Bekräftat att det släpps en låt som Justin Bieber sjunger på. Läs här. Vad tänker ni?

 

Prince revinade på Vine en video då ett litet barn sjunger med i "A place with no name" i en bil – detta måste betyda att han tycker att albumet är okej?! Eller?

 

Word!

 

A week after becoming the first artist to reach the Billboard Hot 100's top 10 in five different decades (and six including his work with the Jackson 5), as "Love Never Felt So Good," with Justin Timberlake zoomed 22-9, Michael Jackson makes news again, as his 1983 No. 1 "Billie Jean" returns. The song re-enters at No. 14 thanks to the popularity of a viral video featuring the track.
 
Meanwhile, Jackson scores his milestone 50th Hot 100 hit, as "Slave to the Rhythm," from his new album "Xscape," debuts at No. 45.
 
"Billie Jean" revisits the Hot 100 with 95 percent of its chart points from streaming. It debuts on the Streaming Songs chart at No. 2 thanks to the stylings of Brett Nichols, a junior at Pitman High School in Turlock, Calif. Nichols performed Jackson's iconic dance sequence from 1983's "Motown 25" TV special for his school's talent show, with the clip featuring the song's original audio. The video went viral and Jackson's classic bows on Streaming Songs with 11.2 million U.S. streams in the week ending May 25 (a 320 percent surge), according to Nielsen BDS. It debuts with 95 percent of its streams from YouTube (non-Vevo) activity.
 
"Billie Jean," from "Thriller," the best-selling studio album of all time (it's been certified 29 times Platinum by to the RIAA), spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in a 24-week run in 1983. It and 1991's "Black or White" mark the longest reigns of Jackson's 13 Hot 100 No. 1s, the most leaders among solo males.
 
On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, "Billie Jean" re-enters at No. 6. It spent nine weeks at No. 1 in 1983, passing "Rock With You" (six weeks, 1980) for his longest command on the genre tally.
 
NIFTY FIFTY
 
Jackson also earns his landmark 50th Hot 100 entry, as "Slave to the Rhythm" begins at No. 45. With 75 of its chart points from streaming, the song enters Streaming Songs at No. 11 (3.9 million, up 345 percent). Fifty-six percent of its streaming activity is owed to the official Vevo video of the much buzzed-about virtual Jackson performing the song at the Billboard Music Awards on May 18.
 
Jackson becomes the 30th artist to collect at least 50 Hot 100 hits and the 20th solo male to earn the honor (tying Eminem's sum). Lil Wayne leads all male soloists with 121 entries, followed by Elvis Presley (108), James Brown (91), Jay Z (82) and Ray Charles (74). Among all acts, Lil Wayne trails only the cast of Fox's "Glee," which has made 207 Hot 100 visits.
 
On Hot R&B/Hop-Hop Songs, "Slave" soars 38-12. Jackson also debuts at No. 50 with "Chicago."
 
"Love Never Felt So Good" (which drops 9-16 on the Hot 100 dated June 7), "Slave" and "Chicago" are from Jackson's posthumous album "Xscape," which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 dated May 31. It ranks at No. 3 this week with 67,000 copies sold (down 57 percent) in the U.S. in the week ending May 25, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its two-week sales total stands at 224,000.
 
REID'S WRITING 'RHYTHM'
 
An additional feat regarding "Slave": The song marks a return to the Hot 100 for L.A. Reid as a songwriter after a nearly 20-year break. The current chairman and CEO of Epic Records co-wrote "Slave" with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Kevin Roberson and Daryl Simmons.
 
Reid co-wrote and co-produced numerous Hot 100 hits with Babyface in the '80s and early '90s for the likes of Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men and Bobby Brown. Reid eventually stepped back from writing in the early '90s, focusing on his then-role as co-president of LaFace Records.
 
Until "Slave," Reid had last charted as a writer on the Oct. 29, 1994, Hot 100, when Braxton's "You Mean the World to Me" spent its final week on the chart. It had peaked at No. 7.
 
"Slave" dates back to 1989, when Reid and Jackson collaborated in writing and recording sessions for what would become Jackson's 1991 album "Dangerous." "Slave" ultimately never was included on the set and sat unreleased until "Xscape." The original tune (produced by Reid and Babyface) was reworked and produced for its 2014 incarnation by Timbaland and Jerome "JRoc" Harmon.
 
As an artist, Reid was a member of the Deele (with Babyface), which reached No. 4 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 10 on the Hot 100 in 1988 with its sultry ballad "Two Occasions."

 

Källa: Billboard.

 

Det här är en sida på Facebook som har massor av bilder från Neverland, vilken jag tycker ni ska gå in på (bläddra ner på sidan)! Det är alldeles för många bilder för att jag ska kunna lägga upp på Popkungen. Det är så många fina bilder därifrån samlade på ett och samma ställe.

rjacksonjr's bild på Instagram.

 

Michael Jackson dansade sig till utmattning på söndagar. Hans mamma, Katherine, brukade hitta honom på golvet gråtandes av lycka efteråt.

At "Michael Jackson This Is It," moviegoers will not see the elaborate costumes created for the tour that never was, bedazzled with 4 million Swarovski crystals and lighted up using LED technology. Those are on display at the O2 Arena in London, where the tour had been scheduled to begin in July, and will go on to New York and Tokyo.

But what they will see, in addition to tough and tender moments that humanize the pop singer and one hell of a music and dance show, is an amazing array of designer outfits Jackson wore to rehearsals.

A black leather pagoda-sleeve jacket and a crystal-trimmed tuxedo designed by the likes of Christophe Decarnin for Balmain, Kris Van Assche for Dior Homme and Tom Ford speak to Jackson's renewed relevance in fashion circles, and the changing relationship between music and fashion.

Jackson became a style icon in the 1980s because of his individual, often theatrical styling choices for the stage -- the single sequined glove, the white socks, the fedora. But his recent comeback was engineered with the help of fashion designers, with Balmain's Decarnin recognizing the retro appeal of tennis-ball-shaped shoulders and over-the-top embroidery, and Jackson appearing in his designs.

We had been used to seeing Jackson show up for courtroom appearances in scrubs, surgical masks, arm bands and other kooky attire, some of it designed by his longtime L.A.-based costume designers, Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins, who have a Michael mannequin in their Los Feliz studio.

But his look changed with an introduction to fashion stylist Rushka Bergman, and it is her work that is mostly front and center in the film, because Jackson's everyday clothes end up as his de facto costumes.

A pint-sized powerhouse from Serbia who says things like "forever daaahling," Bergman first met Jackson when she styled him in Dior Homme for the October 2007 issue of Italian Vogue L'Uomo.

Some might say it was the beginning of his comeback when she put him in Hedi Slimane's slim-line suits, fashionable at the time with Mick Jagger, Beck, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand and nearly every other credible male rocker.

The morning of the film's premiere, Bergman pulled out snapshots of Jackson trying on clothes at his house, and called him her "supermodel" because he fit into anything, including women's clothes. She emphasized his sex appeal ("He's sooooooo sexxxy!"), which comes into focus in the film for the first time in a long time, despite Jackson's surgerized face.

"When he wears Balmain on-screen, you say, 'Wow!'," she said.

In the film, Jackson looks fabulous much of the time, save for a few unfortunate print shirts and patched sweat pants that could well be the influence of L.A. fashion impresario Christian Audigier, who had approached Jackson about collaborating on a line.

But more often, you notice sharp tailoring and light-reflecting color. In a Tom Ford tuxedo worn during dancer auditions, skinny orange Dior Homme jeans, a red leather Balmain motorcycle jacket with crystal studded shoulders worn during the "Thriller" rehearsal and a Balmain suede military jacket worn with Alessandro Dell'Acqua gold sequin pants, Jackson looks powerful and contemporary.

"Seeing the clothing Rushka had selected, you could see Michael's influence," said Travis Payne, assistant director and choreographer for the This Is It Tour.

In recent years, pop stars have turned to fashion designers for costumes with increasing regularity, with Kylie Minogue choosing Jean Paul Gaultier for her recent North American tour, and Beyonce enlisting Thierry Mugler.

Payne wanted to bring fashion relevance to Jackson's on-stage persona too, so he solicited sketches from several designers, including John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.

Ultimately, New York-based fashion and costume designer Zaldy was tapped. Having worked with the Scissor Sisters and Gwen Stefani, while producing his own clothing line, he bridged the worlds of music and fashion.

Jackson was to have 10 costumes by Zaldy and six by Bush and Tompkins. Bush also helped dress the dancers and singers, as did Jennifer Rade, a Hollywood stylist whose star client is Angelina Jolie. The tour costumes will be featured in a "This Is It" DVD.

"Zaldy is the new cool thing and working with him gave Michael credibility. But Michael Bush is near and dear to his heart. So I wanted them to collaborate," Payne said.

Bush's "Smooth Criminal" costume is a white, 1940s-inspired pinstripe suit. Zaldy's updated "Thriller" jacket is hand-embroidered to look like it has blood dripping from the shoulders.

 "That was probably the hardest piece to do because it was so iconic," Zaldy said.

But his "Billie Jean" costume was the piece de resistance, with a jacket, tuxedo pants, ankle socks and a single glove that would light up using remote control, thanks to new Lumalive LED textile technology rushed through development by Philips Research in the Netherlands.

Zaldy remembers, "In the fitting, when Michael tried it on, his mouth literally dropped and he said, 'It's everything I always wanted.'"

 

Källa: LosAngelesTimes.

 

Om ni missade när Mix Megapol spelade massvis av Michael Jacksons låtar, så kan ni lyssna på det här!

 

Michael Jackson becomes the first solo artist to land Top 10 Hits in 5 different decades.

 

Just when you thought Michael Jackson has run out of records to break, the King of Pop made history again today (May 21) when Justin Timberlake-assisted disco anthem “Love Never Felt So Good” climbed into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. The much-missed music legend became the first artist to land top 10 hits in five different decades.

 

The Xscape hitmaker scored his first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Got To Be There” in 1971 and revisited the upper reaches of the chart regularly over the next 30 years. Michael reached the top 10 for the last time (while he was alive) with Invincible lead single “You Rock My World” in 2003. Given the advances in technology and MJ’s enduring popularity, it’s not unfathomable that he could extend his streak in decades to come. Watch “Love Never Felt So Good” after the jump.

 

Källa: Idolator.

(I större format)

 

Quincy Jones has a blunt assessment on the latest posthumous Michael Jackson album release, “Xscape” -- "It's about money." The music legend's comments were broadcast Tuesday in an interview on Jian Ghomeshi's "Q" talk show on CBC Radio.

 

Jones, the great composer, producer and all-round music man, masterminded many of the top hits in MJ’s glittering career. Though clearly he’s not a fan of the “new” stuff. “They're trying to make money. And I understand it. Everybody's after money, the estate, the lawyers. It's about money,” he said.

 

The L.A. Reid-helmed “Xscape” is flying high in sales charts around the world. “Xscape” opened at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums chart this week and it’s charging toward the top spot on the Billboard 200. The album's lead producer was Timbaland, with additional work courtesy of Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Jerome "Jroc" Harmon and John McClain.

 

When asked if he was bothered by the ongoing rollout of recordings featuring the late King of Pop, Jones had this to say: “Yeah, but it's not my business anymore. They're not our business (laughs).”

 

Jones' comments come on the heels of a $10 million breach-of-contract lawsuit he filed in connection with Jackson's projects released after the singer's 2009 death. In a complaint filed last October in Los Angeles Superior Court, Jones alleged that master recordings he worked on were wrongfully edited and remixed so as to deprive him of back-end profit participation. Jones also asserted that he'd been denied credit for his work on the late singer's releases and that MJJ Productions and Sony Music have entered into side deals taking profits that should have been included in the calculation of royalties.

 

In the new interview, Jones also goes deep into the sessions on “Thriller,” and he dispelled the oft-told tale of how he’d initially rejected “Billie Jean.” “And this whole fallacy of me not liking 'Billie Jean' is a lie. It is some lie that started somewhere. Anybody can hear that record's a smash. And also I know where it came from.”

 

Källa: Billboard.

 

 

  

"When Michael [Jackson] had an audience with Pope Paul, he brought Seth Riggs his vocal coach along with him. While they were waiting to meet with his holiness in the outer chamber, a fly came into the room. It skillfully buzzed freely around them with a childlike freedom and Seth became so annoyed that he couldn’t take it anymore and killed it on the spot. With tears in his eyes Michael asked, “Why did you do that?!” Seth retorted, “It was just buzzing around here, getting on my nerves!” Michael answered him like a Zen master and said, “He was enjoying his freedom and living his life and you ended it!” From that day forward Seth understood and he took on a deeper appreciation for all life because of Michael’s compassion for a fly.

 

We were recording this song once called “Keep the Faith” and came to an impasse for 20 minutes. Michael said, “the song cannot be finished—we must think of something!” So my friend Andraé Crouch looked at me and said, “Howard, go to the piano and give us the pass that we need. Do something.” I went to the piano and came up with a three part harmony on the spot. Michael jumped three feet in the air and said, “I love it, I love it, I love it!” As always, he went around and hugged everyone to show them his love, and danced around the studio because we got the part.

 

My friend Andraé says, “Every song that has ever been written, has already been written. We just receive it.” So it was one of those magical moments in the studio. It’s not planned. Michael once said to me, “Whenever I dance on stage, I never count. I just dance. It just happens.” Can you imagine that? With the way that he moonwalks and everything, he never counts. He does it spontaneously, because if you can create in the moment, then you are a true artist. That’s why people love Michael Jackson—because he was so spontaneous. You will see this kind of spontaneity at my concert, I promise it!

 

Michael knew how important it was to motivate everyone on his team with love to get the best performance, because he knew that love is the most powerful force in the universe. We loved him and he loved all of us like a family and made each of us feel like we were the most important person in the world. Together with love, nothing is impossible."

 

~ Howard McCray

 

För varje album "skrev" (snarare beatboxade och sjöng hela arrangemanget i en liten bandspelare, såsom det geniet han var), Michael 60-70 låtar (!!) och L.A. Reid har fått tillträde till valtet där han förvarade ALLT. Valt 8 låtar, som Michael inte har släppt. Jag har hört att "Blue Gangsta" blev bortvald eftersom Michael gillade "Smooth Criminal" mer, och "Loving You" passade inte riktigt på Bad-albumets stuk.

 

Mina känslor är blandade för Xscape.

 

Även om jag gillar låtarna, betyder det inte att jag uppskattar att de har totalt ändrat stilen och soundet på flera av dem. Jag menar, var det inte meningen att de endast skulle modernisera låtarna, inte ändra dem? Exempelvis "Chicago" och "A Place With No Name" är helt olika från originalet.

 

Har ni sett dokumentären, som följde med Deluxe Edition? De (inte Stargate) beter sig som om deras remixer gör dem till musikgudar. Timbaland säger till och med under lyssnandet av originalet av "Blue Gangsta" att "This one don't sound as bad as the rest of them". Wtf?

 

Det faktum att Michael har sagt "I don't like remixes; I don't like it that they come in and change my songs", får mig att tveka om albumet. Som jag sa tidigare, så gillar jag låtarna – jag tycker exempelvis att instrumenten i "A Place With No Name" är hur häftiga som helst och Michaels röst i "Chicago" är så kraftfull att jag ryser, men de är ju inte alls såsom Michael hade tänkt att dem skulle vara.

 

Jag vet inte...!

 

Men samtidigt vet jag ju att detta är en hyllning, ett försök att "färdigställa" låtarna i Michaels anda. De må ha ändrat soundet på flera av dem, men hans röst. HANSS RÖSSSTTT. De har i alla fall inte kunnat ändra hans röst. Hans ENERGI.

 

Jag önskar att Michaels barn (eller Michaels mamma) kunde kommentera albumet. Vad de tycker, tycker jag.

 

Just den frågan och svaret är hämtad från den här videon! Visa den för henne. Intervjun är gjord efter att Michael hade släppt Thriller, som liksom krossade barriärer mellan svarta och vita, som skapade revolution inom musikvideoindustrin, som gav honom bland annat 8 Grammys och 8 American Music Awards, som blev utnämnd bara några månader efter utgivningen till världens bäst säljande album – och han är ändå så ödmjuk. Så enkel.

 

Han börjar svara på frågan kring 15:45.

Mmm.. No, it's pretty easy for me, because... uh... so many things I block out. Uh... I see myself like you, or like the people in this room. I'm human, just like you are. I'm no better than you are. I mean, we have a certain talent, with my art and song-writing and dancing and the drama and the whole thing, the show-business-thing. But as far as human, I'm just like you. It's no right for me to think I'm better than you or have an ego to walk on air, because there are lots of people in my field, who are like that, and most of those people, they... they fall. They really do. Because they begin to treat people who helped them badly, and they forget where the came from. It's real important, that's why I thank all those, I thank everybody.

 

Inspired by SMOOTH CRIMINAL, Dancers from Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour celebrate the release of XSCAPE with this original music video choreographed to BLUE GANGSTA!

 

 

"And Bearden, I can handle it too." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHFHAHGRDFKMGDVS

 

 

Michael kallade solrosor för "The happy flower".

 

The official music video for "Love Never Felt So Good" has just premiered worldwide! Join the dance party and celebrate with Michael and Justin Timberlake. Watch now!

 

—	The Jacksons perform their concert at the Forum, in LA. This concert at the Los Angeles Forum in front of an audience of 18,000. At one point in the show, teenage girls invade the stage forcing the group to run for safety. Michael described the pandemonium to a Soul interviewer

 

18 maj måste vi se Billboard Music Awards, för då kommer det ske en överraskning! Michaels Estate "will present the superstar 'like you've never seen him before'". Spännande! Läs mer här. Fans talar om att det kanske kommer vara ett hologram av Michael!!!!!! Det skulle vara underbart.

 

 

Kärlek till er!

“Modern music and artistry would look and sound completely different if not for the groundbreaking contributions Michael Jackson gifted to the world.” – L.A. Reid

 

Michael Jackson's posthumous Xscape album is truly a treat.

 

Out tomorrow (May 13), the nostalgic-yet-modern LP unites the likes of Timbaland, Stargate, Rodney Jerkins and Justin Timberlake to update unreleased tracks from the MJ archives.

 

To celebrate the release, VIBE unearths an art piece commissioned to Mr. Brainwash for the album cover—one that was ultimately not chosen for the final project—and rounds up the album collaborators for an in-depth making-of piece.

 

Remember the times with us. And let the King of Pop rock your world once more.

 

— John Kennedy

 

Källa:Vibe.

“When you say Michael Jackson, people always think of an entertainer. They don’t think of the fact that I write songs. I’m not trying to brag, but I write them, and I direct a lot of [the videos]. I don’t think [younger artists] are aware of those things, which I think would be inspiring for them.” (2001)

 

Tack så mycket för tipset! Kul!

 

Wow! Kul att dem har ett inslag om det i Aktuellt! :D

 

I engelskan skriver jag en uppsats om anledningarna till varför hela världen har accepterat att Michael Jackson är kungen av pop. Jag beskriver hur han revolutionerade musikvideoindustrin, alla hundratals priser han har vunnit och hur han krossade barriärerna mellan svarta och vita genom framgångarna av Thriller (då efterfrågan på hans musik var så stor att MTV tvingades visa videon till "Billie Jean", som var den första videon gjord av en svart artist som visades regelbundet på kanalen), och alla andra stora framgångar – så mycket större framgångar än någon annan musikartist.

 

Jag hade en fråga i frågeställningen: "Why is Michael Jackson called "The King of Pop?", men min lärare ville att jag gärna skulle ha ännu en fråga, och vet ni vad hans första förslag var? Att jag kunde skriva om pedofilanklagelserna. Det var det första han tänkte på när han tänkte på Michael Jacksons liv. Efter allt denna människa har gett världen. Det gör ont i hjärtat. Jag svarade snabbt att jag vill fokusera på hans yrke, och inte på sådant som är rena och skära lögner. Han frågade mig varför jag trodde det var lögner, och jag svarade att jag vet allt om det. Han sa i princip att han inte vet om det är sant eller inte.

 

Nu funderar jag starkt på att ta hans förslag som den andra frågan, för tydligen betyder det faktum att han oskyldighetsförklarades i rätten inte nog mycket.

 

Jag hatar att de gav honom denna svarta fläck. Snälla, kan de inte komma ut och berätta sanningen? Snälla, snälla.

 

I nyheterna står det att Michael slog Bubbles, exempelvis på Expressen. *Svär inombords* KAN DE INTE BARA LÄMNA MICHAEL IFRED.

 

Jag tänker på riktigt mejla journalisten och fråga varför han tror på allt han hör..

 

 

Hur många fans som helst rasar över att de har förstört "A place with no name". Den har läckts. Jag har inte hört den, men jag vet att demon är fantastisk, och om detta är sant: :((((((((((((((

"I believe we are powerful, but we don't use our minds to full capacity. Your mind is powerful enough to help you attain whatever you want."

 

See inside MJXSCAPE through MJ's engineer Matt Forger, who also worked on Thriller, Bad, Dangerous & HIStory.

 

 

"Loving you" har också läckts! Lyssna, om ni vill, här.

 

1. Love Never Felt So Good

 

“Love Never Felt So Good” originates from collaborative sessions Jackson held with legendary songwriters Paul Anka and Kathy Wakefield in the early-80s.

 

Touted by Mirror reporter Kevin Hughes as “an amazing 1983 disco groove” with a “soulful vocal, infectious baseline and orchestral strings,” this track would apparently not sound out of place on a Pharrell album. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy says that the track comes complete with 1980s “disco beats and crisp finger clicks,” adding that “the groove of the track is soaked in nostalgia.” The finger snaps are all present on the original demo of the track, but a 1980s disco beat is not. In fact, the demo, which will appear in the Deluxe Edition of ‘XSCAPE’, has only one instrument; a piano.

 

2. She Was Lovin’ Me (aka Chicago)

 

“She Was Lovin’ Me” is an ‘Invincible’ era track written and produced by Cory Rooney. Jackson recorded his vocals at The Hit Factory in New York in late-March of 1999.

 

“The second song – possibly called Chicago and cited by Timbaland as a future single – falls into the former camp, with Jackson utilising a harder vocal delivery that’s encased in a big industrial melange of jackhammer beats,” recalls The Guardian journalist Michael Cragg. “Jackson practically gave birth to the genre ‘dirty-pop’, and track two throws back to that period when you wouldn’t see him on stage without bolshy bass and hip-pop beats, ‘She lied to you/ She lied to me,’ he proclaims in his trademark growl,” adds Lewis Corner.

 

This, indeed, is the track that Timbaland referred to as “Chicago” in an interview with Revolt TV last year – touting it as his pick for the album’s lead single. The title “Chicago” has caused some confusion among fans, including myself, which I address here.

 

Kevin Hughes reported that the: “RnB soaked ‘She Was Lovin Me’ (originally considered for the 2001 Invincible album) has echoes of  ’The Way You Make Me Feel’.” Hughes is not the only journalist to cite a similarity to Jackson’s 1987 hit, with The Telegraph’s Bernadette McNulty stating that: “When one of the songs directly recalls the bassline from The Way You Make Me Feel it seems like a step too far.” Whether or not McNulty is referring to “She Was Lovin’ Me” – or another song altogether – is not specified in her report.

 

“She Was Lovin’ Me” is one of two tracks on the album that have not leaked publicly (the other title remains unknown) meaning, unlike the other six tracks on the album, fans have never heard it. I, however, was lucky enough to have listened to the track last year during preparations for an article I wrote and released for Michael’s fans on what would have been his 55th birthday (August 29, 2013). What I find interesting about the brief reviews of this track in particular, are the comparisons to “The Way You Make Me Feel”. I can tell you right now, the original version of “She Was Lovin Me” sounds absolutely nothing like “The Way You Make Me Feel”. If anything, it reminded me of elements present in “Morphine”, “D.S.” and “Another Day”. Rooney himself draws this comparison: “The song goes from him singing really low in the verses to singing really high in the choruses, so it’s two different types of vocals. It’s like Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’ voice and his ‘Dirty Diana’ voice in one record.”

 

Jackson delivers an emotionally powerful vocal on the track, packed with pain and frustration. The verses gently tell the intimate story of Jackson’s encounter with a woman whom he believes was attracted to him, before unleashing a rage of guitar-infused fury in the choruses.

 

“I met her on the way to Chicago, and she was all alone, and so was I so I asker her for her name. She smiled and looked at me, I was surprised to see, that a woman like that was really into me,” sings Jackson in the first verse, before things take a turn for the worse in the second.

 

3. Lovin’ You

 

“Lovin’ You” was originally written and recorded by Michael Jackson in the mid-80s, before the ‘Bad’ album, and was mixed by Matt Forger at Jackson’s Hayvenhurst home studio.

 

“The third song played is another Off the Wallesque, mid-paced love song with a youthful, almost naive-sounding vocal. It feels very much like a song that didn’t make it on to an old album, and while the production is good – there’s an amazing rolling beat throughout – it still feels slight,” reported journalist Michael Cragg after attending a listening session in the UK, while Lewis Corner, also at that session, described it as a flowing ’80s-tinged serenade with orchestral bursts and choral harmonies. A critic who heard the track during the Paris listening session likened the song to “Liberian Girl” and described it as being a nostalgic track with a minimalist-type production and whirling synths. Another attendee of that same Paris listening session told me that the track was a smooth mid-tempo love song about a girl. He said it has an RnB feel, “Reminiscent of the ‘Off The Wall’ approach Jackson and producer Rodney Jerkins had developed on ‘Invincible’ for songs like ‘You Rock My World’,” adding that: ”It has a slight ‘The Jacksons’ feel; like in their ‘Triumph’ days.”

 

“I remember it as an RnB style, mid-tempo love song,” recalls Matt Forger, which matches perfectly with the descriptions of journalists and fans who’ve heard it (see above). “It was a good song, just not in serious consideration for the BAD album. One of many that were recorded and put away.”

 

Because this is the only track on the album that I have not heard, it’s naturally the one of those I’m most curious about. Click here to read more about the track.

 

4. A Place With No Name

 

“A Place With No Name” is a track written by Elliot Straite, aka Dr. Freeze. It is a lyrically re-written cover of the 1972 hit “A Horse With No Name” by the band America. Jackson recorded his vocals at Record Plant Recording Studios in September 1998.

 

“I challenge anyone not to experience goosebumps after hearing ‘A Place With No Name’,” reported Kevin Hughes, adding that the song deserves to played by radio stations worldwide.

 

One thing that can’t be denied about this track is Jackson’s vocal. “When he came into the studio to record, he stood before the microphone and set fire to the song,” recalls Dr. Freeze of the recording session. “As he left, the studio was in ashes and our jaws on the floor. It was really impressive to see.”

 

Click here to read my exclusive article; ‘Michael Jackson’s “A Place With No Name” – The Story Behind The Song’.

 

5. Do You Know Where Your Children Are (aka 12-O’Clock)

 

This track could be titled one of two things: a) “12 O’Clock” or b) “Do You Know Where Your Children Are”. The latter is the authentic title of the song, as cited by Jackson in a 1993 court deposition. The track was originally recorded during the ‘Dangerous’ album sessions.

 

All reports so far have cited this one at the album’s peak. “The fifth song we were played opens with computerized synths as the star’s iconic ad libs of ‘hee-hee’ and ‘aaaow’ smack you with excitement,” writes Lewis Corner, adding: “Echoed snare beats and a storming rawk guitar solo make it one of the stand-out tracks. It’s: ”One of the outstanding cuts on the ‘Xscape’ album,” agrees Kevin Hughes. “An emphatic Jackson discusses family values and child abuse over a pulsating bass line and guitar riff.” Michael Cragg called the track “a proper, undeniably amazing hit” before going into a little more detail. “Opening with a delicate flurry of cascading 80s synths, it feels like the perfect embodiment of the old and the new, with some vintage “hee hee” ad-libs peppering the sophisticated mesh of electronics. It also features a typical Jackson pre-chorus section that then opens out into the album’s best chorus, before a great false stop moment heralds an even more bonkers final third, with Jackson hee-heeing and ow-ing his head off.”

 

While I can deal with the possibility of Epic Records opting to change the actual title of this song from “Do You Know Where Your Children Are” to “12 O’Clock” for the sake of avoiding the potential criticism and narrow-minded controversy the lengthy original may cause, there is one thing I hope they don’t mess with; the lyrics Jackson delivers vocally on the track.

 

First of all, before I explain what I mean, let me put this into context: To me, Michael Jackson is a real life superhero. Not only did he moonwalk, morph into black panthers, zombies, robots and cars, and fly off the edge of the stage, out over the audience using a jetpack at the end of his ‘Dangerous World Tour’ concerts, but he, like all great superheroes, actually wanted to save the world and the people in it. This was just who he was. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, remembers Michael as a little boy seeing the starving children in Africa on television with flies around their mouths. “One day I’m gonna do something about that,” he’d tell her. And he did. He raised hundreds of millions of dollars for dozens of charities around the world. Michael Jackson truly cared for humanity. He cared for people of all cultures, races, ages and walks of life. He cared for equality and human rights. This is evidenced in his songs, such as “Heal The World”, “Earth Song”, “Man In The Mirror” and “Why You Wanna Trip On Me”. He was so often the voice of the voiceless; take “The Lost Children” or “They Don’t Care About Us” for example.

 

Now, “Do You Know Where Your Children Are” discusses child abuse. In the song, Jackson sings about a girl who has run away from home, leaving behind a letter to her mother: “She wrote that she was tired of step-daddy using her. Saying that he’ll buy her things while sexually abusing her.” The song then follows the girl to Hollywood, where she winds up letting her hair down and “selling her body hard” under the guidance of a man she met at the train station. In the choruses, Jackson asks the listener: “Do do you know where your children are? Because it’s now twelve-o’clock, and they’re somewhere out on the streets. Just imagine how scared they are!” At the end of the third and final verse Jackson chillingly proceeds to put the entire debacle into perspective, revealing the girl’s doomed fate by singing that the police were: “Arresting this little girl that’s only twelve-years old!”

 

The reason I am concerned about the censoring of Jackson’s lyrics stems from the last posthumous album Epic Records and The Estate released – 2010′s ‘Michael’ album. On that album there is a song called “Hollywood Tonight” – a similar theme to “Do You Know Where Your Children Are” – about a girl who has left home and gone to Hollywood. Jackson had been working on “Hollywood Tonight” for a decade, carefully tweaking and perfecting the music while working on the lyrics. He had laid down vocals for two verses and the choruses prior to his death, with a sketch of the bridge and partial third verse as well. One thing is clear; he had a specific vision to tell the untold, tragic story of childhood runaways. In the second verse, Jackson sings: “Westbound Greyhound to Tinsel Town just to pursue her moviestar dreams. She’s giving hot tricks to men, just to get in. She’s taught that that’s not clean, because she’s only fifteen.” However, the words: “because she’s only fifteen” were removed by producer Teddy Riley and replaced with a line from the first verse: “She’s headed for the big sign that means.” This takes the context away from the song completely. This is the moment the seriousness of the matter becomes apparent.

 

So, back to the positives. The journalists who heard “Do You Know Where Your Children Are” have called it the album’s highlight and a potential radio hit. I hope the song, which is one of my all-time favourite Jackson tracks, is released as a single. I also hope that the remix stays true to Jackson’s vision and message.

 

6. Slave To The Rhythm

 

“Slave To The Rhythm” was written by L.A. Reid and Babyface and recorded by Jackson during the ‘Dangerous’ album sessions. The track has since appeared online in a number of forms; once in 2010 – remixed by Tricky Stewart, once in 2013 – remixed by Max Methods and featuring Justin Bieber, and now as part of the Sony Xperia Z2 / ‘XSCAPE’ album cross-promotional commercial series – remixed by Timbaland.

 

“Track number six – which we identified as ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ – begins with a massive string-led swoosh of scenic proportions, before it completely drops into glitchy electronics and rattling beats. Its shuffling groove marks it as classic MJ, making it yet another highlight,” wrote Lewis Corner. Michael Cragg reported that the Timbaland remix features: “Lashings of beatboxing in the intro, loads of vocal tics throughout, big spidery bassline,” adding that, “as with some of his other songs on Xscape, barely any space for the song to breathe. Thankfully Slave to the Rhythm is strong enough to fight its way through the clutter.” Kevin Hughes labeled the track as a potential single and “floor-filler for a new generation.” All journalists were pleased to announce that Justin Bieber does not feature on this version.

 

Some background info on how Justin Bieber came to be on the track back in 2013: Tricky Stewart, who had previously remixed the track in 2010 to be considered for the ‘Michael’ album, got Justin Bieber to record the track. Stewart was, at the time, the President of A&R at Epic Records, working under L.A. Reid (who wrote the track). He then gave Jackson’s existing vocal and Bieber’s brand new vocal to a DJ signed to his Red Zone Ent record label, Max Methods, and asked him to re-produce the track. On August 16, 2013 it leaked via SoundCloud and YouTube. Click here to read more about that fiasco.

 

7. Blue Gangster

 

“Blue Gangster” is another track written by Dr. Freeze. The track was recorded during the same sessions as Freeze’s other track – “A Place With No Name” – in late 1998.

 

Reviews of this track have been mixed. “Song number seven – which might be called ‘Blue Gangsta’ – opens with Bond Theme-styled strings and tinned beats, before hearing Michael complain: ‘Look what you’ve done to me/ I can no longer smile’” writes Lewis Corner, adding that the album’s “overarching narrative is what we’ve always loved about Jackson; the superstar who is unlucky in love, but never doubts its power.” As cited in my “Chicago” segment, Kevin Hughes reported that ”Blue Gangster” (and “Chicago”) will: “Remind you of previous Jackson offerings but both tracks benefit from newly enhanced production and remind us of the fact that Michael was keen to remain relevant to the emerging hip-hop generation.” Michael Cragg was less than impressed with the song, stating that it was: “The album’s only true lowpoint,” that “feels like about three different songs fighting for attention.”

 

“For ‘Blue Gangsta’ I wanted to make a new ‘Smooth Criminal’,” recalls Dr. Freeze of his inspiration when writing the track. “Something more modern and rooted in the 2000s.” The track was considered for the 2010 ‘Michael’ album but was ultimately not selected. Freeze stated that the version that leaked online is not the newest version he has. “I’ve updated it a bit, the song is completed, ready to go. It will be completely different from the version leaked on the net. It is perfectly calibrated to enter a nightclub. It sounds very European in style productions Kraftwerk.”

 

The version that will appear on ‘XSCAPE’ will be different yet again. Freeze was not involved in the production of the new remix.

 

8. Xscape

 

“Xscape” is a track co-written by Fred Jerkins III, Rodney Jerkins, and LaShawn Daniels, produced by Rodney Jerkins, and recorded by Michael Jackson during the ‘Invincible’ sessions.

 

“It’s the only track which has been re-worked by its original producer, and hears turn-of-the-millennium Jackson snarl over a mix of ’70s disco and ’90s R&B. Its potential for some other-worldly choreography is palpable, which provokes a sad tinge of what could’ve been,” reports Lewis Corner, while Michael Cragg states that: “The only song that sounds like a bit of a struggle vocally, with Jackson’s various vocal tics becoming a bit of a hindrance rather than something more carefree.” Kevin Hughes deduces: ”As the album concludes with title track ‘Xscape’ a sonic slice of noughties electro-pop, I’m left satisfied that Michael’s legacy will endure…”

 

Many of Jackson’s collaborators believed that “Xscape” was one of the strongest tracks on offer during the ‘Invincible’ sessions. Few could believe that it was never released, along with another Jerkins production called “We’ve Had Enough” (which eventually came out on 2004′s ‘The Ultimate Collection’). Unfortunately, in early 2003 “Xscape” leaked on the internet. Although Jackson, at that time, still had plans to utilize the track, the leak caused the cancellation of those plans. Still, those involved have fond memories of the creative process. “God is good,” said LaShawn Daniels. “I had the opportunity to work with and befriend the greatest artist of all time MICHAEL JACKSON … on the last studio album he recorded while he was alive. I wrote the title track ‘INVINCIBLE’, which became the album title, as well as ‘You Rock My World’ which was his first single ALONG WITH 6 other songs on that album. Now years after his death I am fortunate enough to be apart of another one of his albums with an original song never heard before that I co-wrote. This song serves as the album title as well as first single; XSCAPE. Although I’m sad because he’s not here to see the world respond to this great song and body of work, I am extremely proud to be apart of his legacy and record shattering career,” continues Daniels. “I remember singing on the demo for ‘Xscape’ after writing it,” recalls Fred Jerkins III. Now, finally, “Xscape” will have it’s moment to shine – more than a decade after fans heard it for the first time – with this commanding new remix. “What a blessing to have the title track,” adds Fred.

 

Källa: DamienShields.

(Tack så mycket för tipset!) En som har fått besöka Neverland berättar, detta MÅSTE läsas:

 

I was diagnosed with a rare form of child bone cancer in 2000 at the age of fifteen. I was to start chemo therapy in August of that year. Not many people know this but Michael opened up Neverland several times each year for anyone to come and enjoy the park. Everything was free. Rides, games, food. A friend of mine who was a regular at Neverland called me one night and told me the park was going to be open for two weeks at the beginning of August that year. I asked my parents if they would take me the week before I was scheduled to start chemo. My doctors all advised against saying they feared I was too weak but I eventually talked my parents in to it. We had to drive what seemed like several miles after we went through the front gates of Neverland to get to where the actual park was with the rides. As we were driving down the winding road something came over me that I can't explain to this day. It was almost a feeling of peace.

 

When my family and I stepped out of the car we weren't sure if we should check in with someone or really what to do. A man finally walked over to us and introduced himself and then explained to my parents how everything worked. We signed in with our names and other information and were given matching wrist bands and told we could ride anything we wanted, eat anything we wanted, play any of the games, etc. The man mentioned that on occasion Michael would come outside and say hello to everyone there. My parents thanked the man and within minutes I was at the top of the ferris wheel with my Dad. We rode it three times in a row and then it was on to the swings. We rode the rides for hours before getting in line to get some cotton candy and popcorn. As we sat down at a table with our snacks we noticed a crowd of children running all in one direction. I stood up on the seat of the table we were at but couldn't see anything. Several minutes later the crowd began moving towards us and it was then that I saw Michael. Standing under a huge umbrella and laughing as children were pulling at his arms, legs, and hugging him.

 

My Mom then grabbed my hand and we made our way over to him. We introduced ourselves and my Mom told him what a wonderful time we were having. She then told him about my cancer and that I would be starting chemo the next week. When she said that Michael put one hand on my head and said, "God Bless you." When he touched me I felt the same feeling of peace and comfort that I did as I had when we drove through the gates of Neverland. He stood there and talked to us for a couple more minutes and then he left. I continued riding rides with my family and the other children but I couldn't stop thinking about meeting him. As we were leaving that night the man who we spoke to when we arrived stopped my dad and handed him a note. The note was from Michael and it was inviting the three of us to have dinner with him. Without hesitation my Dad accepted the invitation and the man then directed us to through another gate which led to the main house. I was surprised once we were in front of the house. I expected it to be this huge mansion but it wasn't. It wasn't small but it certainly wasn't huge. Several people who worked for him greeted us when we pulled up outside. We had dinner with Michael and his children that night and to this day it was the best night of my life. After dinner he asked my parents if it would be ok if he prayed with us and of course they said yes. I had never and still to this day have never heard anyone pray the way he did. At fifteen years old it made me cry.

 

After he finished praying I opened my eyes and looked to each of my parents who were in tears as well. Michael was gracious enough to give us a tour of some of the things were weren't able to see earlier in the day. He showed us the arcade and the movie theater. The movie theater at Neverland was not your typical theater. Not only were there seats like a real theater, there were also beds for the children who were too sick to sit up. After showing us around we said goodbye to Michael and thanked him for everything. Imagine my Mother's surprise when she received a call from him several days later! We assumed he had obtained our number from the sign in sheet that we filled out upon arriving at Neverland. He asked her how I was doing and she told him I would begin chemo on Monday. He then gave her a number in which to reach him directly and asked her to please call him and let him know how I was doing around the middle of the week. She agreed. I went that Monday morning to the hospital prepared to begin chemo. When the doctor walked in the room he asked both of my parents to sit down. The three of us feared he was going to say the cancer had spread. They had run blood work and some more scans on me two days prior which is typical prior to beginning treatment.When the doctor began to speak he looked at my parents and said, "I don't know how to tell you this. I don't know how to explain this but Danielle no longer has cancer. There are no signs of it on any of the scans we just took." My Mom, my Dad, and I sat there and just stared at him and finally my Mom burst in to tears. We left the hospital and the first thing my Mom did when we got home was call Michael. I was embarrassed because she was crying on the phone but then she handed the phone to me to speak to him and it was obvious he had been crying as well. Through the years Michael remained in touch with my family and would call us several times a year on the phone to say hello. He would sometimes send us gifts and cards. I have been cancer free for ten years now. I can't explain what happened when I went to Neverland. It's defies explanation. I want people to know that I am not the only one who visited Neverland very sick only to become well after my visit. There are hundreds, if not thousands of us. Our stories were never made public because Michael didn't want that. He was a wonderful man. I have never met anyone who cared so deeply about not just children but people in general.

 

"Chicago" har läckts. Lyssna, om ni vill, här.

 

Ingen aning! Det är jobbigt när de gör på detta sätt – de har ju tidigare gjort det med hans andra musikvideor! Eftersom man vet att människor lägger status på antalet visningar vill man ju inte att de raderar, och för att man vill veta exakt hur många visningar videon har fått!

Billboard's new cover story focuses on the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, going behind the scenes with the super-producers who sifted through nearly two-decades of MJ's studio outtakes in an attempt to produce what they hope will be a posthumous hit record, "Xscape" (out May 13). Antonio "L.A." Reid, Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins and J-Roc -- the "Xscape" team -- take Billboard into the making of the album, available in an expanded edition that includes a new Justin Timberlake-MJ duet "Love Never Felt So Good."

 

Check back Monday (May 5) to get the full story. Until then, here are five things we learned about the journey to Michael Jackson's "Xscape."

 

THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF MATERIAL. Producers selected 24 possibilities for "Xscape." They in turn narrowed the field to 20, which were edited down to about 14. Eight will be on the album, though several more were prepared (a deluxe edition will also feature the original tracks). The choices are not exactly surprises, though the omissions may be. The tracks that Jackson cut with Queen's Freddie Mercury in 1983 are not on "Xscape," although both Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen spoke about working on them last year. And though a version of "Slave to the Rhythm" featuring Justin Bieber leaked last August (supported by a series of Bieber tweets), you won't hear it on "Xscape."

 

HARDCORE FANS WILL LIKELY RECOGNIZE THE TRACKS… But that doesn't mean the producers had heard them before. Timbaland and Stargate's Mikkel Eriksen both began by listening to the source material that Reid presented, and both quickly decided to forgo the instrumental tracks and work with only Jackson's vocals and a few stray noises picked up by the microphone. "You can hear his foot in the booth when he's singing, and his fingers snapping," says Jerkins.

 

MJ WAS RELENTLESS IN THE STUDIO. During the original sessions for "Slave to the Rhythm" in 1989, Jackson recorded the vocal 24 times. "And it was not once and fix the bad note," says Reid, who worked on the base track with Babyface. "No, he sang the song from top to bottom 24 times without a bathroom break, without a water break, without a 'Give me a moment.' He would sing the song and say, 'OK, give me another track, I can do it better,' and he'd do it again. 'I can nail this. Give me another track,' and he'd do it again."

 

L.A. REID TRIED TO SIGN JACKSON TO ISLAND DEF JAM. "He said, 'I don't want another hit, I don't want to just make another record. I want to do something great. If it can't be great, if it can't be groundbreaking, if it can't be massive, if you're not as committed as I am, then we shouldn't do it. But if you commit to me I promise I'll commit to you." It wasn't to be. Jackson instead signed a short-lived deal with Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the prince of Bahrain.

 

MJ REALLY WANTED TO WORK WITH STARGATE. Jackson was looking to collaborate with the Norwegian production duo Stargate — Mikkel Eriksen and Tor Hermansen — known for their hits with Rihanna and Perry. The singer was a fan of their songs for Ne-Yo, and he met with them at the Midtown Manhattan Chinese restaurant Mr. K's to discuss future projects. "Just the two of us, and managers, and Blanket was there as well," says Eriksen. "Down in the basement."

 

Källa: Billboard.

 

Go inside the studio with the producers of Michael’s new album, XSCAPE, in this exclusive sneak peek from the album documentary which is available only on XSCAPE Deluxe Edition. To own the full documentary, pre-order XSCAPE now --> http://smarturl.it/xscape ‪#‎MJXSCAPE‬

6 år sedan denna dag upptäckte jag din magi, och jag vill tacka dig för allt du har visat och lärt mig, och för glädjen du ger mig. Jag älskar dig förevigt.

 

Jag tycker om den! :) Dock längtar jag tills demon kommer, för den har så mycket liv i sig, när Michael knäpper med fingrarna och klappar med händerna, osv. Älskar verkligen demon!

 

NU är det ljud på videon! Tidigare hördes det ingenting!

The wait is over everyone! “Love Never Felt So Good,” the first single from Xscape is on iTunes now! ---> http://smarturl.it/lnfsg?IQid=facebook

 

Originally recorded in 1983 with Paul Anka and contemporized by Estate co-executor John McClain for XSCAPE, the result is "a magic combination of the new and the original production” that retains the track’s analog, early-80s feel, while also sounding right at home with the disco-soul inflected music of today. ‪#‎MJXSCAPE‬

 

~ Michael Jackson's Estate

 

New month, new MJ XSCAPE info! Today sees announcement of the Deluxe Edition contents. In addition to eight of Michael Jackson’s strongest unreleased songs, contemporized by producers LA Reid, Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, John McClain and Jerome "Jroc" Harmon, the Deluxe Edition includes each of the original recordings as left by Michael Jackson as well as additional elements! See below for full deluxe edition contents.

XSCAPE will be available in stores everywhere May 13th, 2014. Pre-order now on iTunes and Amazon. Visit the official Michael Jackson Store to pre-order Xscape 12” Vinyl, including 8 songs, 1 bonus track and a limited edition 12x12 poster! Exclusive Xscape T-Shirt bundles are also available now!

 

Deluxe Edition Contents:
1. Love Never Felt So Good
2. Chicago
3. Loving You
4. A Place With No Name
5. Slave To The Rhythm
6. Do You Know Where Your Children Are
7. Blue Gangsta
8. Xscape
9. Love Never Felt So Good (Original Version)
10. Chicago (Original Version)
11. Loving You (Original Version)
12. A Place With No Name (Original Version)
13. Slave To The Rhythm (Original Version)
14. Do You Know Where Your Children Are (Original Version)
15. Blue Gangsta (Original Version)
16. Xscape (Original Version)
17. Love Never Felt So Good - Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake

 

DVD:
- Xscape Documentary (L.A. Reid and the producers discuss their experiences on this project)
- Xscape Documentary Outtakes

 

Poster:
- Exclusive Mr. Brainwash poster (exclusive to softpak version) – Michael Jackson was an early admirer of Mr. Brainwash and they became friends. Now he has created an original piece of art which has been included as a poster.

 

Källa: MichaelJackson.

Justin Timberlake har precis lagt upp denna bild på sin Instagram!

 

Personen som har gjort videon:

"It’s almost here! The first #MJXSCAPE single “Love Never Felt So Good” will have its television premiere during the #iHeartAwards tomorrow night! Don't miss it!" ~ Michael's Estate igår