Michael Jackson
Michael

Sony's announcement regarding an imminent posthumous work by Jackson sparked heated controversy in the media landscape at the end of 2010. Not only from those who are exhausted by the massive backflow of the post-mortem myth of the same King Of Pop (see the various compilations specifically made for commemorative purposes, a striking example being This Is It, film and original soundtrack, ed.), but also from purists who, upon hearing of this "posthumous album", quickly sensed a smell of speculation from his former record label. According to Jackson's staunch followers, it would be hiding behind harmless commemorative intentions aimed at continuing his legend, the most vile and unscrupulous activation of a fruitful post-mortem Jackson media industry dedicated to the barbaric exploitation of his image. Thus began the official release of tracks and other unreleased material created by the Gary artist mainly in the period between the legal acquittals and his departure (2005-2009).

The controversies suddenly escalated with the legal (and illegal) release of the track Breaking News. This song, in fact, received negative feedback that even questioned the vocal authenticity of Michael, accusing Sony of having inserted, within a bland sound base, fragments of Jackson's voice pieces cut wildly from his other hits. A storm that, despite denials from the producers involved in the project (Riley, Jerkins...), forced the record label to choose a new first single to lead the album in question, the more convincing Hold My Hand, born from the collaboration with Akon.

The artwork of the cover was created in 2009 by the artist Kadir Nelson and, although masterful, it suffers from exaggerated sumptuousness: a revised and corrected mix of old representations of the King of Pop, prominently featuring an enormous portrait of him regally dressed with two cherubs lowering a crown onto his head. Representations that tend to emphasize the period in which his dark skin had not yet completely discolored. Almost indirectly affirming a sort of "uncomfortable and shameful truth" concerning the whiteness of his skin with which he passed away.

Abstaining from accurately assessing the vocal authenticity of the ten tracks on the record and assuming the authenticity of the same, I move on to evaluate the work. Upon first listening, it seems that with these tracks Jackson (or whoever for him) has committed fairly to evolving his music in a more modern sound context, also engaging notable representatives of the latest musical generation: besides Akon (and Lenny Kravitz), the rapper 50 Cent also appears. The album, symmetrically divided into ballads and more "dynamic" tracks, shows a clear, though timid attempt of "avant-garde" towards new trends, while simultaneously, we perceive the purely made-in-MJ Pop/R&B/New Jack Swing tradition still dominant in the last Invincible.

The first extract, Hold My Hand, performed with Akon, is a pleasant and modern Pop/R&B ballad, reminiscent of the glories of similar I Just Can't Stop Loving You, The Girl Is Mine and You Are Not Alone, although there is a sense of "predominance" of the secondary artist. More lyrical and melancholic is Much Too Soon, devoid of percussion, marked by strings, violins, and accordions, comparable to Childhood. Keep Your Head Up, Best Of Joy and (I Like) The Way You Love Me (already featured as an outtake in The Ultimate Collection in 2004) are more rhythmical, sweet and romantic ballads, inspired by contemporary R&B tinged with Soul and Lounge.

50 Cent presented this track as the Thriller of 2010: I am talking about Monster, featuring the aforementioned rapper. A chaotic and pulsating Dance-Urban/Hip Hop song, it boasts an introduction complete with typical yelps of the most famous success dated '82, and even a small reference to Jam (Dangerous, 1991, ed.).

A danceable Pop/R&B characterizes the equally pounding Hollywood Tonight, where Jacko even uses auto-tune and vocoder; and flashes of light electronics are involved in Behind The Mask, another example of Funky/R&B-Pop. This latter, written by Chris Mosdell and Ryuichi Sakamoto, passed from 1979 to 2010 through the hands of various artists, before being considered by Jackson during the recording session of Thriller (1982). He recorded it, but it did not end up on the tracklist of the very famous album until Sony's recent decision to include it in Michael. Also included is the previously leaked (I Can't Make It) Another Day, conceived with Lenny Kravitz even before the release of Invincible (2001). It is a pleasant R&B/Rock track with sincere Kravitzian influences. I note, however, a very weak featuring of the rocker, who performs few and sparse verses.

I leave for last Breaking News, the most anachronistic track compared to the remaining ones on the album: it can be described as a re-proposition, albeit an interesting one, of that New Jack Swing/R&B inspired by Scream and Black or White, unsuitable to present a more evolved and modern Jackson.

These are the ten tracks that Sony has decided to include in Michael. No one will ever ascertain Jacko's will regarding their publication, however, we are left with a valid and pleasant album, a taste of the King's last work, his last desperate attempt to return to dominate the music business that had forgotten him. I recommend the album even to those who suspect, with disgust, any media speculation on the mythical figure of Michael Jackson: especially since this is the first of a series of posthumous works that will continue relentlessly at least until 2017. Sony constitutes.