MUMBAI: Five years ago when news broke that the King of Pop had passed, it left millions across the world devastated. Tears flowed, websites crashed and there was an outpouring of grief everywhere in the world. Tributes came from past and present musicians, and just about anyone who had heard of the iconic performer, regardless of whether or not they were fans. And a common thought that resounded at the time was the disbelief that the world would never again hear Michael Jackson sing. Of course, he would live on through the music that he had already created, but would it be the same, never hearing him again?
No it would not. The King of Pop would never sing for the world again. The man who broke racial barriers with his music would never again glide across a stage, enthralling audience with his grace and sublime moves. It was a blow to millions of music fans. In the days that followed, fans rushed to get their hands on music released throughout his illustrious 45-year career, making it seem as though his music would disappear with him.
The increase in sales of his music, post his demise, made Michael the first artiste to ever have four albums in the top 20 best selling albums in one year in the US. Three of Michael’s previous albums got more sales than any new album, making it the first time a catalogue album sold more than a new one. He even became the best selling album artiste in 2009.
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Perhaps, it was the surge in downloads and sales of his music that brought Sony Music to extend its distribution rights of Michael’s back catalogue to 2017, rather than the original deal which would eventually expire in 2015. Or perhaps it was the knowledge that there was still unfinished material that the King of Pop would have wanted to share with his fans that encouraged the move. Whatever it was, it resulted in two posthumous albums ‘Michael’ in 2010, and ‘Xscape’ in 2014.
As with most Michael related things, both albums released amidst some kind of controversy. Many fans and even musicians criticised the release of both albums. The general notion was that if Michael had unfinished music lying around for years, there was possibly a reason why he did not release it already. Even Michael’s father echoed the sentiment stating his son was a perfectionist who would have never wanted his unfinished material released.
But sales figures for ‘Michael’ and ‘Xscape’ told a whole other story. Despite receiving mixed reviews from music critics, ‘Michael’ debuted at number one in several countries, and number three on Billboard. It sold millions of copies worldwide and eventually earned a platinum status. Its follow up ‘Xscape’, which fared slightly better amongst critics, debuted at number one in several countries and made it to number two in the US.
The numbers only go to show that Michael Jackson was and still is one of the most loved artistes all over the world. “Michael is a perennial seller and is always a Top five catalogue artiste for Sony Music. All his albums have become a must own even for people who hardly listen to him regularly,” says Sony Music International Repertoire GM Dextryl Ferrao. He is not far from the truth.
Michael was a music genius. He introduced the world to a completely new type of music. He created and innovated with a distinctive sound that went on to influence the music of a number of artistes to follow. He thrilled fans with his dance moves and had TV channels broadcasting his videos at a time when you would have rarely seen African-American performers dominating the TV space. You could go as far as to say that he pretty much paved the way for today’s artistes like Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber to make the kind of music that they do. It is no wonder then that everyone would want to have a little piece of his legacy.
Merlin D’Souza, a Michael Jackson fan, who has been listening to him since she was six years old, stated that it did not matter that ‘Xscape’ was not 100 per cent Michael. “Even though it lacks something, you still know it has his touch. It does not compare to his other albums, but I loved it, because it is Michael at the end of the day.”
He went unexpectedly and rather sadly as well. How much more he could have given his fans through his music. Perhaps there will be more music to come. Let us not forget that Sony has rights to release ten albums of unfinished and unreleased material. Whether or not they do, regardless of how well it does, one thing is clear-the music has been touched by The King of Pop, making it somewhat eternal. Michael Jackson will always be loved and his music will always be played.
