“Xscape,” out today, features eight previously unreleased Michael Jackson tunes, completed by top tier producers. There’s a reason these songs probably didn’t make it onto the albums they were written for at the time and that reason is that some of the songs are downright dreadful lyrically. They are saved by Jackson’s voice, which is treated lovingly here, and some of the best producers in the world — Timbaland, Babyface, L.A. Reid, Rodney Jerkins—dressing them up in current beats and lots of effects. For the most part, the producers push Jackson’s vocals way up in the mix because he sounds that good. Vocalists in training should listen to Jackson’s voice here and study how he uses it going from a whisper to a scream and shifting easily from one register to another. Plus, his vocal trademarks, from the heavy breathing to the little yelps and other hiccups are all here.
- 5/13/2014
- by Melinda Newman
- Hitfix
The sum of the parts are definitely greater than the whole on “Love Never Felt So Good,” a new Michael Jackson track featuring Justin Timberlake, but that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty of fun to be had listening to the breezy track. The tune debuted during the IHeartRadio Awards May 1 in Los Angeles, with Jackson acolyte Usher dancing to the track. Written in 1983 by Jackson, Paul Anka and Kathy Wakefield, the dance-oriented pop track sounds delightfully retro (even for 1983) with its synth disco beat and easy rhythms. With the right remixes, it could be club smash. Jackson is the star of the Frankenstein track, with Timberlake singing the second verse, adding a more contemporary breakdown that brings it into the new millennium and several “Let me see you move” call outs. It’s a slight track and Jackson’s performance is fine, but certainly not exceptional. However, there...
- 5/2/2014
- Hitfix
The hugely anticipated Michael Jackson-Justin Timberlake duet "Love Never Felt So Good" has hit the Web. Jt shared the news to his 32 million followers on Twitter, with a message that included a link to the song and the comment #Playitloud. The first single off Mj’s posthumous album Xscape got its debut Thursday night during the inaugural iHeartRadio Music Awards. However, it was Usher, not Timberlake, who appeared on stage. Photos: iHeartRadio Music Awards Celebrate the Sounds and Stars of L.A. The song was written in 1983 in a session with Paul Anka and Kathy Wakefield. In 1984, Johnny Mathis
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- 5/2/2014
- by Billboard Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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