Xscape

by Michael Jackson

Overview

Underneath it all, underneath all the keyboards and programmed rhythms designed to bring the music on Xscape into the 21st century, is this simple fact: the lead single, "Love Never Felt So Good," was co-written by Paul Anka, a superstar of another era who never quite made his presence known in the new millennium. Jackson didn't care. MJ loved old show biz and songcraft in equal measure and that love can be heard on "Love Never Felt So Good," along with the other seven songs on XSCAPE. Only the second major posthumous release in his catalog -- he passed in 2009 on the eve of an orchestrated comeback -- Xscape delves deep into that past, excavating songs that have been languishing in the vaults for various reasons since at least 1983 or perhaps later. Exact dates aren't published because Xscape isn't meant to be an archival release, it's designed to push Jackson back onto the charts, which means "Love Never Felt So Good" is constructed as a duet with Justin Timberlake, who is as eager as a puppy to sing with his idol. That he's not really trading lines with MJ doesn't matter; his presence is endorsement, ensuring chart attention which it might not have received. The deluxe edition of Xscape contains the original demos of the eight songs on this album -- it's a short record by any measure -- and, ultimately, these are fascinating in a way the finished tracks aren't; these spare voice and keyboard sketches are nevertheless full-bodied, so it's possible to imagine how the songs would've fit on Bad, Dangerous, or Invincible. Often, the demos reveal how strong Jackson's songwriting is -- they're so flexible, they could withstand any number of arrangements, which is why "Love Never Felt So Good" is so instructive. In its original voice-and-piano arrangement it's possible to hear its glitzy show biz roots via Anka, but the production -- supervised by L.A. Reid and Timbaland -- is clever, accentuating Off the Wall while being spare and clean enough to sound modern. This is especially true of the version of "Love," which is a duet with Justin Timberlake -- the show biz kid is happy to create an illusion -- but the entire affair is savvier than 2010's Michael, which was caught between the twilight of sentiment and commerce. Xscape considers Jackson's legacy quite carefully, deciding to emphasize the splashy soul and diluted disco of Off the Wall over the triumphant Thriller or any of the calculated records that followed in its wake. If he had lived, Jackson likely wouldn't have followed this path -- everything from Bad and beyond showed he was acutely aware of pop trends, often to his detriment (he'd hold himself back instead of engage) -- but that's also the appeal of Xscape. Timbaland and Reid evoke the Michael Jackson we all love and miss, finding songs that are worthy and giving them arrangements that are simultaneously nostalgic and modern. It's a difficult trick to pull off but they largely succeed, so Xscape is a worthy and memorable coda to Jackson's career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	05/13/2014
Label:	Epic
UPC:	0888430536623
Rank:	73486

Tracks

1. Love Never Felt So Good
2. Chicago
3. Loving You
4. A Place with No Name
5. Slave to the Rhythm
6. Do You Know Where Your Children Are
7. Blue Gangsta
8. Xscape

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Michael Jackson   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background),Vocals
LaShawn Daniels   Vocals (Background)
L.A. Reid   Drums,Percussion
Greg Phillinganes   Mini Moog
Adam Blackstone   Bass
David Williams   Guitar,Soloist
Jeroen DeRijk   Percussion
Jerry Hey   Horn
Justin Timberlake   Featured Artist
Herman Van Haaren   Violin
Giorgio Tuinfort   Piano
Elisabeth Liefkes-Cats   Violin
Emma Kummrow   Violin
Luigi Mazzocchi   Violin
Jennie Lorenzo   Cello
Paul Anka   Piano
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins   Mouth Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Eric   Drums,Percussion
Brad Buxer   Keyboards
Annie Tangberg   Cello
Dan Warner   Guitar
Carlos Rubio   Violin
Mark Ward   Cello
Tamae Lee   Violin
Babyface   Keyboards
Sean Erick   Horn
Franck van der Heijden   Conductor
Vera Van Der Bie   Violin
C.J. DeVillar   Bass
Wim Kok   Violin
Julia Jowett   Violin
Bastiaan Van Der Werf   Cello
Ranaan L. Meyer   Bass
Arend Liefkes   Bass
Mo'Horns   Horn
Sarah Koch   Violin
Norman Jansen   Violin
Glenn Fischbach   Cello
Erica Miller   Violin
Dr. Freeze   Horn,Synthesizer,Animal Sounds,Vocals (Background)
Kevin Roberson   Bass
Nina Cottman   Viola
Marcel Schimscheimer   Bass
Mieke Honingh   Violin
Harvey   Percussion
David Barnett   Viola
Vera Laporeva   Violin
Arlia de Ruiter   Violin
Jesus Morales   Cello
Davis Barnett   Viola
Renee Warnick   Viola
Charles Parker   Violin
Kevin Williams   Horn
Pauline Terlouw   Violin
Leon Silva   Horn
Jonathan Kim   Viola
Dayna Anderson   Violin
Michael Jorgersen   Violin
Blake Espy   Violin
David Peijnenburg   Violin
Fredrik Strand Holland   Guitar
Guillame Combet   Violin
Jennifer Lee   Violin
Michelle Bishop   Violin
Eliza Cho   Violin
Kevin Hissink   Guitar

Technical Credits

Bill Bottrell   Engineer
Stargate   Producer
Chris Desmond   Engineer
LaShawn Daniels   Composer
Larry Phillabaum   Engineer
L.A. Reid   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer,Music Coordinator
Cory Rooney   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
Larry Gold   String Arrangements
Jean-Marie Horvat   Engineer
Jeff Burns   Engineer
Dewey Bunnell   Composer
Jeff Chestek   Engineer
Jerry Hey   Leader
Matt Forger   Engineer
Jerome Harmon   Producer
Michael Jackson   Vocal Producer,Composer,Producer
Mike Ging   Engineer
Mikkel Storleer Eriksen   Engineer,Instrumentation
Craig Durrance   Engineer
Anthony Kilhoffer   Engineer
JP Robinson   Creative Director
Giorgio Tuinfort   Producer,Drum Programming
Daryl Simmons   Composer
Brandon Jones   Engineer
Thom Russo   Engineer
Timbaland   Producer,Executive Producer
Brad Gilderman   Engineer
Brian "Big Bass" Gardner   Mastering
Stuart Brawley   Engineer
Bruce Swedien   Engineer
Vadim Chislov   Assistant
Jaycen Joshua   Mixing
Mike Donaldson   Engineer,Vocal Editing
Paul Anka   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
Chris Godbey   Mixing,Engineer,Assistant
Eddie DeLena   Engineer
Humberto Gatica   Engineer
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Vocal Producer
Phil Tan   Mixing
Demacio Castellon   Mixing,Engineer
Tom Sweeney   Engineer
Dave Pensado   Mixing
Jay Krugman   Marketing
Paul McKenna   Engineer
Babyface   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
John Doelp   Associate Producer
Franny Graham   Engineer
King Solomon Logan   Producer
Calvin Bailiff   Assistant
Franck van der Heijden   Orchestral Arrangements
Adam Olmstead   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
C.J. DeVillar   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Michael Kane   Accounting
Steve Macauley   Engineer
Tommy Joyner   Assistant Engineer
Fred Jerkins III   Composer
Mat Maitland   Design,Images,Art Direction
Heath Kudler   Music Business Affairs
Scott Seviour   Marketing
Daniel Jones   Producer
Cheryl Banks   Production Coordination
Jim Bates   Public Relations
Dr. Freeze   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
Fuko Chubachi   Art Direction
Kevin Roberson   Composer
John McClain   Producer,Management,Executive Producer
John Branca   Management,Executive Producer
Greg Burns   Engineer
Shalik Berry   A&R
Robb Williams   Engineer
Paul Power   Engineer
Mike Daddy Evans   Production Coordination
Rafa Sardina   Engineer
Marisa Pizarro   A&R
Steve Tirpak   Copyist,Assistant
David Byrnes   Legal Counsel
Dan Johnson   Engineer
Tor Erik Hermansen   Instrumentation
Diana Baron   Publicity,Public Relations
Rutger "Ruffi" Kroese   Assistant,Drum Programming
Alex Deyoung   Assistant Engineer
Joe Vogel   Photography
Cody Cichowski   Assistant Engineer
Karl Petersen   Assistant Engineer
Matt Champlin   Engineer
Daniela Rivera   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Greg Morgan   Editing,Sound Design
Trehy Harris   Mixing
Stephanie Yu   Music Business Affairs
Matt Weber   Assistant
Karen Langford   Legal Counsel,Project Supervisor
Dalia Glickman   A&R
Heather Santos   A&R
Lauren Ceradini   Publicity
Scott Carter   Marketing
Perry Jimenez   Engineer,Assistant
Sam Lecca   Creative Director
Aaron Reid   A&R
Alla Benyatov   Marketing
Paul Bailey   Assistant
Mike Sitrick   Public Relations
Bill Nation   Photography
Cole Nystrom   Assistant Engineer
Howard Weitzman   Legal Counsel
Jeff Juin   A&R
Joel "Roosevelt" Katz   Legal Counsel
Brandon Buttner   Engineer
David Swope   Assistant
Rick Frazier   Production Coordination