“SHOUT IT OUT”
By Corrine Montorfani
reached the billboard hot 100 no.1 position. But
again the release date was pushed back several
times, as well as the video clip, and then both
abandoned. The news of it, pushed the single out
of the top 20, with no return.
Michael Jackson wanted "Unbreakable" as first
releasing single supported with a short film which
would have put "Thriller" and "Smooth Criminal"
in fight for maintaining
the title of "second best
MJ clip". But people at
Sony said "no", and told
him that the first single
to be released would
have to be "You Rock
My World". Michael
never used on being
told NO, but his hands
were tied. He had to
rush the concept for the
video clip of "You Rock
My World" together with
a rushed production.
Michael's album, which had managed to debut at
no.1, was loosing ground fast. There was one still
a hope to give to “Invincible” the kind of success it
deserved: "Unbreakable".
Michael again had to fight with Sony to get what
he wanted, and again he failed. Sony would not
pay for the video clip and requested Michael to go
on a world tour to promote the album himself.
Few weeks later, Sony announced with a press
release that they had decided to cease the
“Invincible” promotion. The success that many of
us had dreamed for MJ was dead, thanks to
Motolla (being the Company CEO) & Sony!
The song did not reach the success that generally
comes for a Michael Jackson first single release,
failing to make number 1 position in US and U.K.
After September 11, Michael decided to release
"Cry" as second single world-wide. Again there
were issues with creative control, and Sony
denied Michael the video clip he wanted. At this
point Michael refused to be in the video clip
proposed by them, and the song was a
monumental failure in the charts.
Thus, with minimal promotion and the dispute
with the record label in progress, Invincible, sold
13 million copies around the world, went double
platinum and despite all someone called an MJ
“FLOP” declaring Invincible a failure and a bad
album. How funny is the world! This result would
have bring any other artist all over the Media as
the hit of the year but not MJ...
Michael Jackson - Cry
The third single "Butterflies",
without video clip or single
release in US was however
an hit, even with low album
promotion. The song made it
to the no.1 position on the R
& B billboard charts, and no.
16 on the hot 100. If
released in early January,
the song would have likely
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