Michael Jackson’s “HIStory” album is nothing short of an angry album. It was released in the mid-1990s and was a released as a two-disc album. The first disc contains hit songs from previous albums such as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Thriller,” and “Man In the Mirror.” However, the second disc is where Michael Jackson compiled new, controversial songs filled with anger. This second disc of songs, which were mostly written and produced by Michael Jackson, was a response to all of the negative media attention Michael Jackson had been receiving in the early nineties for suspected child sexual abuse. It is easy to tell by listening to the lyrics or even reading some of the titles of the songs that Michael is clearly irritated with how he has been treated. But what is really interesting about this album is the use of multiple genres of music which intensify the overall effect of the point Michael makes to his critics through his lyrics. Listeners are hearing Michael’s harsh response to the media criticism, but they are also being exposed to several different kinds of music all by one specific artist.
The genres Michael Jackson uses on “HIStory” include various types such as R&B, pop, hard rock, hip-hop, and ballads. No one song sounds remotely similar to another on this album; even though each song incorporates a different musical styling, Michael’s message towards the press is still understood. Michael Jackson experienced much torment from the press during the early nineties. Michael claimed there was no truth in any of the stories the press would run about him, but that did not stop the press from continuing their criticism of the superstar.
In one song off of “HIStory,” entitled “Tabloid Junkie,” Michael expresses his anger towards all of the lies about him in the press. This song has the aesthetics of a hard funk song. Michael collaborated with “fusionists” Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to create this song (Hunter/Rolling Stone). Within these lyrics, Michael accuses the press of “slander” and he instructs listeners not to believe everything they read.
Michael Jackson also worked with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on “Scream,” a duet Michael recorded with his sister, Janet Jackson. This song also incorporates a funk sound with a mix of hard rock. The refrain of “Stop pressurin’ me!” reveals that Michael is expressing his feelings of injustice.
Moving away from a funk sound, Michael Jackson solely wrote and produced a pop ballad called “Stranger in Moscow.” This song is a about a man disconnected from the world. Here, Michael is “angry” and “tortured,” which he describes as a “swift and sudden fall from grace” within the song (Hunter/Rolling Stone). This pop ballad uses the sound effect of rain falling to enhance the overall tone feeling of despair and isolation of the song. The song concludes with an unnamed person speaking lyrics in Russian. The incorporation of this unnamed foreign individual relates to Michael’s situation of merely wanting his voice to be heard in the midst of being constantly bashed by the media.
In “Earth Song,” Michael Jackson voices his concerns about the environment and the destruction people are causing. Michael collaborated with David Foster and Bill Bottrell on “Earth Song.” Together, the three men created a slow, yet powerful, blues styling to match the lyrics.
Michael also sampled in other genres such as hip-hop, R&B, and rock. In “This Time Around,” Michael collaborated with The Notorious B.I.G. on a hip-hop/R&B inspired song. The music was composed by Dallas Austin, Bruce Swedien, and Rene Moore. The song is about being famous and dealing with stardom and all that comes with it’ in Michael’s case, I think he’s referring to dealing with all the press and the rumors that surrounded his life. Another R&B song on the album is “They Don’t Care About Us.” This song is a more upbeat R&B song that Michael produced completely by himself. The song discusses injustice and racism and has become the subject of controversy ever since its release. This song proved that Michael was more “embattled than ever” before (Hunter/Rolling Stone). A full-out rock song on this album is “D.S.” Michael solely wrote and produced this song as well. Famous rock-guitarist, Slash, is featured on the song doing what he does best. The song, itself, is a supposed attack on the district attorney of the child sexual abuse case that Michael Jackson had previously been involved in.
With “HIStory,” Michael Jackson wanted to share with the world his feelings after he had experienced years of constant backlash from the media. This album was meant to prove his talent as a songwriter and as producer. Michael was able to mix and match several genres of music with his controversial lyrics in order to fight back against critics and negative attitudes. Michael uses “HIStory” to, in fact, tell his side of the story. These songs are thought to be some of Michael Jackson’s most personal songs because he shared some of his deepest feelings with the world. Even though this album was not seen as a typical career move for Michael Jackson, and people were certainly not expecting it, the album was still very successful and was popular across the globe.
