Description
Sting – Brand New Day – Double 180 Gram Vinyl Record
Sting’s Brand New Day, released on September 28, 1999, marked a triumphant return for the legendary artist as he ventured into a diverse blend of genres, including pop, jazz, world music, and electronic influences. The album is a testament to Sting’s versatility as a musician and his lyrical exploration of themes like love, renewal, and optimism. With standout tracks like Desert Rose and the Grammy-winning Brand New Day, the album solidified Sting’s reputation as a creative force, blending innovative sounds with timeless storytelling.
Brand New Day became a commercial and critical success, earning two Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album, and reaffirming Sting’s ability to stay relevant and innovative well into the late 1990s. Its eclectic musicality and forward-looking themes resonated with audiences worldwide, making it one of his most celebrated solo works.
After the introspective and jazz-infused Mercury Falling (1996), Sting sought a fresh artistic direction for Brand New Day. Drawing on a wide array of global influences, the album reflects his curiosity and willingness to experiment. Recorded primarily in his home studio in Tuscany, the album features a stellar lineup of collaborators, including Cheb Mami, a celebrated Algerian singer who adds his distinctive rai vocals to Desert Rose, and Branford Marsalis, the renowned saxophonist and longtime Sting collaborator.
At the time of its release, Sting was facing the challenge of remaining relevant in a rapidly changing musical landscape dominated by younger pop and rock stars. With Brand New Day, he embraced his role as a seasoned artist unafraid to innovate and integrate diverse styles, resulting in an album that felt fresh, sophisticated, and authentic.
Brand New Day is a genre-blurring work that combines Sting’s signature pop sensibilities with influences from jazz, classical music, world music, and electronic elements. The production is polished yet layered, with intricate arrangements and subtle textures that reward repeated listening. Sting’s signature bass-playing anchors many of the tracks, while his voice, simultaneously commanding and intimate, conveys the album’s emotional core.
The album balances energetic, upbeat tracks with introspective ballads. The fusion of modern and traditional instrumentation—such as the use of oud, tabla, and jazz horns—creates a rich, global soundscape. Producer Kipper played a pivotal role in shaping the album’s sonic palette, seamlessly integrating Sting’s adventurous ideas with cutting-edge production techniques.
Track Highlights
A Thousand Years
The album opens with this haunting, atmospheric track that blends electronic beats with Sting’s meditative lyrics. Its hypnotic melody and layered textures evoke a sense of timelessness, setting the stage for the album’s themes of renewal and transcendence.
Desert Rose (featuring Cheb Mami)
A standout track and one of Sting’s most iconic solo songs, Desert Rose is a fusion of Western pop and Algerian rai music. Cheb Mami’s soaring vocals and the song’s hypnotic rhythm create a mesmerizing contrast, while Sting’s lyrics explore themes of desire and longing. Its unique sound helped the track achieve global success and brought rai music to a broader audience.
Big Lie Small World
A jazzy, bossa nova-inspired track, this song reflects Sting’s knack for storytelling. Its playful yet bittersweet lyrics capture the complexities of deceit and heartbreak, while the light instrumentation gives it an effortless charm.
After the Rain Has Fallen
This upbeat track features a driving rhythm and an infectious melody. With lyrics that tell a romantic and adventurous story, the song is one of the album’s most accessible and energetic moments.
Perfect Love… Gone Wrong
This quirky track incorporates elements of jazz and blues, with Sting adopting a playful vocal style to narrate a tale of romantic dysfunction. The use of a French rap interlude adds a unique twist, reflecting the album’s global influences.
Tomorrow We’ll See
A moody and introspective song, this track explores the life of a sex worker with compassion and nuance. Its melancholic melody and understated arrangement highlight Sting’s ability to tell complex stories through his music.
Fill Her Up
A surprising blend of country, gospel, and pop, Fill Her Up features a narrative about a gas station attendant dreaming of escape. The shift from storytelling verses to a rousing gospel chorus showcases Sting’s ability to blend disparate genres seamlessly.
Ghost Story
One of the album’s most intimate and emotional tracks, Ghost Story is a haunting ballad about loss and memory. Sting’s raw vocal delivery and the sparse arrangement make it a deeply personal moment on the record.
Brand New Day
The title track closes the album with a burst of optimism and energy. Featuring harmonica contributions from the legendary Stevie Wonder, the song is a celebration of renewal and hope. Its upbeat rhythm and anthemic chorus make it a perfect finale, embodying the album’s central themes.
Brand New Day is an exploration of transformation, love, and the human experience. Sting’s lyrics reflect a blend of introspection and storytelling, weaving personal insights with universal themes. Songs like A Thousand Years and Brand New Day highlight renewal and the passage of time, while Desert Rose and Big Lie Small World delve into the complexities of love and desire.
The album’s lyrical content also reflects Sting’s literary influences and philosophical musings. He often writes with a sense of poetic detachment, inviting listeners to interpret his stories in their own way. Whether narrating tales of heartbreak, longing, or self-discovery, Sting imbues his lyrics with a sense of introspection and emotional resonance.
Upon its release, Brand New Day received widespread acclaim for its innovative sound and polished production. Critics praised Sting’s ability to stay relevant by embracing new styles and collaborators while maintaining his core artistry. The album’s global influences and genre-crossing appeal were particularly highlighted as strengths, solidifying Sting’s reputation as a boundary-pushing artist.
Commercially, the album was a success, reaching the Top 10 on charts worldwide and earning platinum certifications in several countries. It won two Grammy Awards in 2000, including Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the title track, further cementing its impact.
Desert Rose became a global hit, thanks in part to its innovative fusion of Western and Algerian musical styles and its iconic music video. The song remains one of Sting’s most recognizable tracks, introducing new audiences to his music and helping to popularize world music elements in mainstream pop.
Brand New Day represents a pivotal moment in Sting’s solo career, demonstrating his ability to evolve and adapt while maintaining his artistic integrity. Its blending of diverse genres and global influences helped broaden the scope of what mainstream pop could achieve, paving the way for more experimental approaches to commercial music.
The success of Desert Rose also highlighted the potential for cross-cultural collaborations, bringing Algerian rai music to a global stage and inspiring other artists to explore similar fusions. Meanwhile, the album’s themes of renewal and hope resonated with audiences, offering a sense of optimism as the world approached a new millennium.
Brand New Day is a testament to Sting’s enduring artistry and his willingness to take risks. By blending a rich tapestry of genres with introspective lyrics and innovative production, the album captures a sense of global connection and personal renewal. Its success, both critical and commercial, reaffirmed Sting’s place as one of the most influential and forward-thinking artists of his generation. Decades later, Brand New Day remains a vibrant and inspiring work, showcasing the power of music to transcend boundaries and celebrate the universality of human experience.
180 Gram Heavyweight Vinyl
New Vinyl Master Cut At The Legendary Abbey Road Studios
Includes MP3 Download Voucher
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
A Thousand Years
Desert Rose
Big Lie Small World
After The Rain Has Fallen
Perfect Love… Gone Wrong
Tomorrow We’ll See
Prelude To The End Of The Game
Fill Her Up
Ghost Story
Brand New Day
