A song from Michael Jackson’s album “Michael” that is to be released on December 14 was released as a foretaste last Monday. The track “Breaking News” received instant play on more than 150 radio stations as soon as premiered on Michael’s website.
Radio stations played “Breaking News” 246 times in the first day and about 2.2 million listeners.
The album is one of Michael Jackson’s first posthumous releases of original material and it is available on Jackson’s website for pre-order.
The listeners’ reactions to the track were mixed, as people were saying that it is more of a novelty than a hit and that it will have a hard time competing with Michael Jackson’s classics. Others even said that it sounds “unfinished” and that it does not rise to the expectations they had from a Jackson track or for that matter to the intensity and flawlessness that he wanted in music. They did however express high interest in the other songs that the album might feature.
Program directors from the stations that aired “Breaking News” said that the song prompted wide speculation about the vocals on the track not being entirely Jackson’s, and that throughout the track there are moments where people thought other voices were used.
However, Sony Music Group reported that their research in the matter and accounts from studio employees left no doubt that vocals on the new album are Michael Jackson’s.
