On the one hand, it's great to see Michael Jackson back on the charts again! On the other... it's really, really creepy to see Michael Jackson back on the charts again. And... oh God, this video is not helping. It kind of reminds me of the video for "Mo Money Mo Problems", except everybody seems completely oblivious that the dead guy is dead. No, please stop lip-syncing to Michael Jackson. It doesn't feel right. Also, it was already done with "Black or White", where it made sense and was more interesting. Ugh.
The other difference between this and "Mo Money Mo Problems" is that "Mo Money Mo Problems" was released not too long after Biggie's death, and therefore can be seen as a much-needed tribute. But Jackson's been dead for five years and this single is coming out just now, which makes me think "cash grab" more than anything. I mean, maybe I'd be excited to see a Michael Jackson video a year after his death... but five years is just too long.
That said, though, the song is great. Michael and Justin are an obvious pairing, and if you're skeptical of that, just listen to the song. I especially love how Justin's voice and the beat open the song. It's definitely something you can dance to.
But besides the creepiness of the idea, there's also a moral dilemma with this song. This track is a reworked version of a 1983 demo that never ended up being released to the public. So... wouldn't there be a logical reason why this wouldn't be released to the public? Like, maybe MJ didn't think it was good enough to merit a release? It's like if somebody released a movie Orson Welles made when he was five.
Of course, they do enough with the song so that Justin merits equal billing. Timbaland, the main producer behind the song, used sounds from other Michael Jackson songs to remix the track, and Justin holds his own throughout the song.
So on one hand, this is a great song that brings back a legend of pop music. But on the other, it's a morally questionable experiment in pop music that has a creepy vibe. But it's got a good beat and you can dance to it, so I'm giving this song a passing grade. Reanimating the dead never felt so good. Well, not since that 2Pac hologram, anyway.
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