Sting and Shaggy have announced the release of an “island-influenced” collaborative album.

Titled ’44/876′, their joint album will drop on 20 April. The pair will share its lead single ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’ on all streaming platforms tomorrow (25 January).

According to a press release, the album came about after the pair “got together to jam and write music that reflects their mutual love of Jamaica, its music, people and culture”.


Sting and Shaggy were apparently introduced by Martin Kierszenbaum, who is Sting’s manager and a former A&R executive for Shaggy. The album was produced by Sting International – no relation to Sting the performer – who previously worked with Shaggy on his signature hits ‘Boombastic’ and ‘It Wasn’t Me’.

“The most important thing to me in any kind of music is surprise,” Sting told Rolling Stone. “And everybody is surprised by this collaboration – by what they’re hearing. We’re surprising.”

Discussing the single ‘Don’t Make Me Wait’, Shaggy said: “Doesn’t that just sound like something that hundreds of women would get pregnant to?”

The duo debuted the song at a charity concert in Kingston, Jamaica earlier this month.

Sting’s most recent album was 2016’s ’57th & 9th’. Shaggy’s last LP was the 2011 set ‘Summer In Kingston’.