Say Goodbye to MJ

“Did you hear? Michael Jackson has died.”

Michael Jackson’s death came as an unexpected shock to the entire world. Men, women, fans and critics alike shared this trait in common when the breaking news broke out yesterday. Like the death of our beloved Princess Diana, the King of Pop’s death transcended barriers in evoking fascination, admiration, and pity among all the people, a testament to the the fairytale way his life has played out.

Michael Jackson spent much of his life in his personal glass fortress, with the people outside waiting with abated breath for it to finally shatter. Jackson, with his life endowed by rare stories such as child hanging dramas and plastic surgery, became a never ending spectacle for the hungry vultures of cable and media. His private life was by no means private, and he spent a parallel world embattling financial woes and child molestation cases, the latter in which assured his reputation as a badly bent adult with a complicated childhood. Public opinion of him was twisted beyond return as a result of an out of court settlement and some damning testimonies against him.

However, despite all his failures, no one can deny that Jackson is a stellar musician and performer. His voice range stretched from low Baroque keys, to high pitched squeals that tested the limits of gender. He was an artist, swathing musical keys and melodies to his will, manipulating them until he got them to do what he wanted. Even to a casual listener, Jackson’s hit such as “Thriller” and “Beat It” displayed his flair for morphing and moulding pop, disco, rock, and Motown to a degree that earned him the career-branding recognition that he truly deserved.

But if his songs were amazing, his dances were magnificent. Jackson’s career as a performer was probably the seal that imprinted himself upon the hearts of fans everywhere. Whether rain or shine, Jackson constantly impressed the crowd in his bright, tight stage costumes with moves like the Moonwalk, and held the audience in the palm of his hands.

Jackson will always, like Elvis Presley, remain an entertainer. Even in the future, when pop music starts to lose its appeal, he will always be remembered as the person who transformed the landscape of music history and rewrote the rules.

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