Michael Jackson: The Dethroned King of Pop?
December 13, 2006 by Jo Minor
Michael Jackson, MJ, The King of Pop - he has dazzled the pop world with his timeless hits and physically-impossible dance moves for decades, but has received more than his fair share of extensive (and negative) media scrutiny for the wrong reasons in recent times.
Once the poster child of all that was glorious and golden in the music business, MJ finds himself drifting further and further away in the tumultuous seas of mainstream music; seemingly, drowning underneath the sheer weight of his own name - the name so celebrated in pop culture, the name known by millions around the world, and arguably, the biggest name in music history.
But MJ has seen brighter days. The world has seen the decline of this larger-than-life pop star to an enigmatic persona shrouded in secrecy. All the chaotic legal battles, and subsequently, the bad publicity in the media have significantly and irreparably damaged his reputation and popularity. His critics are brutal and have been clinically-precise in casting him off as a fallen hero - rather successfully, I might add.
His last resort: The millions of fans around the globe who are hoping - praying, even - that their idol will soon bounce back from these setbacks and make a spectacular comeback. Will his die-hard fans charitably accept his efforts to regain a foothold in the cold and callous world of mainstream music?
MJ should be careful on the path he hopes to walk on once again. He, of all people, should know not to trust the listeners of mainstream music. These are the people who are responsible for placing him on a pedestal, and who are more than inclined to leave him out in the cold if his latest release doesn’t tickle their fancy.
This was the exact case when MJ’s Invincible album came out. Sure, he tried on some relatively fresher dance-tinged flavors on that record; he merely wanted to fit in a media that doesn’t stand still for long - should I list down the names of all radio-friendly artistes today that have at least one dance track in each of their albums? The outcome was a rather dismal and forgettable CD - it only managed to create notable waves in the UK, where any and all dance hits are lapped up by the people.
I don’t think the album was all that bad (pun intended), but it was up against some of the best selling albums of all time, from the biggest pop star the world has ever seen. Invincible is a miniscule entity when you compare it to the likes of Thriller and Bad - the album was a typical example of a Catch 22 situation; it just couldn’t do any right no matter what the circumstances were. The odds against it were just too great.
As with many people around the planet, I have been exposed to the music of Michael Jackson from a tender age - I can still recall listening to Bad on cassette tape, note that this was a time when compact disc technology was still in its infancy, or wasn’t even invented yet. I might not be his biggest fan, but I’m not one to overlook his contributions to music in general. He enthralled his fans, gave some of the greatest concerts and is fondly loved by the millions of Michael Jackson fans who are still screaming his name, loud and proud, in their hearts. The public, on the other hand, shouldn’t condemn him for being an eccentric, and should remove all the stains of prejudice in their minds. He should be allowed to carry on with his art, for which he has sacrificed his entire life for.
And we really do need some real talent on the airwaves.
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