Michael Jackson was an iconic figure whose music influenced the industry for decades, serving as a mold for other artists to fill and emulate. His death in the summer of 2009 struck the hearts of many, coming off as an incredible surprise, to the point that some actually thought it was a cruel trick being played on them. The world lost the face of the 1980s, a face that transcended into the 1990s and 2000s as well. Hits such as “Thriller” and “Wanna be Startin’ Somethin’” are still chart toppers, songs that live on through remixes, sampling and the emulation of the great performer by artists such as Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and Usher.
While Jackson’s influence will never be lost, the world had to come to terms with the knowledge that we would never again be graced with his music. However, his posthumous album, “Xscape,” that hits the stands on May 13, proved different. The album features songs such as “Love Never Felt So Good,” produced by Timbaland and featuring Justin Timberlake, “Loving You,” “Do You Know Where Your Children Are,” the title song “Xscape” and “Slave to the Rhythm,” also produced by Timbaland and remixed with Justin Bieber.
Jackson had a style that could transcend any generation, and was one of few artists who could retain their signature sounds and uniqueness without feeling the need to change completely to fit contemporary norms. While there were a couple of songs, like “Blue Gangsta,” that miss the mark and are too contemporary, overshadowing his unique style, others, like “Love Never Felt So Good,” featuring Justin Timberlake, resemble his old-school dance hits and prove that Jackson would have still continued to prosper within the industry had he still been alive.
Along with his danceable beats came songs that held a powerful message within the lyrics, from hunger in third world countries to the increased pollution of the world. Hits such as these included “Black and White”, “We Are the World”, and “Man in the Mirror”. Jackson proved that there are still issues in the world that have been ignored, and sought to bring to light some of these issues on his posthumous album, with “Do You Know Where Your Children Are,” which discusses the plight of children who have suffered domestic/parental abuse and, as a result, run away to make a living on the streets.
Although some of Jackson’s songs on the new album feature current artists, all of the songs were recorded prior to his death, yet never released. “A Place With No Name” was written and recorded in 1998, and closely resembles a track by the rock band America, called “A Horse With No Name.” “Blue Gangsta,” while it is unsure when it was written exactly, was originally titled “No Friend of Mine,” and is the most mainstream of all the tracks, with a techno-style beat and slightly distorted singing, an anomaly that could be due to the quality of the recording. One of his tracks, “Chicago,” was originally titled “Chicago 1945” recorded in 1985 and retitled “Al Capone.” The version that appears on the album is a newer version he recorded in 1999, but the song failed to make the then-current “Invincible” album.
“Do You Know Where Your Children Are,” one of the more serious tracks on the album, was recorded in 1991 and is also known as “12 O’Clock.” The subtle guitar playing within the track was performed by Slash, and adds a nice melodic undertone to the track. Finally, “Slave to the Rhythm,” featuring Justin Bieber, is actually one of the more controversial tracks on the album. The song was completed in 1998 and leaked online in 2010. Bieber recorded a duet version, a version unauthorized by the Michael Jackson estate, and as a result, the estate is trying to remove Bieber’s version and replace it with a new mix that was recently featured in a Sony smartphone commercial.
Jackson’s posthumous album does have a contemporary feel to it, but his innate uniqueness was not completely lost, and if one were to hear any one of those songs on the radio, they would instantly recognize it as a Michael Jackson cut. While these newly-released songs may never live on in history like some of his old-school hits, such as “Smooth Criminal” and “Bad,” the album doesn’t disappoint.
