Sting doesn’t feel that the disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct facing Sean “Diddy” Combs “taint” the English rocker’s hit, “Every Breath You Take.”
Written by Sting, 73, for his former band The Police, the 1983 track was famously sampled by Diddy, 55, in his 1997 song “I’ll Be Missing You” with Faith Evans.
In a new interview with The Los Angeles Times published Monday, Sting was asked about whether his relationship with his song has changed following Diddy’s September arrest on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The rock legend gave an unambiguous response: “No.”
“I mean, I don’t know what went on [with Diddy],” he admitted. “But it doesn’t taint the song at all for me.”
“It’s still my song,” he added of his original song.
After the interviewer chimed in, saying, “people still love to hear it,” Sting responded, “Absolutely.
Speaking about his 2023 collaboration with Pink and Marshmello, “Dreaming,” which samples a solo song of his, 1993’s “Fields of Gold,” Sting revealed how he views sampling more broadly.
Asked why he thinks his music keeps “drawing” younger musicians, Sting said, “I have no idea, but when somebody wants to interpolate or whatever it’s called, I never object because I always learn something about the song that I hadn’t known or anticipated.”
“And I get paid, so why not? It keeps them current.”
“Songs are living organisms — you have to keep breathing life into them or giving them new bedfellows,” he added.
In addition to giving Diddy his blessing to sample “Every Breath You Take” in “I’ll Be Missing You,” Sting performed with the hip-hop start at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.
Combs was arrested on Sept. 16 in New York City following a months-long investigation by federal investigators into the disgraced music mogul’s alleged sexual misconduct. In an unsealed indictment, US Attorneys alleged Diddy lured victims to participate in so-called “freak offs,” elaborate sex performances with male prostitutes that were often recorded while the music producer masturbated.
Diddy, who has maintained his innocence since his arrest, is currently being held without bail at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (aka MDC) while he awaits trial. His bail requests have repeatedly been denied, though a judge has yet to rule on a new bail motion Combs filed last week.
Perhaps surprisingly, streams of Diddy’s music jumped after his arrest. Singer R. Kelly similarly saw a streaming bump after his 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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