Shaggy To Release Two New Albums: A Dancehall Project & Another Joint Album With Sting
Jamaican megastar Shaggy has revealed that he has two new albums to be released: a Dancehall album and another, which the diamond-selling artist says will not only be a masterpiece, but will be unusual and unexpected, and according to him, his ‘best work yet.’
While not going into the finer details, an upbeat Shaggy said that the “extraordinary album”, is being done in collaboration with the legendary British singer and former The Police frontman, Sting, who also serves as producer.
“There is something coming up with me and Sting that is incredible. And it is not what you expect. We have finished the album. I am not ready to announce it yet, but it is not what you expect. It is not another 44/876. It is Sting and Shaggy. It is so left-field it is crazy and good,” Shaggy told the BBC 1Xtra’s Seani B, during a recent interview.
“I am gonna tell you this: I have been doing this for 30 years, and I have made the best album I have ever made in my life. And none of the songs were written by me… It is incredible. I will tell you this: Sting is an amazing producer,” the 53-year-old said.
In 2019, Shaggy and Sting copped the Grammy Award for the Best Reggae Album, for 44/876. The album was released in April 2018 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart and peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard 200. It also charted in the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, Australia, Austria, France, Italy, and Germany where it debuted at number one.
Shaggy made the revelation as he and Seani discussed how necessary the validation of Dancehall music by the “streets” was in propelling songs to glory.
“I got my Dancehall album that is coming out. It a guh have Wa-Do-Dem [Mi Nuh Know] and listen out for the Dexta Daps and Shaggy. Look out for another Spice coming,” the Boombastic singer said.
Shaggy’s cheerful mood appeared to be infectious, as a just-as-excited Seani B responded: “I have never seen you this excited”.
“Hol on nuh. There is Spice, and then there is Grammy-winning Spice. Hol on deh, when dat come, lawd! I’m having fun with music; that’s all I can say,” Shaggy added gleefully.
Shaggy has released 16 studio albums in his music career, his biggest of which was Hot Shot, which he released in 2000, on the MCA Records label. Hot Shot, which included the mega-hits It Wasn’t Me and Angel, is certified platinum six times in the United States.
Shaggy won his first Grammy for the Boombastic album, which was released in 1995. Boombastic was certified platinum in US and gold in the UK. It also peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200, topped the Reggae Albums chart in the US, and reached number 37 on the UK Albums chart.
Clothes Drop, Intoxication, Summer In Kingston and Out of Many One Music, all received Grammy nominations, while It Wasn’t Me copped a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
In the meantime, the Hot Shot artist also expressed glee that the world was opening up and he would be able to do some shows and tours, as he missed doing live performances.
“Look out for us in England. I think we coming sometime around June. We have a bunch a shows in England, so massive, all my UK massive please – festivals and dat, mi goin on all a dem because mi jus waan lef mi yard to tell yuh di truth. Mi tired a stay home. Mi have some one-off show, bwoy mi waan hit di road haad. Mi jus a seh: put mi pon everything right now; mi nuh even care,” he said.