This is arguably the standout track of the standard album. Produced by Timbaland, "Chicago" features a darker, driving beat that suits Jackson’s lower register vocal delivery. The song tells a gritty story of a love affair with a woman who turns out to be married. The tension in the production mirrors the lyrical content, showcasing a "Hard Time" or "Streetwalker" vibe that Jackson often excelled at but rarely released.
Ultimately, Xscape (Deluxe Edition) succeeds where many posthumous albums fail because it respects two contradictory truths. First, that Michael Jackson was a perfectionist who would likely have rejected any release he did not personally finish. Second, that his voice—still elastic, still aching, still electrically charismatic—is a gift that deserves to be heard on something better than bootlegs and YouTube leaks. The album’s title is a verb: to escape. In a way, Xscape allows Michael Jackson to escape the prison of his own mythology and the tragedy of his final years. It reminds us that before the tabloids, before the trials, before the spectacle, there was a man who could walk into a studio, beatbox a drum pattern, layer his own harmonies, and produce magic. The Deluxe Edition does not pretend to be a new Michael Jackson album. It is something rarer: an honest, thrilling, and often beautiful conversation between the past and the present, proving that even in fragments, the King of Pop still reigns. Michael Jackson Xscape -Deluxe Edition- 2014
In May 2014, nearly five years after his death, Epic Records and The Estate of Michael Jackson sought to answer that curiosity with the release of More than just a posthumous compilation, this project became a case study in modern production, the ethics of legacy acts, and the timeless power of Jackson’s vocal performances. This is arguably the standout track of the standard album
Perhaps the most dramatic transformation. The Deluxe Edition features the original 1991 Dangerous session version—sparse, aggressive, and industrial. The 2014 version layers on orchestral sweeps and a bass drop. Hearing the original drum machine click next to the Hollywood polish of the remix illustrates exactly how far ahead of his time Jackson’s internal rhythm was. The tension in the production mirrors the lyrical
When Michael Jackson passed away in June 2009, he left behind a legacy defined by unparalleled success, groundbreaking visual art, and a discography that shifted the very axis of pop culture. Yet, for the dedicated audiophile and the casual fan alike, there remained a lingering curiosity: the vault. Jackson was known as a prolific writer, amassing hundreds of songs that never saw the light of day.
Originally recorded during the Bad sessions in 1985, this is pure bubblegum soul. The 2014 version adds a 4/4 dance beat, but the original demo reveals Jackson’s ability to sound utterly childlike and innocent, a stark contrast to the weary figure he would become.