Michael Jackson

I just have to, don't I?

Yesterday night Michael Jackson died in his home at the age of 50. Apparently he took some pain killers (Demerol) and then stopped breathing.

Having been in the music industry from the age of 6, Michael Jackson basically grew up in the limelight. He then defined pop music with Thriller in 1982. At the same time MTV was just born and MJ & MTV rode the wave of pop culture all the way to the beach, breaking any barriers in between.

But what impact does Michael Jackson have on pop culture? Well, here's a few: Thriller is probably the best pop record ever. Ever. Billie Jean is the perfect pop song. The music video for Thriller was way ahead of its time (both the use of video as a medium to project the song and the video itself). His dancing, although ripped off from James Brown, influenced many (his moonwalk on Motown's 25th is still and will always be a defining moment). Not to mention his publicity stunts (sleeping in an oxygen tank, buying the remnants of the Elephant Man).

Just look at Justin Timberlake, Pharell Williams, Usher, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and the likes. They are all Michael Jackson wannabes. A guy who could dance like Jacko even became a (short-lived) star on Britain's Got Talent.

Before his self-aggrandising songs (started with We Are The World, continued with Man In The Mirror and hit its peak with The Earth Song), Michael sang about everything. Monsters, fighting, a kid who is not his son, never stopping, even about mama say mama sa mama cu sa (whatever that means). He even proclaimed that he is a lover and not a fighter. Which is totally in contrast with songs these days who are ore about fighting than loving.

During the end he just couldn't hold it anymore. Dwindling sales, rubbish music, mounting debts, Neverland, neverending court cases, etc will surely break a man down. He wanted to come back with a string of 50 concerts and he was preparing himself for it, with tickets being sold-out in matter of hours. Isn't it ironic that in the days of his preparation he then died? (note to Alanis Morissette: now that is ironic.)

The King of Pop is dead. Long live the King of Pop.