HEAR AND NOW: Long Live the King
By Rebecca Lee, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Michael Jackson may be dead, but he definitely isn’t gone. Although the pop sensation bid the world farewell on July 25, his death seems to have sparked a craving for all things MJ.
The latest example of Jackson’s immortality is Sony Music’s release yesterday of “This Is It.” Insiders speculate that the track was recorded sometime around 1991 when Jackson was working on “Dangerous” (1991).
This song might actually be it: the fruition of Jackson’s aspirations to stage a comeback in 2009. In March, Jackson announced his intention to launch a multi-city concert series this summer. He infamously wore a bullfighter-like jacket and a masklike visage at the press conference announcing the tour. Many people questioned whether Jackson could pull it off decades removed from his prime.
It seems like Jackson is the one having the last laugh, even if it is from the grave. The album “This Is It” is slated for release in conjunction with an eponymously titled and much-anticipated documentary that features footage of Jackson rehearsing for his planned summer tour, recorded only weeks before his death. Sony Pictures reportedly purchased the rights to the footage for a whopping $60 million. Both the album and film drop Oct. 28. The film will be in select theaters for a limited two-week engagement.
Jackson has only been gone for a few months, but he has enjoyed more popularity now that he has for several years. His body may be long buried, but his spirit lives on through his music.