Why Sting’s work are canon

Pop culture, despite having been occupied and defined by different artists, only includes those individuals who had remarkable and influential implications on the genre. The renowned artists in pop culture reflects the common definition of canon, explained as the representation of the most significant and influential work within any art form whose contribution can lay the foundation for reference for comparing other works. Of particular emphasis is Sting, a singer, and artist who performed as the leader as well as a bassist of the group, the Police. Sting is also remembered as a movie star whose work was influenced by the group The Police and later moved to focus on solo work with the emphasis on handpicked jazz ensemble.  However, Sting remains as one of the undoubtedly influential artists, and as such, regarded as one of the individuals who artfully controlled the songwriting in pop culture in the past decades. The major mark that makes Sting’s work or songs as a canon in pop culture is the voice with which he sings that tends to appeal to every individual while on the other hand, portraying the important messages of global unity and pacifism.

One of the reasons that warrant Sting’s recognition as a canon is that despite having been focused on the jazz genre, his main theme was different from other artists. In his songs, most have focused on preaching or embodying the ‘‘one world concept’’, a style that has transcended time and place and as such, will remain influential for years. Besides, his style of singing is overtly unique, with Sting adopting a childlike singing style, a hybridization of the English and West Indian inflections. In return, Sting’s artistry has led to the development of a modal melodic signature connecting the Anglican liturgical music and aligning it to the West African chant. In the jazz music, only Sting has used this unique style and as such, an implication that the work has left a profound influence on the pop culture thereby indicating that Sting’s work is a canon.

Sting’s work has left a significant mark on the pop culture because his songs are but focused on presenting anti-intellectual tides that have been common with the pop-rock tradition. Particularly, his songs make references to Shakespeare, Nabokov, and Jung and this adds to the intellectual aspect of the artist’s work, an element that is rarely found in most of the jazz and pop culture. An excellent example of how his songs have been intellectually inspired is The Dream of the Blue Turtles album, a solo album that had been entirely inspired by the Interview With a Vampire (a novel by Anne Rice). The particular song is the only one of a kind where Sting interweaves  American jazz musical style that has informed the new-wave of pop as well as Jamaican reggae.

Nonetheless, Sting’s songs are also written within the social context within which he lived and as such, presenting challenges per se. For instance, the song Synchronicity’ portrays a confession of persona anguish that he has towards the modern fables against the ancient folk tales. In this case, Sting tries to compare the personal pain with the vision of the new world. The album “The Dream of the Blue Turtles” also shows a major connectedness with such important societal issues like nature, society, technology, and personal commitment.

A major mark that Sting left in the pop culture is the integration that he made with other musicians, especially bringing jazz into the pop culture. He has made major contributions by bringing about mid-tempo songs like Consider Me Gone while such a contribution is also evident in the remaking of Shadows in the Rain. As a singer, Sting’s contribution to the pop culture is brought about by the influence he had in swinging and handpicking players. In this regard, his major mark as a canon in pop culture is evident from the manner in which he used adventurous musicians to build on music and as such, painting him as a musician who was very conservative about jazz. Nonetheless, Sting has followed the footsteps of Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell to use jazz in textural contribution to his work.

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One of the songs, Russians is an exemplary work based on the societal and political context that explains Sting as a prototypical contributory factor in pop-culture. Particularly, the song, done in 1985, assumed a somber melody while on the other hand, having a trampling bass-line that heavily leaned on the Romance from Lieutenant Kije by Prokofiev. Therefore, an outstanding aspect or element of the song that makes it such a major contribution in the pop culture as a canon is the somber melody that was unique to the particular social and political climate. The song talks about the cold war and as such, drives a combination between rock music and Cold War. Also, the melody of the song is unique, and Sting derived from Sergei Prokofiev from the song Romance. Particularly, the melody of the song integrates the classic music, and this makes it one of the top rated songs. Hence, from the melody, context, composition and rhythm of the song Russians, it is accurate to infer that Sting’s work should be recognized as canon. The particular use of unique melody, proper selection of song context and precise pointing of the issues in society explains why the song Russians has remained one of the most the highly ranked classical songs and as such, an indication of the longevity of Sting’s work.

Sting also having been a member of The Police influenced his work a great deal and as such, would be a contributory factor in him becoming a renowned musician. The influence from the Police would explain why Sting blended different kinds of music, especially blending jazz and new-wave music like reggae and the pop-rock music.  Being a member of the Police influenced his career, especially giving him the experience for making instrumental music as the group made outstanding music, won a total of six Grammy Awards. Although the group had been punk-inspired regarding sound, it later switched to reggae that would feature in Sting’s later music and also the minimalist pop that also became part of his musical play. The song Synchronicity exemplifies the influence of the Police in Sting’s career.

Likening Sting to a canon can also be compared to the impact that the Jackson 5 had on Michael Jackson’s lifetime career. The group was formed out of brothers who began performing in events and later entered the musical scene in 1967. However, most of the Michael Jackson’s later career including rhythm, melody, tone and all the musical styles were a reflection of the Jackson 5. The same way, Sting’s musical solo career was influenced by The Police as about such elements as Jazz and rock-pop beats and new wave reggae, as well as mixing of different sounds. On the other hand, Michael came out of the Jackson 5 had a flourishing solo career, and this is also likened to Sting’s later success as he became the most successful after pursuing a solo career. Therefore, the group had a significant influence and being a member of such a renowned group that received many accolades; it is right to infer that the Police molded Sting to become such a successful and influential person in pop culture and as such, his work should be regarded as a canon.

Therefore, from the above discussion, it is evident that Sting had a particular influence on pop culture that led to his working having a long lasting impact on the pop culture. For instance, he used a unique style, especially the bassline and somber melody that later defined the jazz and pop-music. He also had a way of swinging through the musical genres and working with musicians from different bands, including jazz, pop and punk-rock. However, a major contributory effect of his work is much attributed to Sting being a member of the group, The People, that would shape is solo carrier as an individual who mixes different styles. Of particular emphasis is how Sting uniquely presented and employed different themes to fit the current contexts, social and political environment as well as the personal expressions. The song Russians is one of a kind that brought Sting’s solo work into limelight as it highlighted the Cold War events. In addition, the discussion compares his contribution to that of Michael Jackson and how the Jackson 5 played a significant role his solo carrier as most of the rhythms and melodies were borrowed from the group. Least to say, Sting works, especially renowned songs like Russians shows how he has left a legacy in pop culture and as such, the works are definitely considered as canon.