The Michael Jackson brand has proven to be a billion dollar machine in the near-decade since his death.
A series of savvy moves by his Estate have seen the King Of Pop moonwalk into the new generation and amass huge sums in the process.
Indeed, there have Circus Soleil shows, TV projects, exhibitions, and posthumous albums.
The latter, however, has been a little touch and go. 2014’s ‘Xscape’ was well-received, yet 2010’s ‘Michael’ remains a bone of contention with many fans. So much so that a sect filed a class action suit alleging that vocals had been doctored and, in instances, totally fabricated. A claim that has been denied by the Estate.
Yet, as the success of ‘Don’t Matter To Me’ – Drake‘s “collaboration” with MJ on his ‘Scorpion’ album – proved, there remains a healthy appetite for unheard material from the late, great megastar.
And it appears the hunger for new music will be fed – just in a different manner.
Details below…
Reflecting on the success of the Drizzy team up, Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer revealed in a recent interview that the strategy for rolling out unreleased MJ will pivot towards more one-off songs rather than. And the reason is…streaming. He explained:
“We’re constantly scouring the catalogue for ideas, but there are no plans at the moment to put any more full-fledged albums out.
We are looking at one-off songs. In this streaming world, that works because it’s a track-based world. There are a few gems out there that we may unearth individually over the next months and years, but we’re also very, very careful to make sure the fanbase doesn’t feel like they’ve been asked yet again to buy material they have. We are very careful about repacking and extremely cognisant of the fanbase that has everything.”
An interesting point given the release of last year’s ‘Scream’ compilation (which didn’t contain new music, but sewed together previously released material from the catalogue of MJ and the Jackson 5). Yet, in fairness, Stringer has only just taken the helm of things having recently been promoted to the Sony mountain top after a legendary run at Columbia.
Beyond the spot-song approach, Stringer went on to expound on the broader strategy for Jackson’s material moving forward:
“What’s interesting with Michael is that not all artists have managed to bridge the gaps from the physical world to the iTunes world to the streaming world, but with Michael that’s not the case.
His streaming numbers are incredible. The technology at the moment enables us to do something different and highlight different songs and create concepts that will lead people to a greater understanding of the wider catalogue of Michael’s work.” [Source]
Granted we’ve longed to hear some of the latter material Michael was working on in a packaged album format, everything Stringer said rings true.
It’s a different marketplace and there’s only so many compilations of the classics that can be spun together.
By going the route they did with the Drake collab and embracing carefully considered pairings, it makes the arrival of new MJ an “event” in and of itself. What’s more, it extends the life-cycle of said material and keeps the anticipation going.
Your thoughts?
Wow I’m in shock they’re able to use his likeness for so many years after his death!! Those kids will always be rich as long as they’re alive!!?
No force like the Jacksons. I doubt there will ever be a sibling pair as big of super mega stars as Michael and Janet Jackson’s or just the Jacksons PERIOD(Jackson 5, The Jacksons and all the other solos success). They will forever be the most legendary hollywood family ever, spearheaded by legend Michael and Janet ✊?✊?✊?
I’d prefer to enjoy the classics. If its unreleased that means MJ didn’t want us to hear it or it wasn’t up to his standards. lets respect his legacy the right way! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48V0GCP9Xl4
There are some beautiful unreleased songs like “fly away” and the original demo of “pretty young thing”. 2 of my faaaaavorite MJ songs. And just because it wasn’t on the said album doesn’t mean he didn’t approve, the vibe of the song may not have gone with the final type of vibe (ie a disco-ish song recorded for “Bad” obviously wouldn’t fit in the synth vibe of “Bad”). I’m always here for new MJ music, the off brand songs are often as good and sometimes better.
I thinknit is tricky trying to release unreleased music because if liability risk. For starters was the producer paid for, who are all the songwriters, are you 100 percent certain it is MJ singing and not a person doing a demo? MJ had a unique voice. Listen to 200 Watts. Post 2001 his voice had changed so it really is hard to tell if it is him singing depending on the key the song was sung in except for his breaths, hooks, and certain enunciation of words which is easily recognizable. I love MJ but I think Sony needs to go back to Quincy and get some of his older unreleased songs produced by QuinCy so that there is no confusion.
TROLLmine I I agree! It’s a sticky, thick, creamy, WHITE situation- your favorite ?
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Well to your credit TROLLmine at least you’re (not your) not spelling it “heiness” anymore. You’re (not your) very welcome, I usually charge for my tutoring services but I’m feeling charitable this sabbath Sunday!
They’ve released so many compilations & so much other material from him. So as they stated there’s no need to keep releasing or repackaging the same material over & over. The one off single thing can be tricky though. Just continue to utilize all formats. And build on new ones. His fan base is super diverse.
Sony should hire me as CEO or A&R Director. This is so easy and they make it so complicated! All they have to do is release a series of compilations using MJ’s music and their current artist roster. Duets with MJ spread out through 3 compilation albums would bring in major money. The one off single idea is dumb! A better idea would be to go back to Quincy Jones while he is still living and pay him to cough up some of the unreleased music and produce a new MJ album with old and new music. Same goes for Teddy Riley (although there are less Teddy Riley produced tracks on MJ’s catalogue). Lastly, I would avoid all the unreleased material post 2001. It is questionable material and too hard to track down who produced the songs and how is owed money. That leaves 1979 through 2001 so there should be plenty of material (already recorded under MJ’s old Sony contract) they could work with.
TROLLmine I AGREE! They definitely should hire you, FOR SURE! Maybe they could hire Caitlyn Jenner or Laverne C** in conjunction with you and y’all could have a Sony T*****/Hermaphrodite Coalition branch. It’s tone your baritone voices are heard and y’all step FORWARD ✊?✊?✊?✊?✊?✊?
It’s time ****
May name is NOT “TROLLmine” dude. You really should stop cyber bullying people. It is vile behavior. Sir I have asked you numerous times to stop commenting to me. I do not want to converse with you so stop.
TROLLmine are you coming to dinner? If so bring your husband (dïldò) and a generous portion of your world famous aCUMen!!!!!
Leave my friend Jasmine alone U SHEMALE BEAST! F.uck off. She is too nice of a person for TRASH like you to be attacking her u vile demon!
TROLLmine your boy and your girl side aren’t invited to family dinner you have to pick one.. you can’t be both it’s too confusing.
From now on u BANNED from talking to Jasmine and u BANNED from talking to me n|gga.
TROLLmine your boy side can’t not defend your girl side. Each of your sides needs to defend themselves. What’s the point in you being a hermaphrodite if both your sèxés can’t speak up for themselves #DuhtrollMine
This is a music blog. It is NOT a site where people should have to defend themselves from a wild shemale t***** who is looking to spew its toxic venom but that is what this site has become. I am not a hermaphrodite but your mammy is.
TROLLmine I’m updating my resume’ now and I’ve just added my latest job- hermaphrodite slayer ??♀️??♀️??♀️??♀️#iSlayedTrollmine #RIPtrollmine #TrollmineTriedButLost #TrollmineCantCompete #TrollmineTheLessor #TrollmineStaysInItsLane #TrollminesDone
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TROLLmine you rein???? Oh ok I didn’t know you are “a long, narrow strap attached at one end to a horse’s bit, typically used in pairs to guide or check a horse while riding or driving.”.. that’s good to know. Rein vs Reign #TutoringTrollmineDaily
There are no more songs that we haven’t heard, just small bits and pieces of vocals and outtakes that producers are trying to mix & match to make full songs that sound nothing like what MJ was thinking and attempting at the time. They will have to use an impersonator again to flesh out every vocal recording of MJ’s that never reached the stages of being layered and mastered. Do not be fooled.
There are more unheard songs if u really know more about Mj and if u have attended some of the Mj conventions or sessions with Brad sunderberg or some of the people who worked with Michael then u would have got to listen to some of them.
There are the thriller sessions too which can be remastered (like trouble and hot street and niteline) which are full songs.
If new singles mean remixes or songs by the likes of drake with Mj vocals in them then no no no and thank you for nothing.
They should have enough demos and unreleased or previously unreleased songs to still make albums.
If that’s a problem then how about home video releases ? I will copy and paste a post I did in the past about my review of thriller 3D and how and what future releases should be:
For Michael Jackson lovers
Thriller 3D at the light cinema in Cambridge imax was an amazing experience and an incredible visual and audio presentation with probably one of the best 3D presentations in recent memory.
I was at the invitation only screening of thriller 3D in london last year and it cannot even compare to the powerful imax experience at all (the whole large screen and wonderful projection) and the actual original audio of the song instead of what seemed to be an error in the audio last year in london (hated that audio).
All in attendance were Michael Jackson lovers except for one maybe (total in theatre was 10 only including myself) and it’s obvious that thriller is contributing greatly to the successs of Eli Roth’s film the house with a clock in its walls and it’s such a shame and a messed up idiotic idea not to have thriller screening in London’s imax (isn’t that a main location ?!?) and with Europe skipped completely except in one location in Spain (not Madrid or Barcelona) as its screening in a lot of states within the us and in Mexico And my home country Kuwait and three other middle eastern countries where I self promoted It and got family and friends to attend and witness it (give me my due money branca) ?
Anyway here is some photos from today including the beautiful poster which I had to be sneaky to get two of them as they were giving out only one each even though they have more of it and it was the last screening today as it’s mentioned by the estate.
The videos in the post are from the imax thriller 3D screening in my country Kuwait taken by family back home who attended the screening and loved it very much (again where is my money branca for promoting thriller ?)
Now before I shut up I need to say one thing that seems to be missing from the minds of MJ lovers and it’s gravely important and that’s releasing thriller 3D with its making of on Blu-ray which should include a choice to view the remastered film on 3d and standard as the short film is remastered from scratch and it’s ready for home video release and they have no excuse not to release it and it would be such a shame not to have this remastered version immortalised plus it would make even more money and get more exposure and add more to its statues of best selling home video of all time.
Again it should be on Blu-ray as the dvd is not capable of handling the quality faithfully nor does it have the ability to handle 3d and it’s already the age of film transfers getting polished and release on Blu-ray (I know as I’m a film lover and collector) so make that long overdue annoucment branca instead of a Halloween cartoon, compilation album or a broadway musical or a record collection with inferior quality (I didn’t buy and won’t buy the diamond collection but I know about it from a friend of mine).
GIVE US THRILLER 3D ON BLU-RAY
Give us moonwalker u**** on BLU-RAY (current one is cut)
Give us ghosts on BLU-RAY
Give us a Jacksons victory tour on BLU-RAY (work with the family to do that)
And out extra features in all of them too
It’s an open ocean that the estate and Sony are only surface surfing
Don’t tell me I’m wrong cause I know I’m not
Go look at the and unreleased gems and home video output on BLU-RAY from bands like queen, the doors, led Zeppelin, guns n roses….etc
It makes me puke thinking that we got a circus, a compilation album, a thriller 3D which is amazing but released in a very messy way and no home video mention, a Halloween cartoon…etc
What are we Michael fans ? Babies ? Children ? And what is Michael a child act ?a circus ? A cartoon ?
U got to be kidding
That makes sense because I had a big issue with the repacking of songs that were already out.Maybe we’ll finally get something for dangerous now! I liked the idea of what they did with the Halloween special with him, that was fun . They stick to stuff like that, maybe they’ll be better off.