This article is about the album. You may have been looking for the song.
Invincible is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released through Epic Records on October 30, 2001, and recorded between October 1997-September 2001. It was the final album released by Jackson before his death eight years later.
The record features what's considered Jackson's most experimental work, as it focuses on bringing in fresh sounds that were never used before, thus, it is often regarded by fans as his hidden gem. Invincible ultimately sold between 8-10 million copies worldwide (according to different sources), making it perform worse than Jackson's previous releases, while still being a major success.
Background[]
For Invincible, Jackson once again fancied the idea of focusing on bringing in fresh, new sounds. According to its producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Michael aimed for an even "edgier", futuristic sound, reminiscent of electricity.[1]
Production[]
On October 15, 1997, five days after the HIStory World Tour concluded, Jackson immediately began recording new music with Brad Buxer and Michael Prince. Throughout its four-year gestation, Jackson spent $30 million on various studios, musicians, and photoshoots, making it the most expensive album ever created.[2]
Michael Jackson and Rodney Jerkins in the studio
Jackson was eventually joined by more producers, such as Dr. Freeze, who penned tracks like "Break of Dawn", "Blue Gangsta", and "A Place with No Name". In March 1998, he participated in his first collaboration with Rodney Jerkins, whom he properly met through Carole Bayer Sager, but was initially introduced to four years prior.[3] Alongside Jerkins' team (consisting of Fred Jerkins III and LaShawn Daniels), Jackson worked on a song for Brandy, "You Don't Love Me", which eventually became "Angel in Disguise". Initially, Jackson wasn't completely satisfied with Jerkins' sound, as he was aiming for something fresh that would take the listeners "somewhere they’ve never been sonically". Cory Rooney, who worked with Jackson on another project, advised Jerkins on the direction Jackson was aiming for, and in time, Darkchild and his team adapted to it. Jackson was satisfied and worked with them for the next three years.[4] To make some of the characteristic sounds featured on Invincible, Jackson told Jerkins to "go to the junkyard and hit on things and make sounds".[5]
In February 1999, a listening session between Jackson and Sony executives took place at Marvin’s Room in Los Angeles. CEO Tommy Mottola was thrilled about the track "Break of Dawn", having stated that if the record went in this direction, it'd be a guaranteed hit.[6] Jackson would soon craft a vast amount of new music. Teddy Riley had his input in having recorded songs like "Heaven Can Wait", initially meant for Blackstreet, and "2000 Watts", which was one of his most experimental tracks at the time. Darkchild and Jackson had made around ten recordings, most notably "Unbreakable" and "You Rock My World". Michael also continued working with Buxer, having written "Hollywood Tonight", "Beautiful Girl", and "The Way You Love Me", although none of them actually made the cut and were instead repurposed in later years. Jackson wrote and produced only two songs by himself: "Speechless" and "The Lost Children". The album was initially slated by Sony Music for a November 1999 release, however, it had to be delayed indefinitely, as Jackson wasn't interested in meeting this deadline.[7]
As the new decade approached, so did more collaborators. Pharrell Williams offered Jackson multiple songs as well, although he was told by John McClain, that "Michael don't want that shit". Jerkins later also revealed that Jackson simply thought they were too "generic" for him, and he wanted to invent new sounds with this record.[8] These demos, including "Rock Your Body" and "Señorita", later went on to be released on Justin Timberlake's 2002 album, Justified.[9]
While making the album, Jackson expressed interest in once again including rap artists in his songs, but insisted on featuring someone who wasn't well-known. His spokesperson suggested Fats, a New Jersey-based rapper, who was brought in to work on the album's title track, "Invincible", as well as "Heartbreaker". The opening track, "Unbreakable", features a posthumous feature from The Notorious B.I.G., who passed shortly before its creation. It also serves as a tribute to the rapper. Unlike the previous release, Invincible didn't include a vast number of featured guests, rather keeping focus on Jackson himself.
The works finished in mid-2001, and by June, the track list was completed. Among other songwriters and producers who joined the project along the way were Andre Harris and Marsha Ambrosius (of Floetry, "Butterflies") and R. Kelly ("Cry"), the latter of whom previously collaborated with Jackson on the major hit, "You Are Not Alone". In September of that year, last-minute changes were being made, as Jackson wrote one more song, "You Are My Life", in dedication to his children, Prince and Paris, and produced by Babyface. It ultimately replaced "Shout".[10]
Artwork[]
- Main article: 1999 Albert Watson Photoshoot
According to Jackson's make-up artist, Karen Faye, the former wanted to recreate the 1992 photograph, The Golden Boy, by Albert Watson. Jackson had his face and hair painted in gold, with Watson himself behind the shoot. The initial, golden incarnation of the cover appeared on the earliest 1999 acetate discs of the album. However, Sony executives decided heavy alterations had to be made, thus the final result looks more distorted and digitalized, symbolizing Jackson's entrance into the modern era of music.[11]
Upon the release of Invincible, five different versions of the LP were put out, featuring the cover in various colors: gray (original), orange, blue, red, and green. These were referencing portraits Andy Warhol had made in 1984, and the general idea Jackson had was that it'd be "fun" for fans to collect different versions of the album.[11] Another, alternate version of the default artwork was also used for promotional purposes, mostly in the earliest versions of the michaeljackson.com website. In this version, way more details are visible, e.g., revealing Jackson's neck.[12] In 2009, Invincible was re-released with somewhat bluer coloring on the cover.
Promotion[]
On September 7-10, 2001 Michael organized the 30th Anniversary Celebration show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, not only to commemorate the artist's legacy but to promote the release of his major hit, "You Rock My World", as well as the then-upcoming Invincible. According to Michael Prince, after the shows finished Jackson told his team to expect a call in upcoming weeks, as they'd be going on tour. Unfortunately, the morning after the show, the September 11 attacks occurred. While they kept on hoping for the tour to happen, by early 2002 many major world tours were being cancelled, and the same happened in Michael's case.[13]
Michael Jackson during the signing event at Times Square (November 7, 2001)
On November 7, 2001, a massive signing event took place at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, New York. The album's artwork was featured on the iconic LED screens. The event was so big, that it blocked the traffic, and hundreds of fans attended it. Additionally, Jackson was interviewed by MTV.
By the end of the year, three singles were released: "You Rock My World", "Butterflies", and "Cry", only two of which received music videos, with the latter not even including Jackson in it. Initially, Jackson wanted to have "Unbreakable" be the lead single and put out other songs as such; however, due to time and budget reasons, Sony insisted on releasing "You Rock My World" instead. It was later promised for an early 2002 release, but these plans were canceled when Sony gutted the album's promotion.
Conflict with Sony[]
Beginning in the late 1990s, Tommy Mottola, the then-CEO of Sony Music, wanted complete creative control over Jackson's work, including which songs would be released as singles and any music videos that were made from them.
In response to the September 11 attacks, Jackson recorded a charity single called "What More Can I Give" with several other celebrities under the banner of "The All-Stars". When Sony refused to support it due to Jackson's refusal to tour, Jackson organized a benefit concert on October 21, 2001, entitled "United We Stand: What More Can I Give", which lasted roughly twelve hours and featured appearances from other singers.
Michael Jackson protesting against Sony (2002)
Jackson and Sony also clashed over the former's recording contract. Jackson expected the rights to the masters from all of his past album releases to revert to him by the early 2000s. The label, however, extended the copyright instead. Jackson decided he wanted to leave Sony, to manage everything by himself without having to pay them a bigger part of the benefits. Following Jackson notifying Mottola about ending the deal, Sony Music backed out of most projects planned for Invincible's promo, including music videos and singles. Due to this, projects for "Unbreakable" or "Threatened" were ultimately canceled. Additionally, as it turned out, Jackson's lawyer worked with Sony, which Jackson himself was unaware of.[14]
Less than a year after Invincible's release, Sony Music cut any kind of promotion for the project. Jackson became furious, issuing a public statement in July 2002, stating the label was trying to sabotage his album and adding that Tommy Mottola was racist and "devilish".[15] Following Jackson's departure, Sony didn't renew his contract, only releasing the greatest hits album Number Ones in 2003 and the box set The Ultimate Collection in 2004, as they were the last projects Jackson "owed" them.
Reception[]
Invincible initially received mixed reviews from music critics, who stated it felt inconsistent and "offered virtually no new twists". It was commonly agreed upon that the record was simply too long, and it "loses steam halfway through".[16] On the other hand, in the later years, it was proudly looked back on, as it was deemed "stronger than ever", and following Jackson's death in 2009, it was dubbed the best album of the 2000s by readers of Billboard.
Fans' opinions have varied over the years. Invincible continuously finds new fans, many of whom claim it to be his most underappreciated work, if not his best. Tracks like "Heartbreaker" and "Butterflies" have especially gained newfound appreciation and were cited as early stages of dubstep and Lo-fi. Though some still agree with the critics' reviews from 2001, stating it feels less cohesive than Jackson's other work, and that too many producers worked on it. A lot of fans also feel as though the unreleased outtakes from Invincible, like "We've Had Enough" or "Hollywood Tonight", are much stronger than some songs that actually made it on the album, which are often deemed as fillers. Jackson's vocals were also described as having declined, especially on tracks recorded closer to the album's release, like "Heaven Can Wait".
Singles[]
Promotional singles[]
June 21, 2001
February 18, 2002
Spotify[]
Track list[]
| Standard edition | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Unbreakable" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.) | 6:25 |
| 2. | "Heartbreaker" (featuring Fats) | 5:09 |
| 3. | "Invincible" (featuring Fats) | 4:45 |
| 4. | "Break of Dawn" | 5:31 |
| 5. | "Heaven Can Wait" | 4:48 |
| 6. | "You Rock My World" | 5:37 |
| 7. | "Butterflies" | 4:39 |
| 8. | "Speechless" | 3:18 |
| 9. | "2000 Watts" | 4:24 |
| 10. | "You Are My Life" | 4:33 |
| 11. | "Privacy" | 5:04 |
| 12. | "Don't Walk Away" | 4:24 |
| 13. | "Cry" | 5:00 |
| 14. | "The Lost Children" | 3:58 |
| 15. | "Whatever Happens" (featuring Carlos Santana) | 4:55 |
| 16. | "Threatened" | 4:18 |
| Total length: | 1:17:01 | |
Cut songs[]
Trivia[]
- Invincible is seen as Jackson's "comeback" in his career. At over six years, it marks the longest period without him releasing a studio album.
- Months before the production of Invincible began, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. However, this release is considered a remix album, and not a part of the mainline series of Michael's discography.
- Diana Ross' 2006 album, Blue, features an artwork bearing a resemblance to the blue cover of Invincible. However, there's no proof that Diana's album cover was inspired by it.
- According to Jerkins, there were supposed to be five singles in total, but due to Jackson's and Sony's fallout, only two came out.[17] According to (the now-outdated) Michael Jackson: For the Record, among the singles would be "Whatever Happens", "Break of Dawn", and "Speechless". The latter was the only one to have gotten any kind of release, serving as a promotional single in 2002.
- During an interview with Rolling Stone in 2001, Michael himself expressed his excitement about a supposed short film for "Threatened", suggesting that the song was at some point considered for the single release, as well.[18]
- The album is the only one to have two songs released as promotional singles for it.
References[]
- ↑ "Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Talks Producing For Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Brandy, SZA & More" - Liner Notes With DJ Short, YouTube
- ↑ https://www.kennysmusic.co.uk/news/the-7-most-expensive-albums-of-all-time/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOgLHx0nhmc
- ↑ https://www.damienshields.com/she-was-loving-me/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_WH7L8xKKD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
- ↑ https://www.damienshields.com/she-was-loving-me/
- ↑ https://www.damienshields.com/she-was-loving-me/
- ↑ https://www.mjvibe.com/rodney-jerkins-speaks-about-michael-in-new-interview/
- ↑ https://www.okayplayer.com/music/pharrell-michael-jackson-nore.html
- ↑ https://gottahaverockandroll.com/Michael_Jackson__Invincible__Alternate_Unreleased_-LOT26991.aspx
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 https://www.artofdesignonline.com/invincible/invincible
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20020119201735/http://michaeljackson.com/
- ↑ https://bricenajar.com/en/interview-with-michael-durham-prince/
- ↑ https://luckyluxcifer.wixsite.com/website/en/post/michael-jackson-vs-sony-la-lucha-de-titanes-que-rompi%C3%B3-al-rey-del-pop-1
- ↑ https://www.mtv.com/news/icekba/michael-jackson-shocks-al-sharpton-by-calling-tommy-mottola-a-racist
- ↑ Invincible by Michael Jackson Reviews and Tracks - Metacritic
- ↑ V EXCLUSIVE: Rodney Jerkins Talks MJ’s Last Studio Album, Invincible
- ↑ https://youtu.be/96kZmNsLESQ?si=V0xIxTIA2GtsKx1x