The "King of Pop" is back again, like it or not. As usual, he's making sure everyone knows. If you have not seen his latest video, you have probably heard something about his recent, star-studded benefit concerts touting his new album. His latest album, Invincible, is scheduled to hit stores on Oct. 30.
It is Jackson's first studio album in six years, and Epic records has called it "among his best recordings ever." Yet, in order for Jackson to achieve commercial success, he will have to live up to his own standards, overcome a negative image and dispel any ideas that his career is over.
On Invincible, Jackson collaborated with such artists as Boyz II Men, R. Kelly, Missy Elliot, Carlos Santana, Will Smith and the late Notorious B.I.G. as well as many well-known producers, performers and songwriters. He reportedly spent $20-$30 million to produce the album. The album title, song titles and lyrics suggest a response to people who have said that Jackson is either washed-up or is a freak:
And with all that I've been through, I'm still around
Don't you ever make no mistake
Baby, I've got what it takes
And there's no way you'll ever get to me
Why can't you see that you'll never ever hurt me
'Cause I won't let it be, see I'm too much for you baby
-"Unbreakable"
However, the album overall strives to move away from the angrier songs of 1995's HIStory, which was considered to be a commercial disappointment.
"You Rock My World," the first single from Invincible, which has not even been released in U.S. stores, reached No.10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Jackson now has a total of 28 Top 10 singles as a solo artist and 40 including his work with the Jackson 5 and The Jacksons.
However, despite the strong early showing, the song has since dropped considerably in the charts. Internationally, the song has done much better, reaching No. 2 in the U.K. and No. 4 in Australia.
Jackson is certainly no stranger to success. His first solo album, Off The Wall (1979), sold 15 million copies worldwide. His next album, Thriller (1982), was his best seller at 51 million copies. Next came Bad (1987) at 25 million copies, then Dangerous (1991) at 27 million. In 1995, Jackson released a two-disc set of his greatest hits and new songs, HIStory, which sold 15 million copies (each set counted as one copy).
Next came Jackson's most disappointing release, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which included five new songs and eight remixes from HIStory, disc one. The album sold four million copies worldwide and only one million in the U.S.
Four million copies is usually considered good, but not up to Jackson standards. The question lingering on a lot of people's minds is whether or not Jackson can really make a comeback and reclaim his throne as one of the top current artists. Is the 43-year old Jackson past his prime?
Some Hopkins students put in their two cents about Jackson's comeback. Freshman Greg Brunner admitted that though Jackson's past works are stellar, he cannot achieve the song quality and record sales that he once had.
"Thriller was awesome," said Brunner. "The voice at the end used to scare the shit out of me when I listened to it."
But when asked about the likelihood of a "Jacko Comebacko," Brunner responded that he did not think Jackson could recapture the success of albums like Thriller.
"He's not too popular anymore," claimed Brunner. "I haven't heard anything about him in the news."
Sophomore Anand Vimalassery said that although he is a big Jackson fan, he does not think MJ can salvage his career.
"He's still got the moves. Everybody still loves Michael Jackson," explained Vimalassery.
"He's just not the way he used to be. His music is not like the classic Jackson. People will buy his album, but he won't be one of the top artists anymore."
Music critics in the UK gave the album so-so to bad reviews, saying that Invincible lacks strong melodies and is unoriginal.
One reporter wrote that the fact that "he [Michael Jackson] is out of touch with pop culture is increasingly apparent on an album that reveals a lost talent struggling to reach the musical heights of his youth."
Sony and Epic Records, meanwhile, are touting the album as a "masterpiece" and "one of his greatest works."
Is Michael Jackson still the King of Pop? Does he still have what it takes to be one of the top artists in the world?
Or is he simply a washed up superstar who will continue to get negative publicity for his strange lifestyle? Are we seeing a last-ditch effort at Jackson stardom or his continued musical brilliance?
Only time will tell. Trust me, you'll hear about it.
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