A short post. Hahah.
I didn't grow up during the age of Thriller, I didn't grow up listening to MJ playing wherever I went and I wasn't exposed to that much Michael Jackson as a kid. I knew he existed and I knew people called him the king of pop but the first encounter of mine with his music that I actually remember was when I watched a video of Shane Westlife saying his favorite video was Thriller in 6th grade and they showed a clip of it. I didn't like it, I'm sorry.
When he passed away, I tweeted the RIP MJ and was shocked and all but I wasn't crying like crazy or anything. It took me until my mom dragged me to watch the premiere of This Is It that I realized exactly why people went crazy over this death. I'd heard all the songs before, I have my favorites but I treated the guy like every other pop star, until I watched that movie. I'd never seen him live and I'd never bothered because I wasn't interested in most of his recordings but I now realize that not watching him live was one of the biggest mistakes ever.
The guy is everything pop should be. He knows his music jargon and technical side, he knows how to make beautiful music and he's a performer. Pop music isn't meant to be just listened to - it's meant to be watched. Pop music is a spectacle, a show - it's superficial and over the top. MJ is a spectacle, everything about the guy is a show in itself. He can stand on a stage and that would be the entire show - that's what a pop star should be. Pop music is not about the music and I hate that but I have to acknowledge this guy for trying hard to put the music in pop and succeeding pretty damn well.
Watching that movie made all the other artists seem inferior to him because his performances looked so effortless that my jaw was dropping. He knows his music, he's not blind to music terms and REAL music but he is what he is and that's a pop star. Now I REALLY know why all the artists now look at him as an icon and with so much reverence. I may only like a few of his songs but I have the deepest respect for Michael Jackson.
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I knew it would only be a matter of time. :) You don't have to love his entire discography -- I don't -- but some songs/videos certainly do take your breath away, right?
ReplyDeleteWhich songs do you like best?
Uh, 'The Way You Make Me Feel', 'Human Nature' and 'Black or White'. Hahah.
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