How can two musicians with such contrasting sounds create a full length album together? Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer, Sting and Jamaican “It Wasn’t Me” star, Shaggy, have dropped full length album together, 44/876.
The pair was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon when they revealed how this strange collaboration formed. “He just walked onstage during Roxanne,” Sting mentioned casually with his hand placed on Shaggy’s shoulder. Followed by a joke thinking that Shaggy was Sean Paul.
Shaggy originally wanted Sting to be featured on “Don’t Make Me Wait,” which ended up becoming the album’s lead single. He later realized their voices meshed well together. “We had such fun with that,” said Shaggy.
Recently performing on stage together at the Queen of England’s 92nd Birthday, the team discovered they needed each other more than before. Sting told Fallon “the gig wasn’t going very well,” so during the performance Shaggy looked at Sting to say “shall I go out there [into the crowd]?” Shaggy hopped off stage to head towards the audience then to the royal box. “I thought oh no please don’t molest the queen,” Sting covered his face as he revealed to Fallon.
Their 12 track album has the consistent theme of love with the sounds of reggae and R&B. Their chemistry shined in person as much as it is in their reggae acoustic music. Sometimes a strange combination could be the best unknown secret.