It’s that time of year again *cues Off The Wall album*
On this day in 2014 we at The Source would like to acknowledge what would’ve been Michael Jackson‘s 56th birthday had he not tragically passed in June of 2009. In the 5 years since MJ’s death, we’re happy to say that his legacy has strengthened, and he’s even “put out” an album–RCA Records came together with L.A. Reid to put out the posthumous XSCAPE LP–that has fared well on Billboard and produced a good amount of “new” classic MJ material. We need not repeat exactly what that legacy is, but we will anyway. The greatest pop star who ever breathed, and quite possibly the greatest artist music has ever seen.
One of MJ’s biggest fans, emulators and musical offspring, Chris Brown, is set to release his brand new album, X, on September 16th. Since the year of Michael Jackson’s death, he’s experienced as much tribulation as he has success, releasing his first two #1 albums, and winning a Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album (F.A.M.E.). At the same time, he’s been constantly engulfed in legal trouble, most notably his assault on Rihanna and highly publicized altercations with Frank Ocean and Drake. However, the young R&B/pop star seems to have moved past all of it, and is set to release what may be his best album yet, X, on September 16th, featuring two smash hits, “Loyal” and “New Flame”.
In 2010, Chris Brown and Michael Jackson’s lives collided on one of music’s biggest stages, the BET Awards, and the result will live on forever. Just a year after MJ’s tragic death, and just over a year since Chris Brown’s life changed forever following the Rihanna incident, CB was asked to perform a nearly 10-minute long Michael Jackson tribute in the middle of the show. The performance? Flawless, but when the young star was asked to perform “Man In The Mirror”, he broke down in tears and struggled to even stand up straight, let alone sing the song. As we think of Michael Jackson today, and prepare for Chris Brown’s comeback album, let’s re-live this one moment.
