Michael Jackson's new album Xscape described as 'labour of love'

Early review of posthumous LP seems positive

09:16 1st April 2014

An early review of Michael Jackson's upcoming album of unheard material has appeared online - largely heaping praise upon Xscape as a 'labour of love'.

Yesterday, it was announced that eight unreleased tracks of completed vocals by the King Of Pop had been unearthed by Epic Records boss LA Reid, and produced by the likes of Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Jerome “Jroc” Harmon and John McClain to add a 'fresh, contemporary sound that retains Jackson’s essence and integrity'.

The end result was Xscape - to be released on 13 May, 2014.

Now, an early review of the eagerly anticipated album from a playback partyby The Telegraph appears positive, with Bernadette McNulty praising "the pristine, front-and-centre presence of Jackson’s voice in the mix".

Comparing the album to the posthumous 2010 compilation, Michael, she writes that Xscape feels "more like a labour of love and with only eight songs, a judiciously edited and cohesive album rather than an endless memory-stick jumble of offcuts."

She continues: "From fashionable-again orchestral disco and propulsively lithe electro to Rodney Jerkin’s trademark militarised beats, you can still hear fully-formed Jackson songs there – even more striking in an age where RnB and pop has largely become a collage of chants and breakdowns. I just haven’t hadn’t heard this many words in a pop song for ages, let alone proper verses, bridges and choruses."

McNulty adds: "It was still a kind of wonder to hear that man-woman voice so utterly unlike any other, rude with vitality and power, flying through the octaves while simultaneously punctuating itself with those inimitable yelps and shrieks. And the producers seem to have responded in kind, digging out some of their most glistening beats and loops to burnish and embroider Jackson’s singing."

Watch the trailer for Xscape below

The album will also be available in a deluxe edition featuring the sourced Michael Jackson recordings in their original form. The full tracklist will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Below: 10 modern artists inspired by the King Of Pop

Muse: "We wanted to go to something more funky, something that made you want to click your fingers. Something that was more influenced by someone like Michael Jackson. We wanted something that sounded like 'Billie Jean'".
MIA: "MICHAEL JACKSON - the first 2 english words i eva spoke".
Alex Kapranos: "'Billie Jean' is the best bass line ever written."
Lady Gaga: "I have his sweaters that I put on. I wear them when we're mixing and finish up the record. I feel something from the clothing."
Friendly Fires: "Dangerous was the first tape I ever had and I really really loved it, it was my first experience of pop music."
Solange: "Thank you Michael Jackson for being my first of many! My mother took me to my first concert. I was only two years old. I fell in love."
Calvin Harris: "Prince and Michael where I come from was our Elvis and Beatles."
Beyonce: "When I was just starting out, my first producer used to make me listen to Michael Jackson's live performance of 'Who's Loving You'. He would have me watch that for hours back to back to back. What he wanted me to learn was his soul."
P Diddy: "Michael Jackson showed me that you can actually see the beat. He made the music come to life. He made me believe in magic."
Pete Wentz: "I could measure my childhood to now on an MJ growth chart."

Photo: Press