First Watch: Hollywood Tonight - Michael Jackson

 Click below to watch the premiere for the music video Hollywood Tonight, taken from Michael Jackson´s posthumous album Michael.

 Not really sure why they didn´t use the original version of the song featured in the album instead of a remix sampling Billie Jean.

 

Thoughts?

First Look: On the set of Michael Jackson´s "Hollywood Tonight" video

 Production on the new Michael Jackson music video, Hollywood Tonight, has begun.

 The Teddy Riley produced track is the next single taken from Michael, the first album with previously unreleased recordings from the king of pop.

 The music video is being directed by Wayne Isham who has worked with Jackson before in the videos for You Are Not Alone and Whatzupwitu.

 Additionally, plans are also underway to release another single and music video for the fan favourite song Behind The Mask, although there are no further details available at the moment.

Click below to watch a clip of the dancers shooting the video (Courtesy of TMZ) which includes Sofia Boutella (who has previously danced with Madonna on tour).

Thoughts?

The Making of Michael Jackson´s Posthumous Album

 The first Michael Jackson posthumous release, Michael, was unveiled to the world this past December. In this video, producers such as Teddy Riley, Akon or Lenny Kravitz tell us some inside info about their experience working with the king of pop and the creative process behind the album Michael.

 It is a very interesting video except for the parts regarding the Cascio songs which I still feel lack authenticity.

 Click above to watch and let me know what you think!

Teddy Riley shares his thoughts on Michael Jackson's music

 Teddy Riley has been exclusively interviewed by That Grape Juice recently in London and he answers some interesting questions regarding Michael Jackson's unreleased music and how it was to collaborate with the King of Pop in the past. The producer also gives some insight and shares anecdotes about Michael's working process and personal life. Click on the video above to watch! Thoughts?

Teddy Riley teases more unreleased Jackson music

 Producer Teddy Riley who collaborated with Michael Jackson in the past and participated in the late singer's latest album, Michael, has promised there is more unreleased material for fans to look forward to in the future.

 Riley told BBC newsbeat: "It's what [Michael] would have expected us to do. It's not about the money, it's about making sure everything is right. I look forward to doing the next one and I'm glad I'm on board. It's an incredible record."
 Riley also recently mentioned that a salsa-flavored song called Burn Tonight which didn't make this album may get a future release.  "It's not what people would expect from Michael," he said. "It's like something from 'Dancing with the Stars."    

 Michael left tons of new material before he passed away, some of it was completed and some was left unfinished. In November 2009 at least 21 new songs were registered by the Michael Jackson Estate, none of which appeared on Michael. Songs like Don’t Be Messin’, Innocent Man, World of Candy or Neverland Landing could see the light of day in future releases. Another possibility regarding the unfinished material is a rumoured duets album. According to Riley, there are many songs "where Michael only sung the first verse" and would be completed as duets with "great artists, artists with substance".

 What do you say? Are you guys looking forward to more unreleased music from the King of Pop?

First Watch: Michael Jackson & Akon - Hold my Hand music video

 Click above to watch the new video for Hold My Hand, Michael Jackson's first single from Michael. Thoughts?

Album Review: Michael Jackson - "Michael"

  As a long-time Michael Jackson fan, the idea of listening to new music from the King of Pop was something that I've been looking forward to for years. After his unexpected passing last year, I knew that June 25th marked the end of an era as far as his music is concerned. The awaited new album would never see the light of day, at least the way Michael himself envisioned it. However, there was still a possibility that many of his unreleased recordings saw the light of day in the future. Almost a year and a half later, Sony releases "Michael", a posthumous album (or so they claim) of new music that Jackson was working on the last couple of years.

  The approach for this record was risky because a lot of the material was unfinished or too raw to meet Sony standards so a decision was made for other producers to finish what Michael had already started. People like Teddy Riley or Neff-U were brought in to work on the project following a "roadmap" Michael had left in order to complete the album. This has caused a backlash from fans everywhere who claim that the tracks should have been left as untouched as possible, which ponders the question: Could they really intuit what Jackson would have wanted for each given song?

  To make matters worse, there are claims that 3 of the tracks (the ones produced by Cascio) feature an impostor and not Michael's voice. This is partly why we must not consider this a new Michael Jackson album per se, but a collage or collection of unreleased material completed as a tribute or testament to his genius.

Lets do a song-by-song analysis of the album:

Hold My Hand (7/10)

 An early version of this mid-tempo track had already leaked in 2008, so die-hard fans were already familiar with it. The song in itself is pretty decent, although it sounds more like something Akon would do (the credits don´t lie) rather than a Michael Jackson hit. Although enjoyable and uplifting, I do not think it serves the album well by having it released as a first single. The best moments of this track is when Michael's voice is prominently featured.

Hollywood Tonight (8.5/10)

 This energetic track is definitely one of the highlights of the album. Produced by longtime collaborator Teddy Riley, both the music and the vibe contained in this track is more reminiscent of the Jackson we all know and love with a modern 2000's twist that will make you want to dance to it. The lyrics talk about the dangers of success and fame, with Michael's vocals sounding deeper than usual but nevertheless effective. It has definite single potential (they should have gone with this one instead of Hold My Hand). On a side note, the spoken bridge is performed by Taryll Jackson, one of Michael's nephews and member of 3T.

Keep Your Head Up (6/10)

 This is the first Cascio track of the album, a mid-tempo song that culminates with a gospel choir singing about hope and strength in life. Many fans are divided in their opinions regarding the authencity of Michael's vocals. Based on my humble intuition, I believe that this is the only one of the Cascio tracks that could feature his real voice. An early version of the song was leaked weeks ago which featured some Earth Song adlibs that, thankfully, have been removed in this final album version.

(I Like) The Way You Love Me (8/10)

 The original demo of this song was released a while ago on the 2004 Box Set, The Ultimate Collection. It was not unusual for Michael to return to tracks from previous album sessions and rework them for new releases. This was the case with this song which features excellent production by Neff-U as well as a brand new intro and vocal effects. This is an example of how additional production can be successful on the album when done properly.

Monster (4/10) 

 One of the most suspicious tracks on the record. The estate situates the recording in 2007, at Eddie Cascio's home studio with Michael singing through a lenght of PVC tubing. One cannot help but wonder if this is just a way to justify the fact that Michael's signature voice is nowhere to be found in this song (except for bits and pieces taken from previous recordings). However, it does prove what an excellent producer Teddy Riley is combining melody and innovative sounds. With a rap by 50 cent, the song does have great potential. Too bad most of us don't believe it is really Michael Jackson singing.

Best of Joy (9/10)

 Recorded in Los Angeles in 2009, this mid-tempo ballad is believed to be one of Michael's final recordings and his voice could not sound any better. Delicate and smooth, it features Jackson's distinct falsetto

as he sings "I am the moon, you are the spring, our lives a sacred thing"  to his loved one. Produced by Neff-U, this is one of the strongest tracks of the album, and one that showcases the amazing talent that Jackson still had before taking his final bow.

Breaking News (2/10)

The first song to be previewed from the album, and also the most controversial one. While the estate defends its authenticity, his fans believe that the person singing is not the real Michael Jackson but an impersonator. The vocals of this anti-media track lack the strength and clarity of any typical Jackson recording, yet Teddy Riley's production infuses it with a much needed catchy pop groove. Overall, this is definitely the weakest link of the record.

(I Can't Make It) Another Day (7/10)

 Taken from the Invincible recording sessions, this track is written and produced by Lenny Kravitz who is also featured in the background vocals. Part of the original 1999 demo leaked a while ago, prompting Kravitz to complete production on the track by adding drums and guitar which consequently has overshadowed Jackson powerful vocals in this new version. However, even though it does seem somehow incomplete, the song showcases Michael's amazing vocal range and adds a much needed rock vibe to the album.

Behind the Mask (9/10)

 Originally intended for Thriller, Behind the Mask is a adaptation of one of Michael's favourite songs by Yellow Magic Orchestra who gave him their blessing to add new lyrics and arrangements. Producer John Mcclain has produced this new version by modernizing the production in search of a more current sound. The song is one of the strongest included in this music collection, with Jackson vocals sounding as good as ever. Would have definitely become a hit had it been released in the Thriller era. However, one cannot help but wonder how the original 80's version would have sounded like without all the updated modernized production that has been added later on, in order to make it blend in with the rest of the songs of this record. Sony should definitely consider releasing it someday as it was originally conceived.

Much Too Soon (8/10)

 Another track shelved from the Thriller era, Much Too Soon was a song that Michael would return to over the years but never found its place on any of his albums, perhaps because of its folk inspired sound. It showcases the simplicity of an artist who was also a great singer/songwriter dealing with love, regret and yearning. With just the exquisite sound of his voice accompained by strings and acoustic guitar, this bittersweet song is an excellent choice to end the album. 

First Listen: Michael Jackson & Akon "Hold My Hand"

 The first official single from Michael Jackson's posthumous album, "Michael", has been released and it features a duet with RnB singer Akon. "Hold My Hand" is a mid-tempo song written by Akon and Claude Kelly which was leaked a while ago, only this time it features more vocals by Michael and a much finished musical production.

One of Michael's nephews, Taj Jackson, took his twitter to speak about the track:

 "HOLD MY HAND" was the last song my uncle Michael every played to me in person. He was SO PROUD OF IT. I'll never forget that smile he had on his face as the song played through the speakers (in his room) at the Palms Hotel in Vegas. After the song was over, he asked me what I honestly thought of it. I told him it was a worldwide number one song and that it was going to be a huge. He was so happy to hear that.

I did give the song one slight criticism though. I told my uncle that he needed to be singing more in the chorus and at the end of the song... lol. I said that we (the fans) would want to hear his voice more. :-)

Hold my Hand" will be officially released tomorrow, November 15th. I'm definitely excited to buy it as soon as it becomes available knowing that the moment I play it, I will instantly remember the day my uncle first played it to me. It's these memories of him that I hold on to and cherish with all my heart. Words can't express how much I love and miss my uncle Michael.

Taj's statement about the song is very relevant, considering he and the rest of the Jackson family have been very critical regarding the authenticity of some of the Cascio tracks such as "Breaking News" included in the forthcoming Epic release, "Michael".

 The single is available for purchase November 15th on iTunes. Click below to listen to "Hold My Hand"! Are you looking forward for more unreleased music from the King of Pop?

The Michael Jackson drama over new song continues

  After members of the Jackson family and fans claimed that the new Michael Jackson song, "Breaking News", was sung by an impersonator, it was only a matter of time before the singer's Estate addressed this controversial matter. Howard Weitzman, attorney for the Estate of Michael Jackson released the following statement:

Dear Fans

  As the Michael album was being put together, it was decided to bring Teddy Riley on board to work on several songs, including “Breaking News,” a song Michael recorded with Eddie Cascio and James Porte in late 2007 while living at the Cascio family home with his children. Riley produced and submitted “Breaking News” to Sony for inclusion on the album. At that time, no one ever mentioned that the vocals we heard on the Cascio songs, which were basically in demo format, might not be Michael. It was known, however, that the background vocals were a combination of Michael and James Porte.

  After the tracks were submitted to Sony, three of these Cascio songs were selected to be on the album, and “Breaking News” was one of the three. The day after the submission and selection of the album tracks, for the very first time, the authenticity of Michael’s vocals on the Cascio tracks was questioned.

  Because of these questions, I was immediately asked by co-Executors John Branca and John McClain to conduct an investigation regarding the authenticity of the lead vocals on the Cascio tracks.

  Six of Michael’s former producers and engineers who had worked with Michael over the past 30 years - Bruce Swedien, Matt Forger, Stewart Brawley, Michael Prince, Dr. Freeze and Teddy Riley - were all invited to a listening session to hear the raw vocals of the Cascio tracks in question. All of these persons listened to the a cappella versions of the vocals on the Cascio tracks being considered for inclusion on the album, so they could give an opinion as to whether or not the lead vocals were sung by Michael. They all confirmed that the vocal was definitely Michael.

  Michael’s musical director and piano player on many of his records over a 20-year period, Greg Phillinganes, played on a Cascio track being produced for the album, and said the voice was definitely Michael’s. Dorian Holley, who was Michael’s vocal director for his solo tours for 20 plus years (including the O2 Concert Tour) and is seen in the This Is It film, listened to the Cascio tracks and told me the lead vocal was Michael Jackson.

  These are all engineers, producers and musicians who worked on tours and/or in the studio with Michael when he was recording Bad, Thriller, Off The Wall, Dangerous, Invincible, HIStory and Blood On The Dance Floor, and they all reconfirmed their belief that the lead vocals were Michael’s voice on the Cascio tracks.

  The Estate then retained one of the best-known forensic musicologists in the nation to listen to the vocals without any instrumental accompaniment (“a cappella”), and to compare them with a cappella vocals from previous Michael songs. This expert performed waveform analysis, an objective scientific test used to determine audio authenticity, on the Cascio tracks, as well as previously released tracks with Michael’s voice, and reported that ALL of the lead vocals analyzed (which included Cascio tracks) were the voice of Michael Jackson.

  Sony Music conducted their own investigation by hiring yet a second well-respected forensic musicologist who also compared the a cappella lead vocals from Cascio tracks against previously released vocals of Michael's, and found that Michael’s voice was the on all sets of the raw vocals. The Cascio tracks were also played for two very prominent persons in the music industry who played crucial roles in Michael’s career. Both of these individuals believed that the lead vocals were Michael’s.

  Just to be absolutely certain, I also contacted Jason Malachi, a young singer who some persons had wrongfully alleged was a “soundalike” singer that was hired to sing on the Cascio tracks, and I confirmed that he had no involvement with this project whatsoever.

  Sony decided that, given the overwhelming objective evidence resulting from the exhaustive investigations outlined above, they wanted to release a record that included three of the Cascio-Porte tracks - because they believed, without reservation, that the lead vocal on all of those tracks were sung by Michael Jackson.

  Although there still seem to be concerns being expressed in some quarters about the authenticity of the lead vocals, notwithstanding the opinion of those who worked with Michael, and two independent forensic analysts, ultimately, Michael’s fans will be the judges of these songs, as they always are. We take all fan comments very seriously, and as I’d stated above, there is nothing more important to the Estate than Michael’s music, his legacy and his fans.

  Michael’s fans are extraordinary in their quest for accuracy and their passions to raise their voices in a search for truth! We join with them in our care and concern for Michael. We are continuing to follow up with those who have worked in the studio or on tours with Michael, and if any new information comes to light, we will keep you and the fans advised.


Thanks,

Howard

   However,  fans all around the world are still suspicious as to how much of Jackson's original vocals remain on the song released on Monday on the singer's website and, apparently, they are not the only ones. Music producer Rodney Jerkins who co-produced Jackson's last studio album, "Invincible", took his twitter acount to express his escepticism over the song saying "doesnt sound like him to me". Cory Rooney, another important executive producer who used to work for Sony, took his Facebook and voiced his concerns about the recent statement. You can read it below:

   I have read the statement from the MJ estate and I have to say that it's just more bullshit!!! I was in that room, and the majority of the people mentioned did NOT agree that It was MJ!!! Some felt it sounded like him but all agree that there was nothing there that was consistent with any MJ habits like finger snaps, headphone bleeding, foot stomping or just simple things like his voice asking for another take.

   Both dr. Freeze and Teddy Riley sat with Taryll Jackson and myself and stated that they felt what we felt. As for the specialists that were brought in, I don't think anyone from the actual Jackson family got any direct confirmation that made them feel any different then what they have felt all along. If anyone wants to here directly from the family please follow Taryll, TJ, or Taj Jackson on Twitter. There are to many non Jackson's involved in the estate!!!!!

  So there you have it! It seems that the controversy is far from over and it remains to be seen if the album will finally include "Breaking News" and the rest of the Cascio tracks. To me the situation is crystal clear: If Sony and the Estate really cared about the fans as much as they claim to, they should release the demo versions of these Cascio songs without any production whatosever, just the raw acapella version and let the fans decide if it is real or fake.

  As far as the rest of Michael's unreleased music is concerned, they should leave the songs as untouched as possible and only release the ones that were finished or almost finished by him. The tracks that were left unfinished can always be released as rare material for fans on special editions. However, Sony and the Estate only care about money and profiting from the fans, even if this means selling fake songs with impersonators under the name of the late Michael Jackson. After all it´s business, right? Isn't it a little suspicious that of all the songs they could have released to promote the new record, they decided to chose the most suspicious one?

 What is your point of view in all of this? Who do you believe? Let me know in the comments below!

Is it really Michael Jackson singing on "Breaking News"?

  The new Michael Jackson song that Sony had anticipated over the weekend has finally premiered today and the reactions could not have been more controversial. Just like when he was alive, the name Michael Jackson is surrounded by a new scandal as his family and fans from all over the the world are questioning if the voice heard in the song is the singer's or an impersonator.

   A lot of different answers to that question have emerged during the day, some of them from those who were closest to him like his own nephews or Teddy Riley, a good friend of MJ and producer of many of his songs, including "Breaking News". Riley took his twitter page and wrote:

  "I was called on this project by the estate, Sony, and the family co signed it. These songs are created by the Cascios. I did not write the Songs, I was called in to mix and finish what I was given, Without compensation only cause of Michael. Only cause of Michael and the jackson family, who felt I should be on the project, cause of my relationship with Michael. All of the producer that worked on this project got paid before they worked. At the last minute of working on this project.

 These issues about MJ vocals not being real came into par. The vocal yes I feel they are MJ vox…they are very processed.. The vocals I was given to me from the Cascios was all I had to work with. I can’t and no one can prove anything but MJ.

 Michael is not here to voice himself and let you know the truth. I asked the company to bring in everyone. Professionals, friends, family, and the people who worked with Michael many year and before me. Everyone said it is Michael except the family who says its not because there’s no proof.

 All I’m gonna say here is that I believe its MJ. The truth of this of it all no one knows be MJ and god knows.I have nothing more to say and I can’t prove anything…I did not original produce his vocals nor these songs. I remix, made the tracks different from what they had which would have been unacceptable."

On the other hand, members of the Jackson family, specially the late singer's nephews, have expressed their suspicions about the vocals heard in the track.On his Twitter page, TJ said:

"Deceptively merging shady vocals with MJ samples (from prior MJ records) will never fool me. Why they would ignore the obvious, look the other way and rush a suspicious track that was NEVER on my Uncle's radar is beyond me (sic)."

He added: "The vibrato is a dead give away that it's not my uncle. Fans, I am so sorry you were put through this If you heard the acapella you would be even more disgusted."

His brother Taryll also voiced his opinion on the matter:

 "I was at the studio when these questionable files were delivered. I heard these 'so-called' Michael Jackson songs raw and without the distraction of the well produced music by Teddy Riley.

  How they constructed these songs is very sneaky and sly. many people who have worked on this project either have strong doubts and questions while others KNOW the truth yet decided to turn and look the other way with their hands out for $$$.

  There are songs that ARE my uncle singing on the upcoming album and I will support those 100%. But I will not support 'Breaking News' and a few others because it simply is not him. They tried to fool me and they tried to fool you. I told them it would never happen."

  And then there's Sony Music, who defends the authenticity of the song and claims that they have "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".

  Those are some of the statements, but ultimately, it is the listener that has to decide for himself. As a Michael Jackson fan for over 26 years of my life, I have to say that I was really anticipating this new song and record of unreleased material. When I heard "Breaking News" for the first time, I didn't completely recognize Michael in the song. His voice just wasn't completely there, and I became suspicious. As I much as I want it to be him, my heart tells me that Sony is fooling us by mixing up his vocals with those of someone else. His pronunciation, his pitch, sounds nothing like him. However, I do believe that there are bits and pieces of the song where Michael's voice is in there somewhere, sampled and mixed with newly added vocals.

  I really cannot understand why Sony would release such an ambiguous song when they have plenty of unreleased and verified material from MJ's past projects. Good news is that Sony has revealed that this track won't be the first single from the forthcoming release, "Michael". 

 You can listen and judge for yourselves by clicking the song below:

  Do you believe it is really Michael Jackson's voice? Let me know in the comments!

New Michael Jackson music!

  Finally, Sony has officially announced Michael Jackson's first posthumous album of unreleased music and has also unveiled the cover art for the highly anticipated release. The official announcement came yesterday at the singer's official webpage, http://www.michaeljackson.com/ and it reads as follows:

  The much anticipated album of newly completed recordings from Michael Jackson entitled MICHAEL will be released on December 14 by Epic Records in conjunction with the Estate of Michael Jackson. Tomorrow, an exclusive teaser for the project will appear on www.michaeljackson.com; on Monday, November 8th the world premiere of “Breaking News,” a full track from the album, will stream on the site for one week only.

  The creative process never stopped for the King of Pop who was always planning for his next album; unbeknownst to many fans around the world Michael Jackson was writing and recording songs continuously everywhere from a friend’s home in New Jersey to studios in Las Vegas and Los Angeles with a small group of handpicked collaborators. Now, through the unique stories that will be told about the songs that comprise MICHAEL, fans will get mind-blowing insight into how this artist worked and a chance to hear the songs he most recently created along with tracks that Michael had a desire to bring to fruition.

  “Breaking News,” a never heard before song by Michael that appears on the new album was recorded in New Jersey in 2007 and recently brought to completion. Fans can begin pre-ordering the album on www.michaeljackson.com in the next 24 hours.

  The attached image of the album cover of MICHAEL was created by painter Kadir Nelson in 2009. In the oil painting, Kadir – who is known for story telling through his art – takes us on a journey through some key moments and important people in Michael Jackson’s life.

  As the press release pointed out, a teaser for the new song, "Breaking News", was posted today on the singer's webpage and it sounds amazing! It reminds me of a modern take on his 1995 song, "Tabloid Junkie", which was clearly aimed at the scrutiny of the press towards him. Check out a snippet of the song below!

  Sony Music has yet to provide any further information about the tracklisting of the record or the collaborators and producers featured in it, but names such as Teddy Riley or Rodney Jerkins are said to be attached to the project.

  It is still hard to accept the fact that Michael is no longer with us, but I'm sure both his classic songs and his new music will keep him alive for generations to come. After years and years of wait, fans will finally be able to listen to what he was preparing for such a long time in his recording studio. This will surely be a very long weekend for many of us.

  Are you excited for Michael Jackson's new album? Tell me all about it in the comments!