A distinctively New Jack Swing track, boasting the signature industrial, metallic drum programming of the early '90s. 6. "Do You Know Where Your Children Are"
A high-octane dance-pop anthem loaded with aggressive synths and sweeping orchestral builds. It served as the soundtrack for the infamous, polarizing hologram performance at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.
Upon release, Xscape received from music critics, with many praising its respectful and vibrant production. Billboard ‘s Joe Levy was highly complimentary, answering his own question by stating, "Yes, it is any good. And about your second: Better than you think". He went on to praise the album for putting Jackson's "swoops, pops, shouts and grunts" front and center. The Los Angeles Times declared Jackson's voice was "at its most powerful" on the album. Michael Jackson Xscape -Deluxe Edition- 2014
The true brilliance of the Deluxe Edition lies in its structural duality. Listeners can contrast the polished, radio-ready 2014 iterations with the gritty, organic foundations laid down by Jackson during his lifetime. 1. "Love Never Felt So Good"
The process was not without its emotional weight. Timbaland admitted to feeling apprehensive about working on material from his idol, saying, "I did this album because of Michael Jackson. It completes my legacy". The producers worked directly from Jackson's isolated vocal tracks, building new musical landscapes around his voice without being constrained by the original arrangements. This approach allowed them to treat the demos as "blueprints" for constructing modern, vibrant songs. A distinctively New Jack Swing track, boasting the
Stays much closer to America's rock origins, featuring acoustic guitars and a wide, sprawling vocal mix that captures a sense of desert isolation. 5. "Slave to the Rhythm"
Below is the complete track listing from the CD in the Deluxe Edition: It served as the soundtrack for the infamous,
Timbaland updates the track into a cinematic, trap-heavy symphony with booming 808s and sharp string stabs.
Upon its release in May 2014, Xscape was met with generally favorable reviews. It holds a score of 66 on Metacritic, indicating a positive critical consensus. Many critics and fans noted that the project was a significant improvement over Jackson's first posthumous album, Michael (2010). Praise was directed at the producers for, as one critic put it, "keeping the album true to the Jackson sound the world loved" while still giving it a modern feel.