Sting Says He’s a Heavy Metal Singer with ”a Little More Melody“

Sting has compared his vocals to a heavy metal singer “with a little more melody.”

In the interview with guitarist Dominic Miller and Rick Beato at The Power Station Berklee in New York City, Sting discussed songwriting, the creative process, The Police, his solo career, and influences like The Beatles and classic composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

When Beato pointed to The Police’s 1978 hit “Roxanne,” noting Sting’s higher register in track, the singer said it was bordering more on heavy metal vocals.

“I think registers are interesting,” said Sting. “Most heavy metal singers sing up there. So I’m a heavy metal singer, but I have a little more melody. It’s the same way that, to get above the noise of the band, you need that register. You can’t be a baritone with a rock band, really.”

Sting, who recently released the single “If It’s Love,” off his forthcoming 15th album The Bridge, added that whether it was writing for The Police or for his solo material, he has never followed any rules when making music.

“I’m not here to belong to a genre or adapt myself to any kind of rules,” he said. “I just do what I instinctively feel I want to do. I’m lucky to have that opportunity and the privilege to do that. I’m also helped by some fantastic musicians who feel the same way—exploring the whole spectrum of music, and not just saying ‘We’re in this ghetto here.’ We’re not. We play everything.”

Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson