Sting is the latest artist to sign up for a coveted Las Vegas residency set to begin next year with a performance at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on May 22nd, 2020. To mark the occasion, the ex-The Police frontman joined up with Associated Press for an exclusive interview, where he outlined his ambitions for the immediate future.
Juice WRLD's Sampling Of "Shape of My Heart"">Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Admittedly, he's been avoiding of becoming a sedentary figure, as he fancied himself a working-touring artist like no other - but in the advent of other musicians such as Drake, Cardi B, J Balvin and Jennifer Lopez lining up residencies in their prime, Sting finally let his guard down in acceptance of his fate. "I always thought, 'I'm not quite ready for that. I'm still a touring animal.' [Now] I'm ready," he told the AP before offering up a particularly profound outlook on the situation.
"Being in one place is actually a different, spiritual vibe," he said. "Welcoming people into your house — that's basically what it's going to be. I'll be telling the story of my life through songs. I've had a long, interesting life and I can't wait."
After broaching the subject of his contract signing in the top-half of the interview, Sting was then asked to speak on the various interpolations and samples his discography has undergone in recent years, namely the much-publicized Juice WRLD rendering of "Shape of My Heart," which is incidentally set to be included in a retrospective project coming out this year.
"I'm always intrigued by that. I'm always pleased by what I hear because they hear something in that lovely, descending bass line that makes for reflection. That pleases me. And there have been some fabulous versions," Sting said with regards to the many artists who have sampled "Shape of My Heart." He then focused his attention squarely on Juice WRLD's version "Lucid Dreams."
"I was very impressed by what he put on top of [my version]," he said of "Lucid Dreams" in particular. "It's a really good song." Sting's change of heart concerning the Nick Mira production is favorable, to say the least, because not so long ago, both parties seemed to be jostling over licensing rights, with Sting going as far as to threaten legal action over the song's "unlawful clearance." It seems as though cooler heads have prevailed in the situation, as Nick Mira's use of "Shape of my Heart" was in part, a compliment of the highest order. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery is it not?