Sting, Shaggy doing it their way with Sinatra project

Two celebrated musicians are bringing their talents together to recreate an album celebrating a legendary American singer - with a new twist.

Sting and Shaggy, best known for their individual successes, have teamed up to release an album called "Com Fly Wid Mi," with classic songs from the Frank Sinatra songbook, but performed in a Reggae style.

“I think the shock on people's faces when they hear it in reggae because obviously, they know the songs, but when they hear that drum roll out and they hear that bassline start, they're like, ‘What?’” said Shaggy.

The two recently came together in Las Vegas at the world-renowned Caesar’s Palace where Sting was performing night after night for his latest residency.

Shaggy, who sings on the remakes, said Sting was the “best guy” to produce the latest collaboration.

Four years ago, the duo began collaborating together and released their album “44/876” which married genres of rock and reggae. The album went on to win a Grammy for “Best Reggae Album”.

Sting, 70, the former frontman of the iconic rock band The Police has won 17 Grammy Awards and sold over 100 million albums. His career has spanned decades and generations.

The idea for their latest collaborative album came to Sting while he was in Europe with Shaggy. “I was in Norway and we rented a boat. He's got the stereo on and he's singing along with Frank and I hear that he has the same range. Is a baritone tenor. I'm a tenor. He's a baritone tenor. And I'm thinking, that sounds pretty good.”

Shaggy, 53, a renowned reggae artist from Jamaica, has sold over 20 million albums and won a Grammy for Boombastic in 1996. He is also known for the smash hit “It Wasn’t Me” released in 2000. Despite his success, Shaggy said the stakes were high covering Frank Sinatra’s music.

“I was terrified about doing it, because it's Frank,” said Shaggy. “These are iconic songs and they have to be done right. And for me to take that kind of leap, if I'm going to do that, this is the best guy to do it with because he's so damn meticulous.”

Since the early 1950s, Frank Sinatra’s influence not only swept across the United States, but traveled across oceans.

“In Jamaica, a lot of people don't know that on Sundays in my household, in most households, they play a lot of American music. And so like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, people like Nat King Cole,” Shaggy told Nightline in 2022. “It goes with chicken and rice and beans. That's part of the culture.”

Sting, who also said Frank Sinatra has been a part of his “musical DNA,” said that what the artist represents is still relevant in American culture today.

“It was immigrant music and it's also one of the jewels of American culture. So we have to remember that what immigrants bring to the country is something unexpected and wonderful,” said Sting.

Both artists said they hope the new album can bring people a much-needed smile.

“That's what our job is,” said Shaggy. “To make people's lives a little bit easier.”

Sting returns to performing at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in April 2023 for his ongoing residency.