Sting – “Duets” Review
Sting has made a lot of music and has collaborated with many other talented artists in the process. Want to hear his favorites? On his new 2021 album “Duets,” Sting compiles his most treasured songs that he has made with other people from 1992 to present. It’s time to take a trip down memory lane.
The old Police singer Gordon Sumner, better known as Sting, has been making music since the late 1970s, and people from all over the world are obsessed with him and his work. After the band broke up in the mid-1980s, he has been consistently releasing solo music.
The last album Sting released in January 2021 was a 30th anniversary edition of 1991’s “The Soul Cages”; it became his second No. 1 album in the United Kingdom. This expanded edition is digital access only.
So, who is on the new album, simply titled “Duets”? Melody Gardot, Eric Clapton, Myléne Farmer, Cheb Mami, Craig David, Mary J. Blige, Shaggy, GIMS, Charles Aznavour, Chris Botti, Jo Lawry, Julio Iglesias, GASHI, Sam Moore & Sheila E, the Quatuor Ébène string quartet, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, and Zucchero. Just about every kind of musical artist is on this record.
What can be expected on “Duets”? Each song has a different sound coming from a different era; audiences will be able to hear that each song was recorded at a different time period from the 1990s to the 2020s.
Sting likes to collaborate with all types of artists from all over the place. That’s what makes this album so unique—it’s not like anything he’s ever done before.
But people who like the original Sting—the one known for his boundary-pushing rock and new wave sound—will not like “Duets.” Many of the songs are in the hip-hop, reggae, and ‘90s pop genres. Sting doesn’t usually sing these types of songs; it’s an unexpected change of style with limited success.
Also, Sting’s appearances on the track list are not that profound, despite the album being credited to him. He seems to serve as a backup singer who adds some spice or just a quick verse that you might not even recognize belongs to him.
One thing that is a little frustrating about this album is that it is not available to stream on typical services like Apple Music and Spotify. It can be found on YouTube or on his website. It would be a smart idea for Sting to expand his listening audience by making it more readily available.
Many albums aren’t in the format of these extensive collaborations, so Sting earns a gold star for creativity and trying something new. But are the songs good? Not really. There will be one or two fans might like but not anything they’ll become obsessed with. The idea of this kind of record is special, but the songs are not.
Rating: 4/10
Reviewer’s Favorite Songs: “Rise & Fall” by Craig David
Least Favorite Song: “Don’t Make Me Wait” by Shaggy
Emily McGlynn is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email esm5378@psu.edu.
