This morning, the first proper single from Michael Jackson’s first posthumous album, Michael was released. It was written and recorded in 2007 with Akon, and after Jackson’s death, Akon returned to the studio to complete the song. The R&B star said “The world was not ready to hear ‘Hold My Hand’ when it leaked a couple years ago. We were devastated about it. But its time has definitely come; now in its final state, it has become an incredible, beautiful, anthemic song. I’m so proud to have had the chance to work with Michael, one of my all-time idols.”
It’s more an Akon than a Michael Jackson song.
Tracklist:
01 “Hold My Hand” (Feat. Akon)
02 “Hollywood Tonight”
03 “Keep Your Head Up”
04 “(I Like) The Way You Love Me”
05 “Monster” (Feat. 50 Cent)
06 “Best of Joy”
07 “Breaking News”
08 “(I Can’t Make It) Another Day” (Feat. Lenny Kravitz)
09 “Behind the Mask”
10 “Much Too Soon”
Akon is refusing to release unfinished recordings of tracks he and Michael Jackson were working on together at the time of Jackson’s death.
The R&B star released the collaboration ‘Hold My Hand’ which failed to be the massive hit it was expected to be, but in a recent interview he said the tracks will never see the light of day.
In that same interview he said that the remaining tracks are “just ideas, concepts and harmonies that the world will probably never see. We’ve done plenty of records outside of this, but they were just incomplete. I might just burn them.”
Akon was one of a number of artists working with Jackson at the time of his death in June last year. The tracks that were finished will make up the album ‘Michael’ due for release December and features collaborations with Lenny Kravitz and 50 Cent, as well as Akon.
