DarlingDiana said:

oh, ok.

According to the latest RS magazine, MJ and will.i.am are going to Ireland next month to finish off the album. They have recorded 8 songs together. Then there is also another song that written by John Legend. So that makes it 9 songs. I hope that the entire album, because I think a short traditional length album would be best for Michael. Chris Brown and DJ Whoo Kid are also collaborators on the album. One song title that has been revealed is "I'm Dreamin'". I have no clue if the song MJ wrote with Jermaine and Sheik Abdullah ("He Who Make the Sky Grey") will be included. Nor do I know if any of the songs MJ was working on during and after the trial (before he started working with will.i.am) will be included ("You Are So Beautiful" and "I Have This Dream"). Personally, I don't want IHTD on the album. MJ's overdone those type of Heal-the-world songs. But it's looking good, and it looks like it's close to being finished. Will.i.am said it sound like "Off the Wall" for the modern era, and that the album includes up-beat, dance-floor ready tunes and great melodies. So it seems like this album will be a classic R&B/soul album with the traditional number of tracks and some good collaborators (John Legend). They are going to Ireland next month to finish the album. That's promising. I never thought they'd be finishing off the album for another six months. This is very soon, unexpected, but awesome all the same. Because I want this album ASAP, and I think MJ's history proves that he works better when he works fast (Thriller was done in 6 weeks, Invincible was done in 3 years). So I believe the album will be out soon. At the latest, June/July. I've always expected this album to come out mid-year. And I stand by that. If they are finishing up the recording and production next month. Than after that Michael will spend a few months getting the album ready for the market. Lining up promotion deals, and what not. It will probably take until June/July until the album is shelf-worthy.

will.i.am? Chris Brown? DJ Whoo kid?


seriously MJ fans,how can you be excited about a project like that? This seems like another desperate attempt to appeal to the young hip-hop crowd.

SoulAlive said:

Since when do the names involved count? Just because someone isn't branded by the rock critics (aka failed musicians) as a musical genius, doesn't mean they wont be good for MJ's project. For all we know, Chris Brown could just be doing backing vocals on one song, and DJ Whoo Kid could be doing one small rap cameo in one song. As for will.i.am, I think he is great and him working with Michael just makes me more excited. Everytime he works with someone new and current, people claim he is trying to appeal to a younger, hipper audience. But has it ever occured to you that those people are who he thinks will work best for him? When he used Boys II Men as backing singers on HIStory, people thought he was desperately trying to appeal to a younger and hipper audience. Turned out they were perfect for the song, and all HIStory ended up being was a great piece of music. He worked with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis on Scream, same comments, same result. They said he was trying to hard to be hip. All it turned out to be was a really great tune. And this stuff has been going on since he worked with Teddy Riley on Dangerous. Now you all know how good Dangerous turned out to be. So what if he was trying to appeal to a younger and hipper audience? Because in doing so he made a bloody brilliant album. I have no doubts that this next album is just another great piece of work to add to his stunning, and almost perfect catalogue of works. Will.i.am is fresh, and current, but he's also good at what he does, and the though of a blend between Michael's musical talent, background and influenced, and Will's knowledge of today's market and his skills at modern production, really, really excites me. It's a very promising combination.
[Edited 2/8/07 4:13am]

"will.i.am is good at what he does"

So,you think "My Humps" and "Fergalicious" are good songs?

SoulAlive said:

That's like out of all Prince songs, picking out "Jughead" and "Life 'o' the Party" and saying it's fair representation of his entire works.

Will.i.am has done great work with Nas, Justin Timberlake, John Legend (who is also working with Mike), Sergio Mendes, and there are some good BEP songs like "Let's Get it Started", which I think has classic-MJ written all over it.

DarlingDiana said:

reminds me of lenny kravitz trying to be prince.

SoulAlive said:

kinda like how madonna used to work with all the hip gay dance producers? or how she is now working her way through the euro dance crowd?

sosgemini said:

As long as she stays FAR away from American hip-hop-type stuff,I'm happy

dag said:

This quote may come back & bite him in the ass.

DarlingDiana said:

I don't think so.

Expect December 2007, or spring of 2008.

I know: 'Thriller' was recorded in the summer of 1982 and released in November 1982. But nowadays Michael won't release an album so soon, even if it's finished. He would listen to it, and say: 'That's rubbish - let's start again from the beginning'. I bet, from the 8 songs that they did until now, only 1 or 2 will end up on the album.

I love my org. folks...They are some of the realest folks and you have to love that...

But some of you guys have a habit of not doing the research on artists...Will i am is one of those producers that's all over the place...Of course everyone can just about agree that Fergie is low brow pop music...But judging will i am just on that is like judging Rick Rubin for his work on the upcoming Linkin Park album...It's silly...And trust me, I felt the same way in the beginning, but I started to read up on this cat and I found out he's pretty talented...

The folks commenting negatively about will i am have no idea that he co-wrote and produced "Ordinary People" for John Legend. They have no idea that he produced the entire Sergio Mendez solo album with featured everyone from Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder to Jill Scott and The Roots. They are clueless that he just signed Macy Gray to his label and is producing tracks for her new album...And the man has arguably the best song on Nas' new album Hip Hop Is Dead ("Can't Forget About U.") And then there's his work on the last Earth Wind & Fire album...In other words, like Rubin, will i am takes a case by case feel with his production; He doesn't have a set sound...I think will i am producing MJ's next album is a smart move...We will see..

murph said:

I agree with you 100%. This is the kind of thing that happened to DJ Jazzy Jeff. Those who really did not know of him, thought that he was just Will's sidekick...the daffy one. But, don't sleep on the brotha....Jeff is one of the best hip/hop D.J.'s out there....He is nasty on the wheels. There was a cut on one of their early albums called, "Live at Albee Square Mall"...You have to hear him cut the beat up. It is almost like he makes them talk. Will I AM knows when it is time to write something for a particular purpose, be it money or otherwise, just like R.Kelly....He is able to make a song like let's get it started and then flip the script and help write "Ordinary People"....He has an ear for the unusual and unique. I think he will be able to do something good with Mike. This is due to the fact that nobody really expects him to. Also, he is coming at Mike as a fan, is a performer himself, unlike Rodney Jerkins who is NOT in front of the mike. I can only say that it might do some good.

Here's a clip with all the new music we've heard from MJ so far http://www.youtube.com/wa...l6eu2hSDfg

I'm liking the new sound.

sosgemini said:

it does, though the first 3 seconds reminds me of another part of me.