It was announced today that on May 13th
Epic Records, in conjunction with the Estate of Michael Jackson, will release
XSCAPE, an album of new music by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. XSCAPE is
executive produced by Epic Records Chairman and CEO L.A. Reid. After mining by
the Estate of Jackson’s archives, Reid was granted unlimited access to the
treasures spanning four decades of material on which Jackson had completed his
vocals. Reid then teamed up top producers to “contemporize” the songs while
retaining Jackson’s essence and integrity, creating the best music you’ve never
heard.
The list of producers include global
hitmakers Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate and John McClain.
The new album will feature eight brand new
recordings. A Deluxe Edition of XSCAPE will include a selection of the
recordings in their original form.
The title of this album honors Michael’s
album naming process. He always chose a song from the album to name his
projects and, beginning with THRILLER, used only one word titles, each with an
edgy quality to them. This is true of the new project.
John Branca and John McClain, co-executors
of the Estate of Michael Jackson said, “Michael was always on the cutting edge
and was constantly reaching out to new producers, looking for new sounds. He
was always relevant and current. These tracks, in many ways, capture that
spirit. We thank L.A. Reid for his vision.”
Full press release below and more news
about Michael Jackson’s upcoming album will be revealed in the coming weeks.
