solo output and with The Police have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. Other than Grammys, his string of accolades includes 25 wins at the American Music Awards, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“I don’t really have a secret, but I’m very fit and I love my work. I’m a hard worker, and I just like staying in the game. But to stay in the game, you need to be physically and mentally strong. It’s an athletic pursuit. It’s not something you can do without being strong.”
He likes to keep up to date with current music trends, but acknowledges that “there’s so much music out there, so many formats and streaming platforms, it’s difficult to have a complete picture of everything”.
He says the ability to have instant access to any song via streaming services is a “miracle” and “wonderful tools for education”. Still, he notes: “I’m not sure musicians are paid fairly on those services, but hopefully that will happen.”
Asked if there are any contemporary pop stars he is particularly fond of, he names American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, 23. “I love the voice, I love the sensibility. I have a great deal of respect for her.”
Besides the current 3.0 tour, which will continue to 2026, Sting will also be busy taking on the lead role in the 2026 run of his musical The Last Ship, which features original music and lyrics by him.
British singer Sting at Koninklijk Theater Carre.
PHOTO: AFP
It was staged on Broadway from 2014 to 2015 and was inspired by his childhood in the shipbuilding town of Wallsend, England.
“This play will start in Amsterdam, Paris, Australia and New York, but maybe one day in Singapore, because you are an island nation, you know about ships.”
Where: Arena @ Expo, 9 Somapah Road
When: Sept 23, 8pm
Admission: From $138 via Ticketmaster (go to
ticketmaster.s
g or call 6018-7645)
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.straitstimes.com ’
