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Michael (Michael Jackson album)

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Untitled

Michael is a posthumous album by the late American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson,[1][2][3][4][5] which was released in the United States by Epic Records on December 14, 2010.[6] The album features guest performances by Akon, 50 Cent, and Lenny Kravitz.[7]

The album's first single, "Hold My Hand", was released on November 15, 2010.[8][9] The filming for the music video of "Hold My Hand" began on November 20 in Tustin, California. There was a casting call posted up on Jackson's official website, saying that they were "looking for his fans of all ages who want to be a part of this iconic event."[10] The music video was directed by Mark Pellington, and had its worldwide debut on Jackson's official VEVO YouTube channel, on December 9, 2010.[11] On Friday, December 10, 2010, a 29,070 square foot poster depicting the "Michael" album artwork was erected at the Rectory Farm in Middlesex, England, which broke a Guinness World Record for the largest poster in the world.[12]

Background and composition

Officially announced on November 12, 2010, the album features 10 tracks.[6] "Breaking News" was the first song from the album to be released to the public and was available for radio airplay. The song was recorded in New Jersey in 2007 and according to Sony, the song was "recently brought to completion."[6][9] Other tracks were recorded at studios in Las Vegas and Los Angeles with various unidentified collaborators. In the years prior to his death, Jackson was reported to be working with contemporary hitmakers such as singer-songwriter Akon and producer RedOne.[13] The first official single, "Hold My Hand", is a duet with Akon recorded in Las Vegas in 2007.[14] Co-writer Claude Kelly told HitQuarters that it was the song's theme of friendship and togetherness that had struck a chord with Jackson.[14] A handwritten note from Michael belonging to his Estate indicated his desire that "Hold My Hand" be the first single on his next project. However, in its unfinished state, the song leaked out in July 2008.[7] Before the release, Akon stated that the final version would have more of Jackson's vocals. The song was released globally on Monday, November 15 at 12:01am EST.[8][15]

The album contains two songs that were written during the Thriller era, "Behind the Mask"[16] and "Much Too Soon".[17] The song "(I Like) The Way You Love Me" previously appeared on The Ultimate Collection (2004) with the title "The Way You Love Me". For Michael, the song has been remixed and more vocals have been added.[18] The song "Best Of Joy" is one of the last that Michael recorded during his lifetime, having written and recorded it in 2009, the year of his death.[19][20]

Artwork

The album cover artwork, a 2009 commissioned oil painting by African American artist Kadir Nelson, features two cherubs placing a crown on Jackson's head against a mural depicting the images of the singer at different stages in his career.[9] Nelson said that Jackson approached him several years ago to create a project detailing his life and career. The project stalled, but was revived in 2009 by one of the estate's executors, John McClain.[13] "Michael wears a golden suit of armor and stares at the viewer as he is crowned by cupids," Nelson said. "He places his hand over his heart and looks directly at the viewer, a symbol of Jackson's big heart and strong connection to his fans and music. A monarch butterfly sits on his shoulder, another symbol of Jackson's metamorphosis as a singer and entertainer, as well as a symbol of royalty. His musical history unfolds behind him."[13][21] The original Sony publicity release of the album cover featured the Prince symbol in a bubble next to the tiger's head. This sparked discussion on the internet as to whether Prince was involved on any of the new songs. The official response from Prince's camp was "No permission was granted"[22] and the symbol has since been removed from the cover on all official Sony websites.[22]

Promotion

"Breaking News" was the first song from the album to be unveiled. On November 5, a video teaser for the song was released on Jackson's official website. It opens with a montage of various television journalists reporting breaking news about Jackson, followed by the musical introduction of a song.[23] The video refers to the tabloid stories and legal troubles that plagued Jackson in the years leading up to his death.[24] On November 8, 2010, the full length version of the song was released,[25] and made available on MichaelJackson.com for one week.[9] The album's first single, "Hold My Hand", was released on November 15, 2010.[8][9] The filming for the official video of Hold My Hand began on Saturday, November 20 in Tustin, California. There was a casting call posted up on Jackson's official website, saying that they were "looking for his fans of all ages who want to be a part of this iconic event."[10] On November 30, 2010, the final version of "Much Too Soon" was unveiled and announced that it would play on iTunes Ping for one week.[26] On December 3, 2010, talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres premiered the song "Hollywood Tonight" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[27] On December 6, 2010, talk show host Oprah Winfrey premiered songs "Keep Your Head Up", and and "Monster" during her talk show.[28] On December 7, 2010, the final version of "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" was unveiled on iTunes Ping for one week.[29]

On December 8, 2010, the entire Michael album was released on Jackson's official website for preview.[30] Sony Music has scheduled a listening party for the new Jackson party for December, 13. The event is free for fans and tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.[31] On Friday, December 10, 2010, a 29,070 square foot poster depicting the "Michael" album artwork was erected at the Rectory Farm in Middlesex, which broke a Guinness world record for the largest poster in the world, making it the 4th record Michael Jackson made in the Guiness Book of World Records, and the first record he broke posthumously. The poster, made of PVC and weighing one ton, took engineers three hours to install and is less than 3,000 meters from one of Heathrow airport's main runways, literally viewable by all planes arriving and departing. The poster will stay at its current location until 23rd December, after which, the poster will travel via sea-container into continental Europe where it will be toured and displayed.[32]

Controversy

The authenticity of "Breaking News" has been questioned.[33] Doubts over whether the vocals were actually by Jackson have been raised, reportedly by Katherine Jackson and Jackson's two eldest children,[34] as well as Jackson's sister La Toya,[35] his nephews T.J., Taj, and Taryll,[36] and many of his fans.[37] His brother Randy Jackson posted a series of messages about the album on his Twitter account stating that family members weren't allowed at his studio where the album was being completed.[38] According to Randy, when engineer Teddy Riley played him some of the tracks, "I immediately said it wasn't his voice".[38] In a statement, Sony Music Group countered that it had "complete confidence in the results of our extensive research, as well as the accounts of those who were in the studio with Michael, that the vocals on the new album are his own."[39] Teddy Riley, Frank Dileo and Jackson's estate have since defended Sony's claims that the song is authentic.[40] Producer Teddy Riley who worked on the songs "Hollywood Tonight," "Monster" and "Breaking News", told Reuters the he had to do "more processing to the voice, which is why people were asking about the authenticity of his voice."[41] Said Riley, "With the Melodyne we actually move the stuff up which is the reason why some of the vibrato sounds a little off or processed, over-processed. We truly apologize for that happening, but you are still hearing the true Michael Jackson."[41]

Ahead of the album's release, a lawyer for Jackson's father Joe said Jackson "would never have wanted his unfinished material to be released."[42] Will.i.am, who collaborated with Jackson for the album prior to his death,[43] also criticised the release, saying it was "disrespectful" to release the unfinished material because Jackson was not able to give it his blessing.[44]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[45]
NME(mixed)[46]
Rolling Stone[5]
Huffington Post(favorable)
The Telegraph(favorable)
Slant Magazine[47]
Entertainment Weekly(B)[48]
Newsday(B+)[49]
Time(favorable)[50]
The Observer(mixed)[51]

Michael received generally favorable, but "better than feared" reviews from music critics. Despite media skepticism and some dissent within Jackson family ranks, reviews largely found "Michael" better than expected. [52] Joe Vogel of Huffington Post stated that "the bottom line is this: Michael contains some very impressive new material" and "His habits, his obsessions, his versatility, and his genius are on display at every turn. Who else could move so seamlessly from social anthem to floor burner, fleet hip hop to cosmic rock, vintage funk to poignant folk ballad?"[53] Dan Martin of NME called the album "kind of enjoyable" but commented that "if this decent-enough album is the best of the bunch, things are going to get ugly from here on in."[46] Neil McCormick of The Telegraph called the album "a fine album" and stated that "It is certainly a great deal better than anyone had any right to expect.. Jackson is finally about to get the comeback he craved."[54] Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone thought the album was "not a Michael Jackson album", and Jackson "would not have released anything like this compilation, a grab bag of outtakes and outlines," but "it's a testament to the man's charisma that Michael can be compelling."[5] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called it "certainly no great affront to his name", while The New York Times said it was a "miscellany of familiar Jackson offerings: inspirational, loving, resentful and paranoid."[48][52] Kitty Empire in The Observer said Jackson sounded "paler, more emaciated, more effects-laden" than on his classic songs such as 'Billie Jean'.[51] She characterized the album as a "hotchpotch of odds and sods that often make plain their co-authors" but singled out the "breezy" and "carefree" '(I Like) the Way That You Love Me' and the "pugnacious" 'Hollywood Tonight' for praise.[51]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Hold My Hand" (featuring Akon)Aliaune Thiam, Giorgio Tuinfort, Claude KellyAkon, Giorgio Tuinfort, Michael Jackson*3:32
2."Hollywood Tonight"Michael Jackson, Brad Buxer; spoken bridge written by Teddy RileyMichael Jackson, Teddy Riley, Theron "Neff-U" Feemster*4:30
3."Keep Your Head Up"Michael Jackson, Eddie Cascio, James PorteMichael Jackson, Tricky Stewart, Angelikson4:49
4."(I Like) The Way You Love Me"Michael JacksonMichael Jackson, Theron "Neff-U" Feemster4:33
5."Monster" (featuring 50 Cent)Michael Jackson, Eddie Cascio, James Porte; rap written by Curtis JacksonMichael Jackson, Teddy Riley, Angelikson5:04
6."Best of Joy"Michael JacksonMichael Jackson, Theron "Neff-U" Feemster, Brad Buxer*3:02
7."Breaking News"Michael Jackson, Eddie Cascio, James PorteMichael Jackson, Teddy Riley, Angelikson4:14
8."(I Can't Make It) Another Day" (featuring Lenny Kravitz)Lenny KravitzLenny Kravitz, Michael Jackson*3:54
9."Behind the Mask"Michael Jackson, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Chris MosdellMichael Jackson, John McClain5:01
10."Much Too Soon"Michael JacksonMichael Jackson, John McClain2:48

(*) Co-producer

Release history

List of release dates, showing country, record label, and format
Region Date Label Format
Australia[57] December 10, 2010 Sony Music Entertainment CD
Belgium[58]
Germany[59]
Argentina[60]
United Kingdom[61] December 13, 2010
Philippines[62] December 14, 2010
Taiwan[63]
United States[64] Epic Records CD, digital download
Brazil[65] Sony Music Entertainment CD
Japan[66] December 15, 2010 Sony Music Japan
China[67] December 20, 2010 Sony Music China

See also

References

  1. ^ "Akon refuses to release unfinished Michael Jackson tracks". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  2. ^ "New Michael Jackson songs are 'fake', says his mother". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  3. ^ "New Michael Jackson Song 'Breaking News' Hits Web, Controversy Ensues". The Epoch Times. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  4. ^ "New Michael Jackson Album Pits Sony Music Against Jackson Clan". ABC News. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  5. ^ a b c Rosen, Jody. "Michael by Michael Jackson – Rolling Stone Music – Music Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c "Michael Jackson's New Album Out Dec. 14". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  7. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason; Mitchell, Gail; Graff, Gary (December 8, 2010). "Michael Jackson's 'Michael' Track-By-Track". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c ""Michael" Single Announcement and Tracklisting". MichaelJackson.com. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Much Anticipated New Album from the King of Pop Michael to be Released December 14". Sony Music. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  10. ^ a b "Hold My Hand casting call". MJ. 2010.
  11. ^ "Hold My Hand casting call". MJ. 2010.
  12. ^ "Michael Jackson Poster breaks records". 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  13. ^ a b c "New Michael Jackson album gets December release". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  14. ^ a b "Interview with Claude Kelly". HitQuarters. 24 May 2010. Retrieved 24 Nov 2010.
  15. ^ Jillian Mapes. "Michael Jackson's 'Hold My Hand' Single, 'Michael' Album Tracklist Announced". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
  16. ^ Halstead, Craig; Cadman, Chris (2007). Michael Jackson: For The Record. Bedfordshire: Authors OnLine Ltd. pp. 31–32. ISBN 0-7552-0267-8.
  17. ^ "New Michael Jackson Song "Much Too Soon" Makes Debut Exclusively In iTunes Ping". 2010-11-30. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  18. ^ Joe Pareles (December 9, 2010). "After Death, the Remix". nytimes.com. Retrieved December 9,2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  19. ^ "Is Michael Really Michael? A Review of the King of Pop's New Album". Huffington Post. 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
  20. ^ "MICHAEL: The Story Behind The Album". Fanpop, Inc. 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  21. ^ "Michael Jackson's New Album Cover Decoded". Gil Kaufman, MTV. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  22. ^ a b "Prince Symbol On Michael Jackson's New Album Cover". HipHop-N-More. November 6th, 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ Wilkening, Matthew (5 November 2010). "Michael Jackson, 'Michael' – 2010 New Album Preview". AOL Radio Blog. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  24. ^ Vick, Megan (2010-11-05). "Michael Jackson 'Breaking News' Teaser Video Premieres". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  25. ^ "New Michael Jackson Song 'Breaking' At Radio". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
  26. ^ "News | The Official Michael Jackson Site". Michaeljackson.com. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
  27. ^ "Ellen Debuts New Michael Jackson Song "Hollywood Tonight". SoulCulture. December 4, 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  28. ^ "Jackson album made for fans: Cascio". Edmonton Sun. December 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  29. ^ "News | The Official Michael Jackson Site". Michaeljackson.com. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
  30. ^ "Listen To The Entire Michael Album". 2010-12-08. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
  31. ^ Friedman, Roger (September 7, 2010). "Michael Jackson Free Fan Event Planned for Monday in New York". Showbiz 411. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  32. ^ "Michael Jackson Poster breaks records". 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  33. ^ "New Song: Michael Jackson, 'Breaking News'". MTV. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  34. ^ "Michael Jackson News – Yahoo! Music". New.music.yahoo.com. 2010-11-03. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  35. ^ "La Toya Jackson: That's Not Michael's Voice on 'Breaking News'". TMZ.com. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  36. ^ "Controversial Michael Jackson single debuts". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  37. ^ "Fans, Family Say Michael Jackson Isn't Singing On Controversial New Single "Breaking News"". All Headline News. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  38. ^ a b Sean Michaels (Friday 19 November 2010). "Randy Jackson denounces Michael album tracks as fakes". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-12-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  39. ^ "Michael Jackson 'Breaking News' Song Debuts Online, Stirs Controversy". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  40. ^ a b "'Breaking News': Lawyer Says It's Michael Jackson's Voice". Arts Beat. NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
  41. ^ a b Mike Collett-White (2010-12-13). "Voice on Michael Jackson album far from finished article". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  42. ^ Serjeant, Jill. "Michael Jackson new album vocals genuine, Sony says". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  43. ^ Michael Jackson and Will.i.am Collaborating blackeyedpeas.com. Retrieved on 7 November.
  44. ^ "BBC News – 'New' Michael Jackson album set for release". Bbc.co.uk. 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  45. ^ Review: Michael. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-12-13.
  46. ^ a b Martin, Dan (December 4, 2010). "Album review: Michael Jackson – 'Michael' (Epic)". NME. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  47. ^ Huw Jones (December 9, 2010). "Music Review: Michael Jackson: Michael". Slant Magazine. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  48. ^ a b Leah Greenblatt (December 8, 2010). "Music Review: Michael". Retrieved December 9, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Work= ignored (|work= suggested) (help)
  49. ^ New Michael Jackson CD is a thriller. Newsday.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
  50. ^ New Michael Jackson Album 'Michael' Assembles Leftover Tracks. TIME. Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
  51. ^ a b c Empire, Kitty (12 December 2010). "Michael Jackson: Michael – review". The Observer. Retrieved 13 December 2010. {{cite web}}: Check |authorlink= value (help)
  52. ^ a b Serjeant, Jill (December 9, 2010). "Critics say Michael Jackson album better than feared". Retrieved December 9,2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  53. ^ Joe Vogel: Is Michael Really Michael? A Review of the King of Pop's New Album. Huffingtonpost.com (2010-12-04). Retrieved on 2010-12-11.
  54. ^ McCormick, Neil (December 8, 2010). "Michael Jackson from beyond the grave". Telegraph. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  55. ^ (Media notes). {{cite AV media notes}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |Format= ignored (|format= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Type= ignored (|type= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |Year= ignored (|year= suggested) (help)
  56. ^ "Michael – Michael Jackson (track-list)". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-11-22.
  57. ^ "Much Anticipated New Album From The King Of Pop Michael To Be Released In Australia On Friday December 10". Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  58. ^ "Michael Jackson : son nouvel album disponible dès demain". Retrieved 2010-12-09.
  59. ^ "Das Album "Michael" erscheint am 10.12. // Welturaufführung eines Trailers und Songs". Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  60. ^ "MICHAEL – Michael Jackson (Argentina release date)". {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Unknown parameter |http://www.sonymusic.com.ar/DetProducto.asp?Pro_Codigo= ignored (help)
  61. ^ "MUCH ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM FROM THE KING OF POP MICHAEL TO BE RELEASED DECEMBER 13". Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  62. ^ "SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT PHILIPPINES - "MICHAEL" album release". Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  63. ^ "流行樂之王麥可傑克森世紀矚目最新專輯《麥可》12月14日全球震撼發行". Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  64. ^ "Pre-order from the official website". Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  65. ^ "MICHAEL – Michael Jackson (Brazil release date)". Retrieved 2010-12-03.
  66. ^ "ニュー・アルバム『ＭＩＣＨＡＥＬ』、12月15日発売決定". Retrieved 2010-11-05.
  67. ^ "迈克尔·杰克逊Michael Jackson:2010全新专辑 迈克尔MICHAEL(CD 赠全球限量珍藏海报)". Amazon.cn. Retrieved 2010-12-14.
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