Confessions Of A Fan Who Hates Michael Jackson

I am writing this blog not to join the worldwide sympathy on the death of the so-called King of Pop. While the music fan in me is saddened by his death (please see previous blog), I will not be spreading false saccharine sentiments as a salute and last respect to him.



This is my tribute to him...told in the brutal honesty of a fan who hates the other side of him. You may not agree with what I say but this is how I perceived the man, the legend. And his death will not change that. Case in point: I am NOT one of the 20+ million who made Thriller the best-selling album of all time.

Since news of his death broke out last Friday, radio has been flooded with requests to play his songs. I have heard Gone Too Soon, Heal The World and Will You Be There more times in the past two days than in the last five years.

I decided to join this historic moment and reminisce his glory through his songs. I know I have his limited-edition 2-disc greatest hits HIStory CD but it has been passed around by my friends. So I got my trusty iPod and searched by artist to Michael Jackson. Only one song came up...Wanna Be Startin' Somethin’, the 2008 version featuring Akon and Fergie which was re-recorded in time for the 25th anniversary of Thriller last year.




This confused me because I know I have tons of Michael Jackson songs on my iPod. And then it hit me. I have his songs, but not HIS version. There are indeed a lot of them... from the recent big hits (Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm and Beat It by Fallout Boy feat. John Mayer)... to the live unreleased performances (the recent American Idol performances or Man in The Mirror by Usher, 98 Degrees and the late Luther Vandross)... to the local versions (Kyla with One Day in Your Life).

How did this happen? At some point I got tired of the man but not his songs. It was almost blasphemy to listen to his voice and it seems tantamount to supporting the life he led lately.

Let’s put it this way. In terms of MJ appreciation and fanaticism, I am at the halfway house. As I said, I am somewhere between a fan and a hater. I am in deep awe and I have the highest regard for his music and his influence to the entertainment world. But not necessarily of MJ as a person and what he represents.

I said I will be honest. With all due respect to Michael Jackson, I have laughed at the freakshow that he has become and I have used him as a pop-culture punchline countless times. I LOL-ed at the jokes saying he was included in the casting of Planet Of The Apes. I have called him a looney and a weirdo (those who have not are welcome to throw stones at me). I have said many a time that he was a fool to let his personal life tarnish his artistic legacy. For in the past years, all we heard about him are his personal and legal troubles. His music and artistry took the backseat. Which is ironic because if not for his music, then we wouldn’t have known he existed.

Hands down, he was the greatest musical icon of my growing-up years. The Beatles were gone before my musical consciousness was awakened. I was only 5 years old when he released Thriller so I was too young then to realize MJ's impact and the fanatical adoration rivalled only by Pope John Paul II. But growing up, I never knew the New Wave sound of the 80’s. As a kid, ask me to name an old song and, chances are, I will recite the songs from Thriller.

Other than his greatest hits CD, the only CD I have of MJ is Invincible from 2000. It spawned one hit (You Rock My World) and I bought it on sale but I can’t remember ever listening to the CD in its entirety. But I do remember one beautiful unreleased track from that CD – Butterflies.





Friends have asked me what my favourite MJ song is. I’ll have to say Human Nature and Man In The Mirror for the mainstream choices. But for obscure hits, I’d say Scream (his duet with Janet)...the energy of this song gives me a natural high. On the other end of the spectrum, I cringe at You Are Not Alone (the first song in history to do the unthinkable: enter the charts at #1). The lyrics are way too clichéd and cheesy and there is an excess of that MJ-signature hiccup-y sound or whatever you call it.

Michael Jackson thrived in the 80’s, an era of musical relevance and artistic movement. The artists from that era (Madonna included) created a world of their own. They set such high standards for today’s music. From then on, the artists we saw were mostly copycats or confused morphs of each other, as if they came from one lacklustre factory. They gave pop music a bad name. Think Britney and Celine Dion, who despite amassing huge hits, will never be called musical geniuses. For the mere fact that they don’t own their music.

Whereas Michael not only made his own music but he made music his own. The ultimate proof of MJ’s musical genius is that you can’t ruin his songs. Any artist...from Mariah Carey (I’ll Be There) to the videoke singer on the street can sing it and it will sound spectacular. He does not have the best vocals (in facts his vocals of late is whiny and wheezy) but he knows how to best use what he has. Like a true-blue artist, he knew how to differentiate himself and created his signature style. He was the male trendsetter; the fads he created are innumerable and enduring. His name and style are now priceless trademarks (note that I did not use past tense).

Hence, the kids of today’s music bear his blueprint and salute him... whether subtly (red Thriller jacket in Mandy Moore’s Crush video or the gloved hand-movement in Destiny Child’s Bootylicious video)... or blatantly (Justin Timberlake's falsetto and crotch-grabbing moves).



For all we know, the trademark he created might shine brighter in death than in life. I know only one other artist who has this all-consuming and lasting influence. Elvis Presley.



I know there is more to MJ than the musician. We have heard of his humanitarian work and drive to make this world better through his eye-opening songs like Earth Song. But, considering his much-publicized personality and choices in life, I cannot shake off the fact that these were brought about by some personal agenda. After all, he is a social study in over-indulgence, idiosyncrasy and narcissism. He became the poster boy for the dreaded rise-and-fall in the entertainment industry. But sadly, unlike Mariah Carey, there won’t be any emancipation... no huge comeback for the king. Except maybe post-humus.

People may say that he is a victim of media and bad publicity, but I will have to say that somehow he fed this machinery (remember the child dangling off the balcony?). He fanned the embers until it became an inferno which consequently burned the image of the consummate artist that the world knew and embraced.

But we need not dwell on that. His life maybe the ultimate E! True Hollywood Story but his achievements and contribution in music and the arts will forever be engraved in the annals of world history. He gave the backbone that defined pop music and his death cannot change that. The scandals and the lawsuits will soon run its course but his music will not. Years from now our grandchildren will still moonwalk and dance to Thriller. And we will smile and remember one of the greatest man who ever lived.

Ironically, the man who so craved for immortality never realized that he had it all along: his music will live on.

Love him or hate him, we all fell under his spell. The legacy left by the King of Pop is...to use his words...neither black nor white. It is permanent grey.

- Copyright B. Crisostomo @ www.barnieboi.blogspot.com.

The Heatseekers (June 20, 2009)

Here are 10 news songs that are on repeat mode on my playlist and are expected to rule the charts in the coming weeks:

* Obsessed – Mariah Carey
* I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
* Battlefield – Jordin Sparks
* Zero Gravity – David Archuleta
* Shattered – O.A.R
* Before The Worst – The Script
* Stay – Gavin Degraw
* Steal Away – Billy Crawford
* White Horse – Taylor Swift
* Never Say Never – The Fray



Ok, can you now peel your eyes from her body and continue reading? :)

***

Some music updates:

Is it just me or is Mariah’s new single (Obsessed) a lash-back song for Eminem? I heard the song days ago and was amused at the lyrics: You on your job, you hatin’ hard / Ain’t gon feed you, I'ma’ let you starve / Finally found a girl that you couldn’t impress / Got you all fired up with your Napoleon complex / Ohh boy why you so obsessed with me?

Those lyrics plus the fact that the song started with: Will the real MC please...step to the mic (to the tune of Eminem’s famous Will the real Slim Shady please stand up) were not-so-subtle wink-winks.

I think this is MC’s answer to a track on his recent CD Relapse (if I remember it right the song was Bagpipes for Baghbad) where Eminem practices his celeb-blogging and name-dropping satirical lyrics to mock Mariah and Nick Canon. Celebrity Deathmatch is on...let’s see who wins.

***

On the US charts, this week is definitely all about the Black-Eyed Peas who delivers a 1-2-3 punch.

First, Boom Boom Pow spends an amazing 11 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100.

Second, their new song I Gotta Feeling debuts at #2 so they have the number 1 and 2 songs in the U.S of A. The last duo/group to accomplish this feat was Outkast in 2001 (Hey Yah! at #1 followed by The Way You Move).

Third, their new album (The E.N.D) also debuts at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200. Imagine...top two songs from the #1 album! That’s almost improbable!

Here in good old Phili, the local charts have been dominated by them American Idol alumni. For two weeks now, RX93.1’s countdown has Adam Lambert at #1 (Mad World) followed by David Archuleta (Touch My Hand), Kris Allen (No Boundaries) and Jordin Sparks (Battlefield).

***

Lately, the airwaves has been flooded by Tagalized rap/R&B songs; the most cringing of which are the Tagalized version of Umbrella and Bleeding Love.

So I won’t be surprised if I hear this on the radio: mu...mu...mu...mu...mu...mu...mukhang pusoy.

AI Finale: The ALLENation of American

By now the whole world knows that Kris Allen has been crowned as the eight American Idol. In one of the greatest upset in reality TV history, the Dark Horse sprinted ahead of the pack and nabbed an against-all-odds victory over perennial favourite Adam Lambert, who has to settle for being probably the most celebrated runner-up on the most popular show on earth.



My highly toxic schedule from Wednesday until Saturday prevented me from seeing the performance night. But from what I heard and the from the snippets I was able to catch, Kris won the first round (contestant's favorite) with his Ain’t No Sunshine shining over Adam’s Mad World. The second song was producer Simon Fuller’s choice. Adam got back on track with A Change Is Gonna Come. Kris was given What’s Going On.

For the final round, they brought back that one song that each of the Final Two has to interpret. This time it was No Boundaries, a song co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi. The song is a sound-alike to I Believe (Fantasia’s season) but with more forgettable lyrics. The real task for the two is how to interpret a song this insipid and lacklustre. The song is better suited for Kris’ style but it was set too high that Kris has to strain himself to reach the notes. Adam was effortless but there is disconnect between his vocals and the song’s sentiment.

The performance night ended with no clear indication of who will win.

Sidebar: Kris reminds me of Joey from "Friends." Adam reminds me of a Chucky doll. Sorry, Adam fans!

Almost 100 million votes were cast, a new record. And with that kind of number, controversy is not far behind. From what I’ve read, the competition touched the nerve of America and became a battle between religious beliefs, with the conservatives voting for Kris and the liberals going for Adam (yeah, something like Democrats vs the Republicans). Kris and Danny Gokey are active members of their church whereas Adam is haunted by news on his sexuality. They were even whispers that some people vote for Kris not because they like him more but because they hate Adam and what he represents. What year is this...1532?



I think one explanation to this upset victory is that the fans of Danny Gokey flocked to Kris Allen. After all, they have the same profile and persona. Boy-next-door, squeaky clean and very endearing.

For the record, I have nothing against Adam and I am very much in awe of his talent. And this is about the music so I don’t give a damn about religious views or even personal sexual preferences. I just find Kris more talented in the way he makes liberties with his material (in contrast, Adam’s talent sometimes plays second fiddle to his overeager showmanship). Kris’ personality is also more affable; he has this down-to-earth and unassuming aura that you can’t help but like.



This season’s Grand Finale was the best in AI history. As the viewers sit on the edge waiting for the results, they are treated to one superb production number after the other. To see the Top 13 once again is already a treat in itself, as this is the most talented batch ever.

For me, these are the most memorable performances of the Finale night:

The Final Two singing the anthemic We Are The Champions with Queen. The perfect song to end this near-perfect season.



Kris Allen performing Kiss A Girl with Keith Urban.



Matt Giraud singing Black Magic Woman with Carlos Santana then the Top 13 chorused on Smooth. Here we see some wicked dance moves from Kris and Adam.



Allison Iraheta singing Time After Time with Cyndi Lauper. For me, this is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Ergo, the countless revivals.



The Top 13 Girls performing Fergie's hits and then the Black Eyed Peas exploded onstage with Boom Boom Pow.

David Cook with Permanent, his fourth single and also a charity single as downloads on iTunes will serve as a donation to a cause finding a cure for cancer (his brother Adam just recently succumbed to the illness)

Bikini girl Katrina Darrel performing Vision of Love after being given the award for Best Attitude. Her nemesis Kara came out and sang with her…then moments later revealed herself in a bikini. (I swear Kara is one hot mamma...you want to almost shout Take it Off! Take it off!)



Ok, you can peel your eyes from Kara's body now.

As a final re-cap for this season, below are the best 15 performances; at least from the ones I’ve watched.

1. Falling Slowly - Kris Allen
2. Heartless – Kris Allen
3. Tracks of My Tears – Adam Lambert
4. Mad World – Adam Lambert
5. What Hurts The Most – Danny Gokey
6. She Works Hard For the Money – Kris Allen
7. My Funny Valentine – Matt Giraud
8. To Make You Feel My Live – Kris Allen
9. I Can’t Make You Love Me – Allison Iraheta
10. Black Or White – Adam Lambert
11. Human Nature – Matt Giraud
12. Remember The Time – Kris Allen
13. Ain’t No Sunshine – Kris Allen
14. Part-Time Lover – Matt Giraud
15. True Colors – Anoop Desai

To these guys...see you at the charts!

AI Update: Rock God Or Dark Horse?

This week, one more worthy contestant lost his chance to be the next American Idol. My jinx didn’t work this time (a big whew!).

The Final Three performed two songs, one selected by the judges and one hand-picked by them. Two sides of the coin in terms of artistic relevance.



Ding ding...round one!

Danny was given an obscure song (Dance Little Sister) by Paula. His vocals were fine but not great. The problem is that the song was beautiful but it was unknown (at least to us) and it was up tempo, hence Danny has to dance which is not his cup of tea. It ended nice but awkward.

Kris was given OneRepublic's Apologize by Kara and Randy. He sang it on piano and stayed true to the original, which is disappointing considering Kris’ uncanny ability to rehash a song and make it his own. Kara pointed this out and received a lashing from Simon. He said she cannot blame Kris for interpreting a song SHE chose.

Adam was given U2’s One by Simon (even bragging about calling Bono to ask permission). His performance was expectedly amazing, given a song that strong.

Round one belongs to...Adam Lambert.

Ding ding...round two!

Danny sang the classic You Are So Beautiful To Me. His rendition was soulful and heartfelt. He has a staggering connection with the audience that you can’t help but be moved. But it was something we’ve seen before.

Kris sang Kanye’s Heartless and words will not be enough to express my amazement. He sang this rap-sung masterpiece on the acoustic guitar, giving the songs an entirely different feel. It was jaw-dropping! I already liked Heartless even before this but I swear his version is more likable the original version (Kanye might not be happy hearing this).



Kris’ greatest talent is that he does not oversing, he focuses on delivering the song. Adam has better vocals but they are overwhelmed by his flashiness.

If I will have to remember this season with a single performance...hands down, it will be this. It was not the best performance of the season (or even for Kris...his best for me was his take on Falling Slowly) but it was indelibly memorable (that’s redundant, I know...but that’s how it really is). And as friend said, this is bound to follow the crossover success of David Cook’s Always Be My Baby(eventually stealing this song from Mariah Carey’s repertoire).

Adam sang Aerosmith’s Cryin’ complete with all the requisite wailing and screams. After all, this is his turf. Screeching rock. Yeah, it was great but it was something expected of him. For me, he is at his best when he surprises with a slow song, like what he did with Tracks Of My Tears.

Round two belongs to Kris. Woot-wooo!

The results episode was nerve-racking to say the least. It was really anybody’s microphone...ok, I mean ballgame.

I wished for a Danny-Kris finale showdown but I know that’s next to impossible considering Adam’s strength.

By now, the world knows that Danny Gokey was voted off. Which is ironic coz he has never been in the bottom three but he was cut from the Final Three. He was a shoo-in for the finale from the very start but Kris really outshone him in the later weeks. Danny is very talented and I like his personality, but he is not as “revolutionary” as the other two.




Like Matt Giraud, we are bound to see him in the charts sooner than later. I just hope that he finds his musical niche because his voice is middling, and I mean that positively (unlike Matt’s which is surefire soul/R&B). He can pick any genre but he may fall into the trap that destroyed Taylor Hicks. I hope they learn from Carrie who chose country and led that genre.



In a competition ruled by choices, I just find it indulgent (to borrow from Simon) how they allowed bias so blatantly. I am talking about Adam Lambert’s name emblazoned on Katy Perry’s cape. Like they were already bestowing victory on him. I mean if they will do that, then they should be fair and tattoo Kris Allen’s name on Jordin Spark’s big hips. Sorry Jordin, for being the unwarranted victim of my famous sarcasm.

Any-hoo, for next week, here’s my fearless forecast:



Who Will Win: Adam Lambert
Who I Want To Win: Kris Allen

But it will be so close that the Dark House will have a 50% chance to upset the Rock God.

***

In this photo (taken during the Top 3 results) Kris shows the black polish on this right thumb. Adam has black polish on all of his fingers, except the thumb. Yin and yang? An act of camaraderie or a bad omen?

AI Update: Presenting…The Boy’s Club

Before that, just an erratum for my previous American Idol update blog. The theme two weeks back was bratpack standards (you know, the big bands) and not jazz. I really get confused with these music genres. And the best performance for me that night was Matt Giraud and his My Funny Valentine. As Simon said, it was splendid. But apparently that was not enough to save him for the second time.

Hands down, the Top Five has talent and brimming potential. So from that point forward the contest turns into a popularity and showmanship competition.

This week, the theme was rock and roll. My hectic schedule only allowed me to catch snippets of the performance night.



Of the remaining four, I will say that Kris and Danny will have a difficult time exploring rock music. And from the judges’ comments, I think it was indeed Kris who hit rock bottom performance-wise. I loved his song choice, though (Come Together, one of my most well-liked Beatles classic). Danny would have been fine but he tried a vocal calisthenics (a “rock scream”) that only Adam can pull off. As expected Allison and Adam gave astounding performances, henceforth being called rock god and goddess.

I just watched the results episode a few minutes ago. Kris was so shocked to be the first to be saved. I laughed at his Miss Universe expression (hands on mouth in the height of surprise).

Despite her astounding duet with Adam, it was Allison’s turn to go home. Which leaves us with three men and a title.



The performance night surely rocked with the return of No Doubt and Daughtry. I have been a fan of No Doubt since my college days (even before Don’t Speak became jolog-ized by pop radio). I remember Jaybee and I taking turns in playing their debut cassette (you read it right...cassette tape) in our dorm room. Their greatest hits CD (ayan...CD na) resides on my Fave CD stack.



Chris Daughtry was my personal pick during Season 5. Unfortunately he didn’t make the cut for the Final Two, giving way to Katherine McPhee and eventual winner Taylor Hicks. As we know, the careers of these two never really took of. Whereas, Chris formed a band and spawned the biggest selling rock debut in SoundScan history. If I were to choose five best albums from the past three years, their CD will be a sureshot pick.



Speaking of Daughtry, I have this curse that my bet usually ends up the as second runner up (also happened with Elliot Yamin). The current Top Five have all been my favourites at some point in time. And I have proclaimed that they are all deserving of the crown.

Lately, I have singled out Kris (ever since he sang Make You Feel My Love then Falling Slowly and She Works Hard for the Money). But the past two weeks has been way out of his league (he is more Jason Mraz than Rob Thomas). With this, I think he will be in danger next week.

The new American Idol will be crowned on May 20. My forecast: it will be a guy. Haha!

AI Update: And Then There Were Four

I have two-weeks worth of American Idol updates. So here are quick ones.

Last week, the theme was Disco Night and the fate of the double elimination is hanging over the Top 7’s heads.

For me the best performance came from Kris Allen with his inimitable take on an unlikely song. He sang She Works Hard For The Money and gave it a wicked twist. On the downside, the judges poked fun at him by saying he liked "shopping in the girl’s department."



The worst is still Lil Rounds. It was like watching an amateur contest on a local noontime show.

Remember the bold statement I made during my last AI blog? I said take out Lil, take out Anoop and the remaining five are all well-deserving of the title.

Well, that’s what happened...to my utter contentment.

This is really the best Top 5 of any season. It will be heart-wrenching to watch any of them go. The only consolation is that with THAT kind of talent and potential, these Five are assured of life after AI. They can all be the next Daughtry. More promising careers than even those of past winners. Yes, I am talking about you, Taylor Hicks.

This week was jazz night and truth to tell I haven’t watched this week’s performance episode. So I cannot gauge which one is my personal best.

But I caught the elimination episode. The result was quite appalling! I was expecting Matt and Allison to be in the bottom two. But Allison joined Danny in the top 2 and Adam (the frontrunner) was in the bottom 2!

As expected, even if I hate to see him go, it was the end of the road for Matt G. Even if he sang a very haunting version of My Funny Valentine and the judges gave a collective WOW. I have great belief that I will see Matt in the charts real soon. He can give JT a run for his money (although I think he is getting tired of the JT comparison...ok, howabout Robin Thicke?).



Only four left and the winner will be crowned three weeks from now. The suspense is unbearable. Next week will be Rock and Roll Nights and we know all four can rock!

AI Top 7: Songs From The Silverscreen

This week, American Idol Season 8 goes to the movies with songs from the silver screen. This is an expected theme for the week. But the real surprise was the choice of Quentin Tarantino as the mentor. Tarantino is one of the ground-breaking influences in recent pop history (remember Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill?). For the small tube, I best remember him for directing a 2-part episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. I think it was called Grave Danger and involved CSI Nick Stokes being captured and buried alive. Tarantino’s macabre storytelling made it one of their best episodes ever (case in point: those episodes garnered multiple Emmy nominations). I think I watched it 327 times already.

Back to AI, Tarantino did give some sensible advice to the Top 7. I think he was rooting for Li’l Rounds and Adam Lambert.

The Three Bests



Kris Allen – He is inching up my list of top contenders. I think real artistry comes when a singer take a song and make the audience like it. This week, he chose Falling Slowly from Once; a rather obscure song choice. I have this Oscar-winning song from my iPod but I never paid much attention to it. But Kris sang it in a way that I understood what the song was saying. Forget that he sounds so close to the original for he does a good job at it. It’s now on repeat mode on my playlist.

Danny Gokey – Endless Love was a tough song choice. It is such a big ballad. But there is no denying the emotions that Danny injects in the songs, bringing it to a different level.


Anoop Desai – I never knew the day will come when I will write Anoop in my Top 3. But this past weeks, he has done a swell job and his song choices are now suited to his voice and personality. This week he sang Everything I Do (I Do It For You) and I was awe-struck at the control and restraint in his voice. Unlike his earlier weeks, he enslaved the song and not the other way around.

The Worst

Li’l Rounds has been drifting aimlessly to inevitable elimination in the past weeks. And this week was no different. She has chops but weighted against the other six, she does pale in comparison. I think what’s keeping her in the competition is his mother-of-three personal drama.

The Result

Like a Tarantino twist, the results came as a shocker. I expected either Anoop or Li’l who has been permanent fixtures in the Bottom Three. But no... it was Matt Giraud.

A big, fat HWAAAT!

It was not the best week for Matt. He did a passable job at Have You Really Loved A Woman?. The problem is that he started all soulful and then shifted to rock-tinged in the second part. It ultimately ruined the song. The judged has highlighted that he ambles pointlessly between these two genres. Like Anoop, he should find his comfort zone and shine in it.

But still, he was one of the best this season. So I was really hoping the judges will exercise their “saving grace” on him.

And they did. But with this development, two contestants will be taken out next week. So Matt is still in the chopping block.

Here’s my big statement. Honest to blog, just remove Li’l Rounds and Anoop Desai. Then I don’t care anymore who will win. Any of the remaining five deserves it.

That’s how awesome they are.