![]() ![]() Nevertheless, Black people were always bound to be in Michael’s corner, even when he focused his efforts on being “White Famous” Yet my first two Metal songs were essentially “Beat It” and “Dirty Diana” and I still have no idea how to feel about that. Metal: a genre where Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Megadeth, and Van Halen ran rampant. Songs from Bad on the other hand are undoubtedly wider scoped, pulling from Rock, Funk, Synth, Industrial, and even Metal in some moments. ![]() ![]() While both genre busting albums, most of their songs bank off the dying breaths of Disco, which started with Black people before white people stole it and tried to kill it as soon as they were done with it (as they’re wont to do). ![]() Granted, songs from Off the Wall and Thriller are tough to pin down. At the same time, the music he was making before Dangerous felt more palatable to what white audiences were into. He could’ve topped the charts with a song of him adlibbing for four minutes straight if he wanted to (and he kind of does, more on that later). Well, as much of a backseat it could possibly be because…Michael Jackson. Here’s something to consider: Michael Jackson spent a good chunk of his solo career casting the widest possible net for worldwide fame, which meant appealing to Black audiences took somewhat of a backseat. But as I keep thinking about it, one thing becomes increasingly clear: “Remember the Time” just might be the centerpiece of the most pro-Black period in his career. Honestly, I could stop here since I would like to think that all Michael Jackson fans know about the song and video. It’s still one of the best songs on Dangerous, thanks to his performance and emotion more than the lyrics. Normally this would be the part where I go into detail about the song’s lyrical content, but it’s just a simple tale of Michael reminiscing on a relationship that grew apart. What I do know is that I always come back for its high production value, the cameos of some of the most iconic 90s celebrities, and the magnificent dance sequence at the tail end of the video. It might’ve been the seemingly endless saturation of Gold in nearly all of its frames, but it also could’ve been the sheer black comedy of its three and a half minute intro. I still don’t know what attracted me to “Remember the Time” in the first place when I was a kid. While I can’t specifically remember which of his music videos was my first one, I will always remember my favorite… At the same time, he’s always someone who’s worth discussing in any capacity. Granted, bringing his name up is always asking for controversial conversation. From his singing to his dancing, and everything in between, he is someone I emulate on my journey towards being better in my crafts. What was your first Michael Jackson video? Was it Thriller in all of its 80s thrills and dated scares? Was it Bad in all of its 80s attitude and New York grit? Dare I say, Captain EO in its 80s sci-fi camp and feeble attempts at positive messages? No matter where any of us started in our journey of Michael Jackson videos, there’s no denying that the man, even in the afterlife, is the undisputed King of Pop (and that’s coming from a Prince fan).Īs I write this on what would’ve been his 60 th birthday, I couldn’t help myself from reflecting on how influential he is on me in terms of my performing. “Do you remember those special times? They’ll just go on and on in the back of my mind” ![]()
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