"Slave to the Rhythm" | ||||
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Promotional single by Michael Jackson | ||||
from the album Xscape | ||||
Released | May 9, 2014 | |||
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Michael Jackson promotional singles chronology | ||||
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"Slave to the Rhythm" on YouTube |
"Slave to the Rhythm" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson. The song is the fifth track of Jackson's second posthumous album Xscape . The song appeared on several notable music charts due to digital downloads and streaming. Sony Mobile used a snippet of "Slave to the Rhythm" in their advertising campaign for the Xperia Z2 mobile phone. It was performed live at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards with a "Pepper's ghost" of Michael Jackson. Due to streaming of the performance at the Billboard Music Awards, "Slave to the Rhythm" debuted at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Jackson a posthumous 50th entry on the Billboard Hot 100. [1]
The song was written and recorded in 1991, with L.A. Reid and Babyface during sessions for the Dangerous album, [2] but didn't make the final cut. In 2010, a version of the song remixed by Tricky Stewart was leaked. This remix remains unreleased officially, but a snippet was played on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the weeks before the release of Xscape.[ citation needed ] In 2013, another version of the song leaked featuring Jackson's vocals in a duet with Canadian artist Justin Bieber. In response to criticism over this remix, the Michael Jackson Estate had not authorized release of this recording, and has since made attempts to remove the song from as many sites and YouTube channels as possible. [3]
In February 2014, Sony and Jackson's estate announced a partnership with Sony Mobile that saw the release of an ad incorporating a new version of the track "Slave to the Rhythm", which had been confirmed as one of the album tracks. [4] The re-tooled version was produced by Timbaland and J-Roc. [5] The commercial advertisement was for the Sony Xperia Z2 mobile phone; [6] both Xperia Z2 and M2 came with a copy of "Slave to the Rhythm", while users could download the rest of the album. [7] The original version can be found on the deluxe edition of the Xscape album. In 2014, a version of the song remixed by Audien was released. [8]
On May 18, 2014, a Pepper's ghost (incorrectly referred to as a hologram [9] ) illusion of Michael Jackson performed "Slave to the Rhythm", for the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. The selection of the song "Slave to the Rhythm" for the performance was made in late 2013. [10]
The Talauega brothers, Rich and Tone, were brought on right after New Year's Day, and they started to draw up dance moves for Jackson and for the other dancers in the film. The brothers' involvement with Jackson dates back to the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards; they also were backup dancers for the HIStory World Tour in 1997. Jamie King was brought in to direct the video, which was produced by Pulse Evolution and Tricycle Logic. [11]
A day after the coverage, the live performance of "Slave to the Rhythm" was uploaded to Jackson's official YouTube channel. [12]
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
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Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [13] | 91 |
France (SNEP) [14] | 119 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [15] | 48 |
South Korea International Songs (Gaon) [16] | 4 |
UK Singles (OCC) [17] | 98 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [18] | 45 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [19] | 12 |
"Billie Jean" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 3, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, Thriller (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson, produced by Quincy Jones and co-produced by Jackson. "Billie Jean" blends post-disco, R&B, funk, and dance-pop. The lyrics describe a woman, Billie Jean, who claims that the narrator is the father of her newborn son, which he denies. Jackson said the lyrics were based on groupies' claims about his older brothers when he toured with them as the Jackson 5.
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album Thriller (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 9, 1983, by Epic Records. It was written and co-produced by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones. The lyrics pertain to strangers spreading rumors to start an argument for no good reason. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" evokes the disco sound of Jackson's previous studio album, Off the Wall, released in 1979. The song is characterized by a complex rhythm arrangement and a distinctive horn arrangement.
"Black or White" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on November 11, 1991, as the first single from Jackson's eighth studio album, Dangerous (1991). Jackson wrote, composed, and produced it with Bill Bottrell. Epic Records described it as "a rock 'n' roll dance song about racial harmony".
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a 1987 duet ballad by American singers Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett, and was released as the first single on July 20, 1987, by Epic Records from his seventh album, Bad. The song was written by Jackson, and co-produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The presence of Garrett on the track was a last-minute decision by Jackson and Jones, after Jackson's first two choices for the duet both decided against participating. Garrett, a protégé of Jones's who co-wrote another song on Bad, "Man in the Mirror", did not know that she would be singing the song until the day of the recording session. It became her first hit since Dennis Edwards' 1984 song "Don't Look Any Further". Garrett remains known primarily for her work with Jackson to this day.
"Dirty Diana" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It is the ninth track on Jackson's seventh studio album, Bad (1987). The song was released by Epic Records on April 18, 1988, as the fifth single from the album. It presents a harder rock sound similar to "Beat It" from Thriller (1982) and a guitar solo played by Steve Stevens. "Dirty Diana" was written and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones. The song's lyrics pertain to groupies. "Dirty Diana" has a moderate tempo and is played in the key of G minor.
"Blame It on the Boogie" is a song released in 1978 by English singer-songwriter Mick Jackson. It has been covered by the Jacksons, Clock and Luis Miguel.
"Slave to the Rhythm" is a song by the Jamaican singer, model and actress Grace Jones. It was released in October 1985 from Jones' seventh album, Slave to the Rhythm (1985), on which it is titled "Ladies and Gentlemen: Miss Grace Jones". It was produced by Trevor Horn and written by Horn, Bruce Woolley, Stephen Lipson and Simon Darlow. The song reached number 12 on the UK singles chart and number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Its music video was directed by Jean-Paul Goude.
"Beat It" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson from his sixth studio album, Thriller (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones and co-produced by Jackson. Jones encouraged Jackson to include a rock song on the album. Jackson later said: "I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song... and I wanted the children to really enjoy it—the school children as well as the college students." It includes a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen.
"A Place with No Name" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson released on the second posthumous Jackson album, Xscape (2014). A 24-second snippet of the full song was released posthumously by website TMZ.com on July 16, 2009, three weeks after Jackson's death. The full version leaked online on December 3, 2013. The track is based on "A Horse with No Name", the hit 1972 song by rock band America. At the time of the leak, America stated that they were "honored" that Michael Jackson chose to sample their work.
"Keep On, Keepin' On" is a song by American rapper MC Lyte featuring American girl group Xscape. It was produced and co-written by Jermaine Dupri and samples Michael Jackson's 1989 single "Liberian Girl". It was featured on the soundtrack to Sunset Park, starring Rhea Perlman, and later appeared also on MC Lyte's fifth studio album, Bad As I Wanna B (1996). The song became her highest charting single in the US, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it also became her second single to achieve a gold certification from the RIAA, earning the award on May 31, 1996. In November of the same year, Lyte performed the song when she appeared in the second season of the UPN sitcom Moesha alongside Xscape themselves.
LaTocha Reney Scott-Bivens, also known by her mononym LaTocha, is an American R&B and Gospel singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. She is best known as a member of the multi-platinum selling R&B group Xscape, who rose to popularity in the 1990s.
The Sony Xperia Z2 is an Android-based smartphone unveiled, manufactured, and marketed by Sony and was released in April 2014. Under the codename "Sirius", Xperia Z2 serves as the successor to the Sony Xperia Z1. Like its predecessor, the Xperia Z2 is water and dust proof with an IP rating of IP55 and IP58. The phone features an IPS LED display, a Snapdragon 801 processor and the ability to record 4K videos. The Xperia Z2 also allows removable microSD storage up to 128 GB.
The Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is a touchscreen Android tablet manufactured and designed by Sony. Like its predecessor, the Xperia Z2 tablet features a 10.1 inch screen and is water and dustproof with a rating of IP55 and IP58. The tablet is the lightest and thinnest 10.1-inch tablet, weighing at 1 pound and is 0.25 inches (6.4 mm) thick, the Z2 Tablet features the Snapdragon 801 processor, Sony's Triluminos display and HDR video recording. Unveiled alongside the Sony Xperia Z2 during the 2014 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on February 24, it was first released on March 26, 2014 in the United Kingdom. On July 3, 2014, Sony launched its Xperia Z2 Tablet in India. On July 27, 2014 Sony released the Z2 Tablet in the US on Verizon.
Xscape is the second posthumous album by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. It was released on May 9, 2014, by Epic Records, MJJ Music and Sony Music Entertainment. Xscape is the tenth release by Sony and/or Motown since Jackson's death in 2009. L.A. Reid, chairman of Epic Records, curated and served as executive producer for the album, enlisting Timbaland to lead a team of record producers, including Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, and John McClain, to remix and contemporize the eight selected tracks. The album was #1 in its first week of release in worldwide sales.
"Love Never Felt So Good" is a song by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, released posthumously on May 2, 2014. The song, reworked from a 1983 demo track originally composed by Jackson and Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka, was the first single released from Jackson's second posthumous album, Xscape.
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"Loving You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson that was originally recorded before the Bad sessions in 1985, with the chorus section bearing notable similarities to "The Girl Is Mine". Matt Forger, one of Jackson's trusted engineers stated that, "It was a good song, just not in serious consideration for the album, Bad. One of many that were recorded and put away." A reworked version of the song was included on Jackson's posthumous album Xscape (2014).
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Thriller 40 is the 40th-anniversary edition reissue of Thriller (1982), the sixth album by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released on November 18, 2022, by Epic, Legacy Recordings and MJJ Productions. Thriller 40 is the third reissue of Thriller, following the 2001 special edition and Thriller 25 (2008).