Michael Jackson top albums, career and his kids now: Partly, this is because non-solo Jackson tunes are wisely included: Rockwell’s 1984 hit “Somebody’s Watching Me” and two of the Jacksons’ best tunes are reconstituted betwixt “Thriller” and “Leave Me Alone” to give their minor-key menace a flow. The horn-y “Xscape”, first unveiled in 2014, is given a chance to shine in its Prince-circa-Come way, while overtaxed 2001 swan song Invincible gets its excellent bookends, “Unbreakable” and “Threatened”, subsumed into something greater (though it’s not clear what the former, a not-spooky-at-all Biggie duet, is doing here). It doesn’t take much to pry the famed Janet duet “Scream” from the jaws of HIStory’s mediocrity.

It’s strange, too. For instance, at the time of Jackson’s death, people kept saying to one another, “I can’t believe he’s gone.” When had anyone seen him? Save for headlines or tabloids, Jackson spent most of his time during the ’00s out of the spotlight. Even when he released 2001’s highly underrated Invincible, he made little to no appearances. Sure, Sony botched any plans on promotion, but it was nothing a world tour wouldn’t have solved. That’s why the release of Michael, Jackson’s first posthumous effort, feels relatively similar. The interest is there, but the icon isn’t.

Dangerous (1991): Arguably the most underrated adult-era MJ album. Dangerous might be the first time Michael followed trends instead of setting them but this is no mere cookie-cutter release. MJ’s partnership with Teddy Riley showed that there was more than enough room for him to carve his own niche in the crowded New Jack Swing scene. And he did it effortlessly. Yes, the King of Pop released one of the greatest New Jack Swing albums of all time, crafting an album that blends several musical genres while simultaneously bearing his soul with poignant lyrics. Keep that in mind the next time you get annoyed when a pop singer drops a great R&B album. Forgotten Favorites: “She Drives Me Wild,” “Will You Be There,” “Can’t Let Her Get Away”.

Michael Jackson family: Mocienne Petit Jackson’s (Michael Jackson’s daughter) books are now available in french! For our dutch readers: Deel twee van de autobiografische trilogie van Mocienne Petit Jackson begint met een uitgebreide beschrijving van Mociennes ontvoering naar Nederland. Vervolgens lezen we hoe het haar vergaat in het adoptiegezin waar zij samen met haar nichtje Delivrance terechtkomt. Gaandeweg ontdekt Mocienne dat haar vader Michael Jackson is. Wanneer ze vijftien jaar is gaat ze weg bij het adoptiegezin, woont vier jaar lang op een internaat en gaat daarna zelfstandig wonen. We volgen haar in haar volwassenwording, die zich met vallen en opstaan voor ons ontrolt. Mocienne krijgt een vriend en wordt moeder van een zoon. Deze verbintenis is geen lang leven beschoren. Er is sprake van aanhoudende onenigheid met de Raad voor de Kinderbescherming, met diverse rechtszaken tot gevolg. Deze betreffen eerst haar eigen situatie, later die van haar zoon en haar gevecht om hem in haar leven te houden. De ene onverkwikkelijkheid volgt de andere op. Lees het boek hier Michael Jackson Books.