Sting Shares New Remixes On ‘Desert Rose Reimagined’ EP

Sting is giving fans the chance to hear one of his best-loved solo tracks in three new ways. The musician has shared the Desert Rose Reimagined EP, which features three new remixes of his 2000 hit.

The Desert Rose EP features remixes from Middle Eastern-American duo Bedouin, South African producer Zakes Bantwini, and South African DJ Darque. All three remixes are featured on the album in standard and extended form. Aside from their recent stint at Miami Music Week and an upcoming slot at Coachella, Bedouin is known for their SAGA residency series, which has taken the duo to New York, Istanbul, Barcelona, Tulum, Marrakech, Mykonos, and many other destinations around the globe. Bantwini has enjoyed a nearly two-decade career, earning a Grammy Award in 2022 for Best Global Performance for his contribution to the track “Bayethe.” Darque, meanwhile, is considered a contemporary leader and rising star in African electronic music.

The diverse background of the musicians remixing “Desert Rose” are well-suited to the song, which also features vocals from Algerian musician Cheb Mami. Sting once described the track as “a song about longing, a kind of Sufi [Islam] idea – romantic love as an analog for the greater love of God.” He expanded on the song’s creation in a 1999 interview, commenting, “I’d rather say that my ambition is to defy the titles that people make for you… I don’t do world music or reggae, I do whatever I do. But it’s true that ‘Desert Rose’ has a definite Arabic, North African flavor.”

The original “Desert Rose” was a hit around the world, topping charts in the United States, Greece, and Portugal and charting highly in Canada, France, Germany, and many more countries. The track was released as the second single from Sting’s album Brand New Day, which ultimately won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2000 ceremony.

Listen to Sting’s Desert Rose Reimagined here.