LightOfArt said:

True but thats basically the whole idea of a music message board. To share opinions, lol.


I think Michael or Akon has read some comments regarding the song and had it pulled.


[Edited 7/3/08 9:14am]

I wanna hear this load - where's a link that works??

CalhounSq said:

I don't know about YouTube anymore but go check IMEEM, they may still have it.

Timmy84 said:

Nope on imeem - it has been removed completely

2020 said:

Oh for real? Damn, thanks.

Timmy84 said:

its still on youtube

i didnt like it but its growing on me though i wish it was with someone other than akon

i like it not bad.

ps)thanks to bboy for hookin it up.

PatrickS77 said:

I wish I had an avatar of a child molester.

I think it's better than 99% of the stuff on the radio right now. Even though that's not saying much. At least it's not about spanking and pimping.

Mong said:

I don't see R. Kelly in their avatar

So do we know why this song is being pulled? That article seems interesting.
Makes me wonder if MJ felt the vibe the song was getting and might be saving
it for his new Greatest Hits project.

Or if Akon decided to switch up the first single.

Or if it is something totally different all together.




Anyone got the skinny on what is going on at Universal with regards to this song?
Is it common label practice to ditch a song after it leeks? I thought if anything
that would mean the label would push up it's release - hence why I'm shocked to read some reports saying it is being pulled.

ong said:

Wow! You're sick! I wouldn't wish to have one! I would feel ashamed, if I would have one! But whatever floats your boat!
[Edited 7/3/08 15:44pm]

As if Akon's record company wont take advantage of the overwhelmingly positive reviews for this song (it's funny, prince.org is the only place I've seen people rubbish the song) and release it as a single. You don't think the fact that it's been completely removed from the net is any indication?

Btw, a version featuring mostly Michael or all Michael will appear on his new (as in new, not GH) album. Maybe that's why Akon's not releasing it as a single, because MJ is.

DarlingDiana said:

Ain't that the truth and you just have to wonder why?

I sincerely hope this track gets released as a single, very melodic vocals from MJ, a sure fire hit!

ReggaeQueen said:

Definitely, it will be a big hit.

Here's some reviews of the song from around the net:

Urban Review: Akon Featuring Michael Jackson - Hold My Hand

Hold Tight! Here Is The Rumoured New Single From Akon Or Michael Jackson. Hold My Hand Is A Slow Jam Of Epic, Cheesy Proportions.

How many hundreds of artists over the last 12 months have uttered the words "I'm Working On The New Michael Jackson Record"? Well Akon is one producer who has officially done so & by the sound of this record, MJ might, just might, have rekindled that old magic.

From the solid R&B production, to the brilliantly harmonised vocals of both Akon & Michael, Hold My Hand has that classic Jackson sound. Granted, it is not the greatest track I have ever heard, but I am honestly excited for the Michael comeback.

http://www.urbanreview.co...-hand.html

-----

Concreteloop Review: Hold My Hand - Akon feat. Michael Jackson

Wow! We heard that Akon was producing a bit on Michael Jackson’s new album, but it seems as though he is on the debut single for Akon’s new album, Acquitted. I’m sorry, this is craziness, hearing Michael Jackson’s voice on some new music! I’m not an Akon fan, but this could very well make me one. Their voices harmonize very well together - this single is going to be really huge for Akon, and if this is any prelude to what Michael’s material is going to sound like, MJ fans are in for a treat.

http://concreteloop.com/2...review-203

-----

Junlees-Cona Review: Hold My Hand - Akon feat. Michael Jackson

After years of doubting if I would hear MJ on a track again, I heard this song today. The good part is that it's a good song, and I love MJ's verse at the beginning. Dude can still sing!

The bad part is that it's an Akon song, and the track dropped a level once he started singing. Dammit I wish this was just Mike's song, he sounded so good at the beginning. The background vocals that Mike does at the end is just great, and it sounds good with Akon.

With more listens I'm starting to love this song, and it's so nice to hear Mike on some new shit!

http://junlees-cona.blogs...-hold.html

OMG wtf? WHY did they pull it? This was actually good.

DarlingDiana said:

it is?

bboy87 said:

Michael Jackson Cameo Shocks Akon Songwriter
Akon

July 03, 2008 , 10:25 AM ET

Mariel Concepcion, N.Y.
Up-and-coming singer/songwriter Claude Kelly wrote the recently leaked Akon song "Hold My Hand" featuring Michael Jackson, but he confesses hearing the legendary singer's voice on the track the first time was a total surprise to him.

"I wrote the song and gave it to Akon with the intention of it going to maybe Whitney Houston, but Akon said he wanted to cut it himself. I thought, 'It doesn't get any bigger than this'," the 27-year-old New York native tells Billboard.com. "A few months after, Akon plays the song for me and all of a sudden I hear Michael Jackson's voice. I was literally shaking by the time the song was over."

The track, which is in contention to be the first single from Akon's new album, due late this year, has since been pulled off the Internet. As per when an actual Michael Jackson album will be released, Kelly says a date hasn't been set yet. What has been confirmed, as per Kelly's manager Michael "Make" Mentore from Star Power Media/Make Moves Management, is that the track will appear on both Akon and Jackson's albums.

Since penning the collaborative track, Kelly has been tapped to work not only with Akon and Whitney Houston but also with Jennifer Hudson, Frankie J, Brandy, New Kids On The Block, Toni Braxton, recent Def Jam signee Unique and Leona Lewis, including the latter's second single, "Forgive Me," which will be released in the coming weeks. He also wrote the entire debut solo album for Corbin Bleu from "High School Musical" fame.

As a child, Kelly took piano and flute lessons and sang with local choirs. He attended Brooklyn College of Music in 1999, and in 2002 wrote his first song, which was placed in a Bathing Ape compilation released in Japan. His first major placement came with "Daddy's Little Girl" from Frankie J's 2006 album "Priceless."


In the future, Kelly says he hopes to work with the likes of Beyonce, Rihanna, Usher, Chris Brown and Kelly Clarkson, among others. He also plans on delving into country and rock music as well.

Akon also said FIRST (months ago) that it would be the lead single of Akon's album. The other articles say "there's no word on" whether the song will be a single... that's the authors writing. The only thing that Akon's rep confirmed was that Akon's album isn't finished yet, however, we got it from Akon that it would be a single... so yeah.

bboy87 said:

Co- .

Maybe without Akon it will sound even better, but i don´t think it´s powerful enough to be released as an MJ single after such a long time. Maybe I am wrong. Mike, you sure do have better songs in your vaults. Choose something else.

DarlingDiana said:

Yeah, right... and where did you get this information from?? Surely Billboard didn't mention that and so far their article is the only one that claims it will end up on Michael's album as well!
[Edited 7/4/08 4:37am]

The likelihood is, they're holding off until MJ can commit to making a video of the song with Akon. And we all know MJ is erratic at the best of times and it's very difficult to get him to commit to anything... chances are that he's told the label he'll do it and then he'll back out and they won't release it as a single because it'll have no supporting video.

Call me a cynic but that's what I reckon will happen. If it IS released, it needs to be in the next two months or so otherwise the song will be old news. And do you really think MJ is going to commit to making a video in that time???
[Edited 7/4/08 5:36am]

JustErin said:

Hellooo! This song sounds just like Akon's other ballads. "Don't Matter" anyone? That one's got a much stronger hook than this one, and the production is exactly the same, yet I don't remember anyone here praising it. "Mr Lonely" is another one of his melodic songs. Both those songs are better than "Hold my Hand". If MJ wasn't on HMH, no one here would have a good word to say about it. Fact.

It just goes to show how much people's judgements are based on the artist rather than the art. Recently, Madonna fans were drooling over a totally bland and generic ballad of hers called "Miles Away". They were talking about it like it was the new "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Well, it later turned out it was an old Victoria Beckham reject with new lyrics. Would Madge fans have drooled over Posh Spice's original if they'd heard it? Of course not. But Madge sings the same thing (just with new lyrics) and it's suddenly a masterpiece. The same thing's going on here. People open their ears or close them based on who's doing the singing, not what's actually being sung.
[Edited 7/4/08 6:26am]

You can barely hear him MJ in it.

midnightmover said:

End of thread

From Billboard:

It's awesome! I can't wait till M.J. makes a comeback and drops an album! 85%

I wasn't too impressed by it. It sounds like a poor man's version of "We Are The World." 4%

Shucks! I didn't get a chance to hear it before the label pulled it off the web. 11%
TOTAL RESPONSE - 274

Poll results like that ^ make me wonder if Prince fans are out of touch with music today. Most of us would probably resent that statement and say it's the majority of the music buying public that are out of touch with what good music is. But are we as Prince fans (who are also mostly classic 60s/70s/80s R&B/Soul/Funk fans) just too hung up on the great music of old that we are not even willing to consider the concept of good music coming out today? Has criticising new music just become the way to gain respect on a music forum such as this one? It seems that way. It seems criticising music that is coming out right now gives you some sort of cred around here and other forums that celebrate the music of old. The music of old is great, and still dominates my music collection. But I'm willing to embrace any good song I here coming out today. And this is one of them. It's a good song and I would bet anything that if Stevie Wonder recorded it, you wouldn't be able to keep up with all of the "Hold My Hand" appreciation threads.
[Edited 7/5/08 1:30am]

DarlingDiana said:

possible for some bvut not for me - I live for NEW music and its just really not that good of a NEW song - sorry but true

2020 said:

Co-sign.

DarlingDiana said:

All this may be true, but when something is sub-par, its sub-par. There is a lot of new music that is lazily contructed by people who don't know a damn thing about making music. There are a lot of well-skilled new artists, too. BUT...
You can't put together a 4 bar loop and sing or rap over it and think that EVERYONE is going to be impressed by it. Jazz heads, classical heads, old soul heads and others will hear that mess, be bored with it and call it what it is - bullshit. It doesn't matter who is on the track. If its weak, its weak.
[Edited 7/5/08 15:05pm]