Album "XSCAPE"

The New Michael Jackson Album "Xscape" Does Not Suck

Forget what you heard; we actually heard the music.

Last night a select group of music execs, press, radio, TV, and representatives of the Michael Jackson estate gathered at the Top of the Rock in NYC for a chance to hear Xscape, the second Michael Jackson album to be released since his tragic death in June 2009. During the ride to the top of Rockefeller Center, a ghostly image of Michael Jackson
peered the down through the elevator’s glass ceiling. “Michael would
approve,” quipped Fab 5 Freddy, one of the invited guests on the way up.

Upstairs there were magnificent views of Manhattan, signature cocktails,
and elegant hors d'oeuvres. But first the guests were compelled to
checked their phones (and submit to a metal detector sweep) all in an
attempt to prevent digital piracy of the precious audio assets being
unveiled that evening. But despite Epic Records’ best efforts, the
album's poppin' title track leaked this morning. Normally this would be
bad news for the album roll-out, but in this case the music provides a
powerful retort to all the cynical criticism that has dogged this
project since it was first announced.

“Xscape” was written by MJ and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, most likely
for the Invincible sessions. The track was recently “contemporized” by
Jerkins—making it the only one of Xscape's eight cuts to be reworked by
its original producer. The rest of the album's creative team includes
Timbaland, Stargate, and longtime Jackson family friends Jerome “JRoc”
Hamilton and John McClain—who were responsible for updating eight
never-before-heard songs from the Jackson vaults, with the aim of giving
them "a fresh, contemporary sound that retains Jackson’s essence and
integrity," as the press release put it. Based on an informal poll of
guests at the party, the prevailing attitude in the room was somewhere
between curious and cautiously optimistic.

Sylvia Rhone, the newly appointed President of Epic Records, kicked things off by recalling her own favorite Michael Jackson
moment—when she was “the hottest chick on campus” at Penn University
and got the chance to see The Jackson 5 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
She then introduced her boss, Epic Records Chairman/CEO Antonio “L.A.”
Reid, who assured her that she was still the hottest chick in the place
before calling up representatives of the Jackson estate and presenting
them with a plaque so enormous it required two strong men to lug it
onstage, commemorating over 100 million copies (and counting) sold of
Thriller, the biggest selling album of all time.

Despite the fact that it's named after an awesome So So Def girl group,
advance press on Xscape, which is due to drop May 13, had been
overwhelmingly negative. As with the posthumous 2010 album Michael,
knee-jerk news reports (written without hearing any of the music)
characterized the songs as cutting-room-floor rejects polished up for
purely financial motives—a notion that Antonio “L.A.” Reid wasted no
time rebutting. “This is not about record company greed,” he said
defiantly. “I knew Michael. I had the chance to spend time with him and I
knew how he felt about his work, about breaking new ground and not
repeating himself.” The estate reps pointed out that “Michael would not
put a vocal down on a song if he didn’t love it,” and that the song
“Wanna Be Starting Something” was originally recorded for the album Off
The Wall and released later, ditto for “Earth Song,” which was
originally written for Dangerous.

Then it was time to let the music play, and suddenly the only words that
mattered were the ones Michael was singing. L.A. kicked things off with
a sureshot dance-floor filler called “Love Never Felt Like This
Before.” There were songs about cheating and double lives, and even
darker cuts like "Slave To The Rhythm" a song about the trials of an
unappreciated woman, and the “Do You Know Where Your Children Are?”
which tells the tale of a 12-year-old runaway and features a haunting
refrain of MJ singing “Save Me” over and over. Happily, the
“contemporized” production on Xscape not so over-the-top that it
distracts from the main attraction here, Michael’s superior songwriting
and one-of-a-kind vocals.

Up high on one of the windows was a quote in bold letters that speaks to
MJ's creative process. "It's about the thrill of adventure. They love
going somewhere they've never been. And we love taking them there." How
many recording artists today are even aspiring to do that for their
listeners? Contrary to what Kanye West
said on "All of the Lights," MJ isn't exactly dead—not as long as he
still can make your pulse race by hitting a note with just the right
touch of grit in his voice. Almost five years after his outrageously
untimely death, the King of Pop's ability to move the crowd endures.
He's still a thrilla.

http://www.complex.com/music/2…lbum-xscape-does-not-suck

The Lost Children, SPEECHLESS, BREAK OF DAWN und Whatever HAPPENS

Einfach umwerfend schön. Und dann noch diese Outtakes

GLOUCESTERSHIRE, LOSER und A Place with no name...

Invincible war einfach nur genial.

Na dann

*mit dem been told auf eine einsame Insel fahr - mit NUR dem invincible album*

Also auf eine einsame Insel würde ich dann doch eher mit einer Frau als mit einem Mann fahren wollen. Ganz abgesehen von Invincible. Nichts für ungut Tobi

OOOkayyy

Boah ihr seid sowas von offtopic
Wofür poste ich hier news?

Zitat

Why Michael Jackson’s “New” Record Says More About the Industry Than He Ever Did

There’s a new Michael Jackson album. You will hear a lot about it. You
will hear it a lot. Epic Records head L.A. Reid led the project to
reanimate the King of Pop with Xscape, a collection of eight archival
Michael Jackson songs that have been spruced up for modern ears by the
likes of Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins and Stargate. Reid has called this
process “contemporizing,” and it’s hard to tell how finished any of
these tracks were prior to the “contemporizing” process. Album opener
“Loving Never Felt So Good,” for instance, could have just as feasibly
been made during disco’s heyday as it could have been converted into a
disco track following the success of “Get Lucky” and “Blurred Lines.”

Because of said savvy updating, the album—titled XSCAPE—seems poised to
go platinum. Either the people will make it platinum, as they did with
Beyoncé, or the corporations will, as they did with Magna Carta Holy
Grail. Regardless, odds are that this album will be ubiquitous. I heard
Xscape during a listening party and industry schmooze event thrown by
Epic Records last night at the top of Rockefeller Center. The pristine
white room hosted two open bars within about 150 feet of one another.
Floor-to-ceiling windows offering bird’s eye views of Manhattan were
peppered with white obelisks housing hi-fi speakers intended for, as one
sound person told me, studio mastering.

That sound person used to rent DJ equipment to 285 Kent. It was jarring
to see people I knew from the Brooklyn DIY scene as part of the event’s
laboring class, but there really weren’t all that many. For the most
part, the crowd was older and immaculately put together. Of course,
there were a few musicians milling around: producers for the album, a
stray member of The Roots, Sky Ferreira with Cole from Diiv. The
majority of attendees, truth be told, weren’t journalists but industry
types, rubbing elbows and occasionally dancing for seconds-long bursts.

As I chatted with some Brooklyn friends and moneyed middle-aged people, I
heard two general sentiments in regards to the album. One was that
XSCAPE is a force, an instant classic imbued with Michael’s eternal and
magic touch. The other was that regardless of the quality, it would be
an instant classic, thanks to the fact that a loud majority believe that
Michael has an eternal and magic touch. In other words, some people
immediately loved it while others immediately started dealing with it.

A woman in the crowd noticed I was jotting down notes and directed me to
a guy with tons of tattoos and a stud in his nose called Dr. Freeze.
Later research would inform me that Dr. Freeze produced the ’90s R&B
group Bell Biv Devoe’s “Poison,” which I wish I had known in advance. I
would have kissed his very soft hands. Instead, with both of us put on
the spot, I asked him an exceptionally vague question: “So how’d this
album work?” He politely leaned in for clarification, as if he hadn’t
actually heard what I asked. “Like did people just produce songs over
Michael’s old vocals, or what? What went into this?” Dr. Freeze is one
of those soft-spoken, near-bashful creative types. He turned his head as
if averting eye contact and smirked when he more or less whispered,
“Magic. That’s what went into it. Magic. That’s all I’ll say.”

XSCAPE is proudly retro for the most part. Title track “XSCAPE” and the
aforementioned album opener “Love Never Felt So Good” have disco
elements that seem informed by Pharell’s hit-making, somewhat
sterile-sounding funk. The strongest songs on XSCAPE throw back to the
’90s by boasting vibes which have yet to enter the ’90s nostalgia radar.
“Chicago,” likely the work of Dr. Freeze, is New Jack Swing sliced with
a gram of trap, and “Loving You”—a worthy hit if there is one on the
album—features the type of steel drum synth settings you haven’t heard
on the radio since the turn of the century.

In its less appealing moments, Xscape veers into the broad-stroke,
uncontroversial social agenda of Michael’s 1991 hit, “Black Or White.”
In these songs, female characters bear society’s burdens. “Slave To The
Rhythm,” for example, seems to suggest that the narrator’s love interest
is a stripper in a dead-end job. The assertion that She can’t be rude,
she says so is punctuated by the line, I must be home tonight, delivered
with a disconcerting lack of sexuality or empathy. The track “Do You
Know Where your Children Are?” tells the story of a teenage girl being
wooed into prostitution by a pimp on the Sunset Strip for nothing more
than a trip to the salon.

Curiously, Epic CEO L.A. Reid prefaced the listening of XSCAPE with the
reassurance that this update of archival cuts for modern ears was not
financially motivated. Relaying to the audience that “Wanna Be Starting
Something” and “Earth Song” were rejects from earlier albums, Reid said
that the eight tracks on XSCAPE “are not throwaways. Michael would not
put a vocal on a song if he didn’t love the song.” Once again, the
extent of the “contemporizing” process was unclear. Were vocals from old
songs grafted over new ones, or were demoes dolled up for modern
audiences? Reid then elaborated that this project was about art, not
money. At this exact moment, it became obvious that XSCAPE is the work
of the music industry’s old guard: a generation which worries that the
intermingling of art and money could be equated with “selling out.”

Our favorite pop stars of today have nixed this whole money-versus-art
dichotomy and, generally, their best artistic statements evolve around
currency. Miley Cyrus preaches the holy pop trinity of “love, money,
party” while Kanye West’s angst seems inseparable from his ever-brimming
coffers. Kesha, until recently, was Ke$ha. These performers are of a
generation that acknowledges the harmony of commerce and art on the
plane of pop. I have to assume that L.A. Reid represents an entire aged
segment of the music industry that fears that the public will, on a
dime, yell “sell out!” and boycott an album. The millennial generation,
on the other hand, seems at peace with the fact that just as much money
goes into art sold at Sotheby’s as it does wall prints for sale at Best
Buy.

Granted, there is a cause at hand. In L.A. Reid’s words, “We are here to
defend His honor.” Michael Jackson, need you be reminded, was not
exactly in the best of public graces at the time of his death in June,
2009. With the whole world watching, Michael transitioned from beloved
pop icon to grotesque human spectacle. Us millennials were more likely
to see his skewering by South Park or some bizarre 20/20 interview than
we were the “Thriller” music video. A friend of mine from high school
contests that our generation doesn’t even think of MJ as the guy who
made “Thriller,” but as “a pedo.”

I don’t quite agree with him, but it would seem that today’s pop stars
have in some way learned from Michael’s folly and embraced the
millennial maxim, “I Don’t Give A ****.” Today’s stars suggest that the
best response to predatory news media is a pre-emptive “**** it.” They
proudly gun for the detestable and shield themselves from most
conventional criticism of morales and taste. Miley gets naked for #1
worst human Terry Richardson. Kanye features prominently on his
girlfriend’s reality show and makes art of the “angry black man”
persona. Lady Gaga lets herself get puked on at SXSW.

But Michael Jackson is not the millennial’s pop star, and this listening
party at Rockefeller Center was not meant for the millennials. In fact,
if there really is an illuminati, then maybe it would look like this. A
horde of internet crackpots will point out the fact that the
obelisk—here housing quality speakers—is supposed to be an illuminati
symbol of power and control. That control would perhaps explain the
canny employment of old Market Hotel and 285 Kent people, at once an
expression of open-mindedness and a subtle reassertion of hierachy. The
wide presence of nubile, model-esque plus-ones would seem to speak to
that power. Straddling these two categories were were eight or nine
women in form-fitting black dresses with rectangles carved out to expose
pushed-up cleavage, performing tasks like putting wrist bands on wrists
and ushering guests to the correct elevators.

As posited by Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut and Bataille’s Story of the Eye,
the powerful revel in the opportunity to convolute said power with
decadence to the point of depravity. While last night never hit the
point of depravity, it was certainly the old guard’s ecstatic
celebration of its vast capabilities. Record industry brass was able to
will a pop star from the grave and make hits. Perhaps the only true
perversion at play was the idea that Michael’s legacy would be honored
by carting out eight songs he didn’t put in the public eye while he was
alive. This is the business of art though. Even the Brooklyn DIY types
are part of this business, and the only thing that really separates them
from the industry insiders is a few decades of experience. Then again,
Cole and Sky were there.

Alles anzeigen

http://www.thefader.com/2014/0…ndustry-than-he-ever-did/

Zitat von Metin Jackson

[quote]

“Chicago,” likely the work of Dr. Freeze, is New Jack Swing sliced with
a gram of trap, and “Loving You”—a worthy hit if there is one on the
album—features the type of steel drum synth settings you haven’t heard
on the radio since the turn of the century.

Alles anzeigen

NEW JACK SWING!!??? Ich dreh durch

By the way, diese Dummköpfe präsentieren die uns bekannte Version von XScape als Erster Eindruck vom neuen Album haha

http://www.thefader.com/2014/0…m-michael-jackson-xscape/

Just to remind you all:

Album "Xscape" offiziell angekündigt!

^ dat is der thementitel! ^

Zitat von Metin Jackson

The New Michael Jackson Album "Xscape" Does Not Suck

Then it was time to let the music play, and suddenly the only words that
mattered were the ones Michael was singing. L.A. kicked things off with
a sureshot dance-floor filler called “Love Never Felt Like This
Before.”

http://www.complex.com/music/2…lbum-xscape-does-not-suck

Das ist ja interessant! Vielleicht doch ein ganz anderer Song oder nur eine Fehlinterpretation des Journalisten? Ich könnte nicht verstehen, warum sie das "uns bekannte" "Love Never felt so good" noch einmal veröffentlichen sollten (wurde doch schon veröffentlicht - oder täusche ich mich da?) Ich könnte auch nicht sagen, daß es ein "dance-floor-filler" ist - aber vielleicht haben Sie das ja auch daraus gemacht . Es bleibt spannend (bis zu den ersten Leaks )

Boaaah, jetzt wird's Zeit das wir endlich irgendwas zu hören bekommen
So langsam werd ich echt nervös

Ausm MJJC:

Zitat

Originally Posted by Mark7


Good evening, I'm an American journalist who
works in England, and I attended one of the ceremonies where you could
hear a preview of the new album.

Of course I was happy, I am a fan of Michael Jackson for over twenty years.

And of course I can't reveal the track-list and songs that are in it,
but I tell you that you are on your way to figure out for yourself what
will be the track-list.

Then, don't worry about the single and the publicity, they will come
,the single will be a bomb. And then you will love it, I'm sure, you
will love this album, you can hear the great respect that was given to
this production, they have complied Jackson. It is a big production, the
only song that I'm disappointed (personal opinion,attention) was the
production of Slave To The Rhythm, I guess you've already heard the
commercials Xperia where you can hear a snippet of this song, well I
thought it was better, because I listened to the demo and it is
beautiful, a great potential that could be better exploited.

However, news will come very soon, you will see. It will all be in great
style, you'll see, everything is totally different from the first
posthumous project, will also come new unreleased videos. Greetings to
all.

Alles anzeigen

Zitat von Xscape2040

Hier noch eine andere Perspektive vom "Press Event" (glaube in Paris?). Hoffe das Bild ist ein Singlecover

Sieht toll aus ,würde mir auch wünschen das es ein Single - Cover wird

Zitat von Metin Jackson

The New Michael Jackson Album "Xscape" Does Not Suck
...
Despite the fact that it's named after an awesome So So Def girl group,
advance press on Xscape, which is due to drop May 13, had been
overwhelmingly negative.

...hat irgendwer nen negativen Vorabbericht mitbekommen? Dazu noch überwäligend negativ? Oder gehts hier vielleicht nur um die Dynamik seiner tollen Story? Ala.. keine Jackson-News ohne Drama Element...

Zitat von Visionary

...hat irgendwer nen negativen Vorabbericht mitbekommen? Dazu noch überwäligend negativ? Oder gehts hier vielleicht nur um die Dynamik seiner tollen Story? Ala.. keine Jackson-News ohne Drama Element...

Ich nicht. Mal wieder frei erfunden. Geht ja nicht ohne, bei MJ News. Wieder mal ein Grund, warum man weite Teile der Presse absolut nicht ernst nehmen kann.