Xscape: A Review From the Fanatic's Point of View

I've been waiting for this day for at least six months. After hearing the news of a posthumous album in the works, I've been very curious about what Timberland and LA Reid would do with the demos he left behind. How would these reworked tracks measure up? So this review will be a bit different, as I'll compare the original demos to the 'finished' tracks. 

Love Never Felt So Good: I love the demo, and how simple it is; just his voice and the piano and minimal instrumental accompaniment. I enjoy the new version as well. Some people seem iffy about it, and say it's too over processed but I like it. I actually really enjoy the version with Justin Timberlake as well.It reminds me a bit of 'Working Day and Night' from his Off the Wall album, and I can understand the direction to appease the masses. After all, retro throwbacks are all the rage right now, and it fits the song really well. 

Chicago: I'm gonna be honest and say I actually like this version more then the demo. I love how they layered his vocals, and the beat is really nice. Of course I love the theme of the song, and I think it's one of my personal favorites on the album. It's practically a fan fiction come to life. 

Loving You: I LOVE this one. I don't really like the demo for this either. The original has this beat that reminds me of a warped music box that terrifies me to the core, and I personally don't like it. However, the new version is happy, upbeat and reminds me a bit of 'Sunday Morning' by Maroon 5, both in theme and structure. 

A Place With No Name: This is kind of an infamous song among us MJ fanatics. It's a reworking of 'A Horse With No Name' by America, which is a song I personally cannot stand. However I love the demo for this song a lot. It's so different than anything else I've heard from him, and it's very simple: his voice, the guitar, the drums, the backing vocals all meld together to describe a place that, to me, sounds almost like heaven. It's really beautiful. The new version isn't bad at all, but it all feels a bit unnecessary.  I prefer the original with its more minimalistic approach. 

Slave to the Rhythm: The whole time I was listening to both versions I kept thinking "come on pick up the pace!" because as much as I love the lyrics and his voice on this song, it's too slow for me. Like it's about someone who dances but how do you dance to it when it's so slow? I think I prefer the new version though, as it's slightly faster and feels more finished.

Do You Know Where Your Children Are: This is a surprisingly gripping song that I did not expect to like as much as  I do. I don't think the new version is as bad as it's made out to be, if a little overdone. I feel like 5 years from now someone could listen to it and think 'wow this sounds like 2014'. This isn't something to really be proud of, at least not for Michael Jackson. However I like the demo. I like the lyrics, and the overall feel, and his voice is incredible, as always. 

Blue Gangsta: I really like both, to be honest. But I would definitely pick the original over the new, for several reasons. I like the intro much better, and parts of the song are harder to hear under all that synth. It's just far too complex for my taste. Keep it simple, people! 

Xscape: Last but not least, we have the title track, Xscape. I think once again, they did a pretty decent job. The demo lays the groundwork for a catchy song, and the new version fine tunes it. I can see this song playing in the background during an action sequence of a film, right at the climax. 

I would say the album is worth purchasing. I recommend the deluxe edition that comes with the demos, which are all good in their own right. Let's be honest: Michael Jackson's demos are better than some artist's lead singles. The man could've sang the ingredients on a can of pork and beans and made it sound beautiful. I really hope we can keep his legacy alive for years to come, and this album is definitely a step in that direction.

In Memory of Charlotte Adams

so I don’t know what’s wrong and what’s right when someone you love dies, so I’m just gonna go with my gut.

My grandmother never really understood how wonderful she was. But I respect her for the life that she lead. She got married at 18 years old, had five kids, and went to school to become a registered nurse. Anyone who knew her would know how kind and generous she was. When she knew someone needed help, she would do whatever she could to make things better.

She had the loveliest eyes, which I'm told mine resemble, and the nicest laugh. I always loved making her laugh.

She's been around my whole life. She was at the hospital the day I was born. She always told me that she knew I was a girl even before I was born, and she was one of the first people to hold me. 

I spent so much time at her house. We would bake cookies, and she would take me to the zoo, and I would spend several nights in a row there. I loved being there. 

When my parents got divorced, we moved in with them. Things did change, as one might expect. But she became another parent, not just a grandparent to me. But I always knew that she still loved me to pieces, and that she genuinely viewed me as a wonderful, beautiful person. Even though I still don’t see that in myself, she always did.

She got sick when I was in the 5th grade. She was diagnosed with cancer, and I was always terrified. Terrified of living in a world without her. And for awhile, I just tried to ignore it, pretend it wasn’t there, and nothing was wrong.

But for the last year or so, things have gotten so much worse. She’s been losing her memory, and her body has slowly shut down. I hated that this was happening to her, this amazing woman who was so kind and good having to go through this. I still don’t think it’s fair. 

She was in so much pain,  completely incoherent, and couldn't move on her own, and it was so sad to see. 

Last night she passed away, peacefully in her sleep.

I know that more than anything she wants me to be happy and make every day as good as I possibly can. I’m gonna try to do that for her. I will never forget the wonderful memories I have with her, and I will try to use all that she taught me to make myself and the world better, even in the smallest of ways. 

It’s going to be okay. It has to be okay.