Five years after his death, Michael Jackson sounds more alive than ever.
The style he patented back in the 1970s and 1980s has staged a comeback on the pop charts in the last year, channeled through the pervasive hits of Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, Bruno Mars, and Daft Punk. They all reference the sumptuous, disco-era dance beats, spiraling falsetto vocals, and plush production that would have fit right in with the peak style of Jackson’s greatest solo albums: 1979’s “Off The Wall” and 1983’s “Thriller.”
On Mars’ current tour, he styles himself with the Afro, wide lapels and velvet suits fans will remember from a far younger Michael J.
All this stands in stark contrast to the brand of pop which dominated the scene in the year of the icon’s passing, 2009. Then, far more angular dance sounds ruled, pounding through hits like the Black Eyed Peas’ percussive “Boom Boom Pow,” or the new-wave-tinged Lady Gaga singles “Poker Face” and “Just Dance.” Those songs ranked as the No. 1, 2, and 3 hits of 2009, according to Billboard.
Less than 18 months after Jackson’s passing, his estate released his first posthumous album, “Michael.” It earned tepid reviews and no small number of accusations of exploitation.
The material wasn’t top rank but another factor in the resistance may have been that it was simply too soon.
By contrast, the “new” Jackson album, “Xscape,” released last month, has earned more respect and had greater commercial impact. It features nine never-before-released tracks, updated by top producers of today, like Rodney Jerkins and StarGate. In May, the disc opened at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 list, missing the top slot (snagged by the Black Keys) by just a few thousand copies. It did earn the pole position in the U.K., a feat it matched in six other European countries. “Xscape” remains in the U.S. Top Twenty, buoyed by a single “Love Never Felt So Good,” a song with special resonance.
Originally recorded at a session back in 1983, the cut sounds like a lost track from “Off the Wall,” complete with a cascading string section, a thumping disco beat and a balletic Jackson vocal. Even the modern production that updates the song can’t obscure its connection to a storied past. Tellingly, the song bolted into the U.S. Top Ten in May, earning first week digital sales of over 100,000 copies.
The success of the song made Jackson the first act in the history of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart to score Top Ten hits in five different decades, going back to the ‘70s. If you include his work with the Jackson 5 like “I Want You Back,” from December of ‘69, his streak would stretch to six decades.
No doubt the success of “Love” has had as much to do with the context of pop today as with the affection and nostalgia surrounding Jackson five years after his passing. To young audiences, “Love Never Felt So Good” could have been a new Timberlake single. That’s ironic since Jackson has served as JT’s strongest influence since his days with N’Sync.
Ultimately, that circular relationship has served the Jackson legacy well. It makes the sound he pioneered back in the day seem like the cutting edge of pop today.
email:jfarber@nydailynews.com
