New album tarnishes Michael Jackson’s legacy

I’ll be honest, I’m in love with the first single, Love Never Felt So Good, off the just-released posthumous album from Michael Jackson.

I miss Michael, and I’ve always been a huge fan of his music. To me this new album, Xscape, sounds like classic Michael.

But there’s a problem.

The eight songs on the album are songs Michael never wanted any of us to hear. If he did, he would have released them.

Record executives say Michael had a habit of over-recording for albums; oftentimes this meant outstanding songs were left on the cutting room floor. Now these half-finished songs have been given to current producers to complete and add a modern feel.

The issue for me is that Michael recorded these songs between 1983 and 2001. If he wanted to put them on an album he would have, plain and simple.

I would feel differently if these songs were ones that were unfinished and recorded right before his death. Then I could rationalize it and say Michael wanted the world to hear this music. But that’s not the case.

So, as excited as I am to download the album, it makes me sad that its release is really all about money and greed.

The executors of Michael Jackson’s estate say this is what he would have wanted. In my mind that’s impossible or I would have heard all of these songs more than a decade ago when Michael was alive.

This album does nothing but tarnish Michael Jackson’s legacy.