Human Nature (Michael Jackson song)

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"At the last minute, Quincy (Jones) asked me if I'd mind if John Bettis took a shot at the verse lyrics, and I said, 'No, not at all.' I didn't consider myself a great lyricist. Sometimes what just came out of my mouth when I was writing, I mean like the chorus on "Human Nature" could be keepers. But I was wide open. But with John Bettis, I didn't change a single syllable, he just nailed it. He turned my record into a song, with a beginning, middle and end. Those lyrics are amazing and I don't talk about that enough." [16]

The song, as it turns out, did not change much musically from the demo through to the final album, as Jones liked the song as it was. [17] It was, for the most part, recreated in the studio. [16] Even engineer Bruce Swedien asked Porcaro, who played most of the parts and helped Jackson with the vocal phrasing, to help reproduce the phrasing of the accents of the "Why, why" that can be heard on the demo. [17]

Release and reception

A template for new jack swing and hip-hop soul ballads, "Human Nature" is comparatively slower and more intimate than Thriller's other songs. "If this town is just an apple, let me take a bite", quivers Jackson's voice over a cascading synthesizer and percolating bass line. Though written by John Bettis and Steve Porcaro of Toto, the lyrics resonate with Jackson's yearning to break free from his tower of celebrity and mingle with young people in a "city that winks its sleepless eye".

—Serena Kim, South Coast Today . [18]

"Human Nature" was released in July 1983, as the fifth single from Thriller. [11] It was not released as a single in the UK. The song achieved chart success in the US. [11] Reaching number two on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary chart and number seven on the Hot 100, the song became Jackson's fifth top 10 hit from Thriller. [19] [20] "Human Nature" charted at number 27 on the R&B singles chart. [19] In the Netherlands, the single reached number 11. [21]

John Rockwell of The New York Times stated that "Human Nature" was a "haunting, brooding ballad" with an "irresistible" chorus. [22] AllMusic noted that the "gentle and lovely" "Human Nature" coexisted comfortably with the "tough, scared" "Beat It". [23] They later added that the song was a "soft rocker". [24] Reflecting on Thriller, Slant expressed their fondness of the song, stating that it was "probably the best musical composition on the album and surely one of the only A/C ballads of its era worth remembering". [25] The magazine added that the track's "buttery harmonies" were powerful. [25] Stylus also praised the song, describing it as "the smoothest of ballads". [26] However, they further added that the music "does little to embody the song's message" and that it couches Jackson's "glazed voice" in "bubble synths and drum pillows". [26]

About.com's Bill Lamb looked back on the track 25 years after its release. He felt that the song "set down a blueprint for what would become known as adult R&B". [2] Kelefa Sanneh of Blender described the "soft-serve balladry" of the song as a "silk-sheets masterstroke". [27] In a 2008 IGN review, Todd Gilchrist explained that the elements of "Human Nature" worked better today than they did before. He added that it may be because modern R&B "sucks". [28] Tom Ewing, reviewer for Pitchfork Media , described the song as "meltingly tender", with MTV adding that it was an "airy ballad". [29] [30] Rolling Stone claimed that the "most beautifully fragile" "Human Nature" was so open and brave it made "She's Out of My Life" seem phony. [31] The Los Angeles Times concluded that it was Jackson's delivery that made the "middling ballad" take off. [32]

Live performances

The song was first performed during the Jacksons' Victory Tour. Michael started to sing "Ben", but stopped and proceeded to sing "Human Nature". It was also performed during Michael's Bad World Tour and Dangerous World Tour. Jackson also performed the song live during his 1996 Royal Brunei concert. It was going to be performed for Jackson's This Is It concerts, which were canceled due to his death; however, it was included on the posthumous album to coincide with the concerts. Live versions of the song are available on the DVDs Live at Wembley July 16, 1988 and Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour . Toto has performed the song in some of their shows with vocals by Joseph Williams. A live version is available on the 2019 DVD 40 Trips Around the Sun.

Track listing

  1. "Human Nature" (single version) – 3:47 (Misprinted as 4:05)
  2. "Baby Be Mine" – 4:20

Official remixes

  1. Album version – 4:06
  2. Single version – 3:47 [34]
  3. Live – 4:29 (This version is taken from Live at Wembley July 16, 1988 and included in the deluxe edition of Bad 25 .)
  4. "Speechless"/"Human Nature" – 3:18 ( Immortal version)

Personnel

Charts

"Human Nature"
Mjhm.jpg
Single by Michael Jackson
from the album Thriller
B-side "Baby Be Mine"
ReleasedJuly 4, 1983
Recorded1982
Studio Westlake (Los Angeles, California) [1]
Genre
Length
  • 4:06 (album version)
  • 3:47 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Quincy Jones
Michael Jackson singles chronology
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
(1983)
"Human Nature"
(1983)
"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
(1983)
Audio video
"Human Nature" on YouTube

Certifications

Certifications for "Human Nature"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [61] Platinum80,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [62] Gold45,000
Mexico (AMPROFON) [63] Gold30,000
United Kingdom (BPI) [64] Silver200,000
United States (RIAA) [65] Platinum1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Sampling

Songs that have sampled "Human Nature" include:

Other versions

"Human Nature" was covered by Miles Davis on his 1985 album You're Under Arrest ; at the time Davis also suggested that the song could become a jazz standard. [67]

Toto has occasionally performed the song as part of a tribute to Jackson and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band.

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Sources

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