Monster (Michael Jackson song)

"Monster"
Song by Michael Jackson featuring 50 Cent
from the album Michael
Released December 10, 2010
Format CD, digital download
Recorded 2007 (Vocals, & other basic tracks)
2010 (50 Cent's vocals, additional overdubs, & final mixing)
Genre Hip hop, R&B
Length 5:04
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Michael Jackson, Curtis Jackson, Eddie Cascio, James Porte
Producer(s) Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley, Eddie Cascio

"Monster" is a song credited to American recording artist Michael Jackson, featuring 50 Cent, released on Jackson's first posthumous album, Michael. The song was allegedly written by Michael Jackson, Eddie Cascio, James Porte, and its rap part was written by Curtis Jackson. Along with "Breaking News" and "Keep Your Head Up", the song was allegedly recorded in the Porte/Cascios' basement in 2007. These tracks have been controversial since their release, with Jackson's fans and family members doubting their authenticity since release. "Monster" had minor chart success and entered the UK Singles chart two weeks after the album's release. Due to the controversy, the scheduled single was cancelled.

Background and release

"Monster" was allegedly written by Michael Jackson, Eddie Cascio, James Porte, with the rapping segment written by Curtis Jackson.[1] Jackson allegedly recorded the songs in 2007 while he was living with the Cascio family in New Jersey. Other tracks recorded during that time include "Breaking News" and "Keep Your Head Up" (and also: "All I Need", "Everything's Just Fine", "Black Widow", "Burn Tonight", "Let Me Fall in Love", "Soldier Boy", "Ready to Win", "Stay" and "Water"). 50 Cent did not record together with Jackson physically. After Jackson's death, he received a call to come into the studio and perform his portion of the track. Once in the studio, the rapper worked with producer Teddy Riley on the song.[2]

On December 10, 2010, the song was officially released on the posthumous album Michael, and the original demo version leaked online in 2015.

Also, an alternative version that doesn't feature 50 Cent surfaced online before the albums official release.

Critical reception

"Monster" received mainly negative reviews from music critics. Huw Jones from Slant Magazine said "'Monster' is weighed down by an unnecessary rap by the increasingly unnecessary 50 Cent".[3] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian said the song was "a lumpy attempt to recreate the atmosphere of Thriller's title track".[4] Geg Kot from Chicago Tribune said the song picked up "an unfortunate theme in Jackson's latter-day work as the oppressed media victim."[5]

Controversy over authenticity

The authenticity of "Monster" was questioned as soon as it was released.[6] Doubts over whether the vocals were actually by Jackson have been raised, reportedly by Katherine Jackson and Jackson's two eldest children[7] and many of his fans.[8] His brother Randy Jackson posted a series of messages about the album on his Twitter account stating that family members were not allowed at his studio where the album was being completed.[9] According to Randy, when engineer Teddy Riley played him some of the tracks, "I immediately said it wasn't his voice".[9] In a statement, Sony Music Group countered that it had "complete confidence in the results of our extensive research, as well as the accounts of those who were in the studio with Michael, that the vocals on the new album are his own".[10] Producer Teddy Riley, Frank DiLeo and Jackson's estate have since defended Sony's claims that the song is authentic.[11] Teddy Riley who worked on the songs "Hollywood Tonight", "Monster" and "Breaking News", claimed that he had to do "more processing to the voice, which is why people were asking about the authenticity of his voice".[12] Riley also claimed that "With the Melodyne we actually move the stuff up which is the reason why some of the vibrato sounds a little off or processed, over-processed. We truly apologize for that happening, but you are still hearing the true Michael Jackson".[12]

Many fans who have cast doubt on the Cascio tracks have suggested that singer Jason Malachi sang the lead vocals of the Cascio tracks, but a statement by the Jackson Estate said that he was not involved in the recording.[11] On January 16, 2011, a statement appeared on Malachi's Facebook page noting he was the vocalist of the songs in question, calling it his "confession".[13] He later claimed on MySpace that his Facebook and official website were hacked. Malachi's manager Thad Nauden later that day told TMZ claiming that "someone created a phony Facebook page in Jason's name. Jason wants everyone to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, he did not sing a single note on the album".[14]

On August 23, 2018, it was reported that Sony admitted in court that the vocals on the three Casico songs were not performed by Jackson and were instead recorded after his death by Malachi. However, Zia Modabber of Katten Muchin Rosenman, Sony's law firm, stated that the claims are not true.[15]

Remixes

  • "Monster" (Jody den Broeder & Chris Cox Club Mix) - 7:32
  • "Monster" (Jody den Broeder & Chris Cox Dub Mix) - 6:15
  • "Monster" (Jody den Broeder & Chris Cox Radio Edit) - 3:49

Demo

  • '"Monster" (Original Demo) - 5:05

Alternative Version - Without 50 Cent

  • "Monster" (Alternative Version without Rap) - 5:19

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 197[16]

Personnel

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Monster (Featuring 50 Cent)". Sony Music. The Official Michael Jackson Site. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  2. ↑ James, Dinh (2010-12-03). "50 Cent Calls Michael Jackson Collabo The '2010 Version' Of 'Thriller' - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. mtv.com. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  3. ↑ Jones, Huw (2010-12-09). "Michael Jackson: Michael - Music Review". Slant Magazine. slantmagazine.com. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  4. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (2010-12-09). "Michael Jackson: Michael - review". The Guardian. London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  5. ↑ Kot, Geg (2010-12-09). "Album review: Michael Jackson, 'Michael'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  6. ↑ Smyth, David. "Sound Check: This really is it for Michael Jackson". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 2011-02-10. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  7. ↑ "Michael Jackson News – Yahoo! Music". New.music.yahoo.com. 2010-11-03. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  8. ↑ "Fans, Family Say Michael Jackson Isn't Singing On Controversial New Single "Breaking News"". All Headline News. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  9. 1 2 Sean Michaels (19 November 2010). "Randy Jackson denounces Michael album tracks as fakes". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  10. ↑ "Michael Jackson 'Breaking News' Song Debuts Online, Stirs Controversy". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  11. 1 2 Sisario, Ben (2011-08-16). "'Breaking News': Lawyer Says It's Michael Jackson's Voice". Arts Beat. NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
  12. 1 2 Mike Collett-White (2010-12-13). "Voice on Michael Jackson album far from finished article". Reuters. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  13. ↑ "MJ Soundalike -- I Sung Songs on New 'Michael' Album". TMZ.com. January 16, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  14. ↑ "MJ Soundalike -- That's Not My Facebook Page!". TMZ.com. January 16, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
  15. ↑ "Sony Admits To Releasing Fake Michael Jackson Songs: Report". Vibe. 2018-08-23. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  16. ↑ "CHART: CLUK Update 25.12.2010 (wk50)". zobbel.de. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
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