Album review: Michael Jackson - Xscape

Xscape is the second posthumous compilation album of previously unreleased tracks by the ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson, who passed away in 2009.

The title of the album continues Jackson’s tradition of using single words that are also the names of his songs.

After been given permission from L.A. Reid, chairman of Epic Records; highly respected lead producer Timbaland was given the task of taking nine selected and unheard Michael Jackson tracks and give them a 21st-century makeover.

The stand our track is no doubt the Justin Timberlake featured ‘Love Never Felt So Good.’

Originally written in 1983 with singer/songwriter Paul Anka, the song has been given a disco transformation that could have easily been heard on Jackson’s ‘Of the Wall Album’ or even Daft Punk’s recent ‘Random Access Memories’. A true triumph by Timbaland.

What Timbaland has done so well with Xscape, is take Jackson’s out of the vault vocal and legendary ‘wooh’s, shouts and grunts’ and uses them to full effect with up-to-date digital beats and sound effects.

Remembering that these nine tracks are now thirty years old, they now sound fresh and suit today’s music market.

What’s great about this posthumous album, is that every track can placed in different time frames of Jackson’s life and you can imagine which albums the original tracks were pencilled for.

You hearsimilarities to ‘Remember the Time’ from ‘Dangerous’ with ‘A Place with No Name’, a track with piano and synths that could have easily been a masterpiece for Stevie Wonder.

‘Loving You’ is led by piano and hard-hitting drums that shows resemblances to ‘I Can’t Help It’ from ‘Off The Wall.’

Critics from around the world have asked if Jackson would of approved of the final tracks to Xscape. Well, due to his perfection when picking his album listing, that question still remains unanswered.

However it’s a joy to hear the King of Pop’s voice once more and if you are a Michael Jackson fan, you will love this album.