The “King of Pop” is back - but this time he really sounds bad. And the legend takes another dive into obscurity and humiliation.
One can understand his need to share his talent and music with the world, but after listening to this album, I could have done with just living on past memories. Really.
Jackson sems to be stuck in a musical time-warp. There’s nothing new in terms of sound, rhythm or vocals and most of the songs sound like less well-known numbers of albums from the mid-‘80’s. Unfortunately, the rest of the world has moved on and these songs just seem like a weak blast from the past.
Amongst the songs, only a few really stick out. The best of these would be “You Are My Life”, a soothing, emotional number which makes use of soft choir, a tactic which works really well for him. Then there’s “Butterflies” and “Don’t Walk Away”, both easy-going numbers. But thereafter, the rest of the numbers just disappoint. Especially those ones which are hip-hop based or have rap backup; the worst of the lot are “Threatened”, “Unbreakable” and “Invincible”. And the less said about the much-hyped “You Rock My World”, the better.
The album is a big let-down for MJ fans and only adds to the crumbling of the myth. Stay away if you really love his music.
This article was first published on 10 Dec 2001.