lead single from his first posthumous album, “Michael,” pokes jabs at
his long, storied distaste for making headlines.
On Monday morning, his official website posted the
full stream of “Breaking News,” a jarring kiss off to the tabloids that
preyed on his eccentricities even after his 2009 death.
The track is introduced by a slew of reporters’ voices reading headlines of the singer.
“If you thought there was nothing else to say about
“Everybody wanting a piece of
home, where the singer and his three kids had holed up for a number of
months. “Just when you thought he was done, he comes to give it again.”
“Breaking News” isn’t the first time Jackson aired
his grievances with the media through song. “Tabloid Junkie,” “This
Time Around,” “Leave Me Alone” and, of course, “Scream” all quickly
come to mind.
In true Jackson form, the song is already the center of controversy.
After the website TMZ reported that the singer’s
kids and mother had questioned the authenticity of Jackson’s voice on
the tracks, Sony Records released a statement saying 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.”
The song has led to a debate on Twitter and the
blogosphere, and it’s understandable why there could be questions. The
last time fans heard a new authorized Jackson track was last year’s
“This Is It,” and the song was recorded more than 25 years ago. Voices
do mature with age, and maybe Jackson — a notorious perfectionist —
wanted to try something new with his vibrato.
“There’s many MJ vocal impersonators. Some better
than others. But there is only ONE Michael Jackson. Deceptively merging
shady vocals with MJ samples (from prior MJ records) will never fool
me,” he tweeted.
Last week, Sony Records and Jackson’s estate
announced the first posthumous album release from the singer.
“Michael,” which will hit stores
“Unbeknownst to many fans around the world (Jackson)
was writing and recording songs continuously everywhere from a friend’s
home in
with a small group of handpicked collaborators,” read a statement
regarding the album’s release. “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.”
The album cover — an oil painting by artist
crown being placed on his head by angels. A collage of his greatest
works surrounds him.
Earlier this year, his estate signed a
which would oversee the release of 10 albums — both original and
reissue collections — over the course of seven years. Adding to his
magnitude of accomplishments from beyond, he also landed the No. 1 spot
on Forbes’s Top-Earning Dead Celebrities List as his estate brought in
more than
The album is just the latest project that fans of
the King of Pop should save up for. Cirque du Soleil has announced
plans for a Jackson-themed touring production that will combine the
singer’s legendary moves and music with Cirque’s eye-popping acrobatics.
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