Michael Jackson’s posthumous album, Xscape, is set to be released worldwide on May 13. But on Tuesday night in Dubai’s Qbara lounge, we had the region’s exclusive first listen.
Industry mogul L.A. Reid handpicked eight unreleased songs that Jackson had sung “from top-to-bottom, multiple times”, then set them over new music produced by Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, J-Roc, Stargate and John McClain.
The result? A Jackson album that delivers exactly what you would hope for: dark, crunchy R’n’B melodies, vocals layered so crisply they’ll give you chills and the king’s anguished spirit driving his every poignant lyric.
The opening track and the first single off the album, Love Never Felt So Good, featuring Justin Timberlake, hardly seems like the centrepiece of the record, though it’s easy on the ears. The tune stands out as a rare feel-good song, almost benign in its impact among gloomier numbers. It evokes the uplifting spirit of poppier songs such as Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.
But the oft-misunderstood singer’s longing to belong comes through more clearly on Place with No Name. The song begins with Jackson’s signature gasps and delves into a desperate but hopeful place of yearning, with the repetitive chorus hearing Jackson plead “take me to a place with no name”. The tune is sung mostly in his growly lower register, giving it a grave but compelling feel.
Chicago, another R’n’B song straight out of the ‘90s — and really, was there a better time for R’n’B? — is a song about betrayal. If you squint, it’s reminiscent of megahit Dirty Diana. Jackson croons about a two-timing girl who led him on with lines like “she lied to you, lied to me,” and “didn’t know she was spoken for.” The layering of his urgent lead vocals over his defeated back-up vocals creates an all-consuming finished product.
One of the most resonant songs is Jackson’s Blue Gangsta, with its violin opening leading into Jackson taunting his subject for the damage they’ve done: “What you’ve done to me, babe/I can no longer smile, babe. Eventually, he confesses, “I can never fall in love.” Jackson’s falsetto makes an appearance during an emotive musical break, and the song wraps up with a pleasantly unexpected shriek of saxophone.
The rest of the songs have their charm, from the classic romancing tune, Loving You and the eerie Do You Know Where Your Children Are?, to Jackson’s obligatory synth-dance song (expect a few “hee hee!” moments), Slave to the Rhythm and his up-tempo eponymous number, Xscape.
On the deluxe album, buyers will be able to hear both the original vocals that Jackson recorded between the 1983 and 1999, as well as the re-mastered songs.
‘I’m the greatest’
In a 14-minute behind-the-scenes documentary, the production team spoke about the process of making the record and how Jackson’s spirit informed their every decision.
“Remind people that I’m the greatest,” Reid recalled Jackson telling him. He said keeping Jackson’s legacy alive was the force behind the project.
Fellow executive producer Timbaland, known for his distinctly contemporary style, said he had to “dig into a place where [Michael] would accept what I was doing.”
“I’m not overstepping my boundaries [as a producer]. I’m just enough in your face,” he said.
He recalled being in the studio and hearing the late singer giving him his stamp of approval.
“That’s it, Tim. That’s what I like,” he heard him say, but upon looking around, he found there was no one else in the room.
Darkchild producer Jerkins was hesitant at first to work on Jackson’s songs posthumously for fear of not living up to his expectations, but he accepted readily once he heard the raw vocals. He had the unique opportunity to re-work the song Xscape, which he had originally produced for Jackson in 1999.
Norwegian production team Stargate had also declined to be a part of the project initially, but were swayed upon hearing Place with No Name. As they worked their magic, they would pretend Jackson was about to visit the studio in 10 minutes and listen back to it, ensuring they lived up to his standards.
As for any hesitation on Reid’s part, the quality of the songs put his doubts to rest. “If it wasn’t supposed to be, it wouldn’t be this good.”
