New Michael Jackson Song 'This is It' Released

Michael Jackson's new song "This Is It" was unveiled on michaeljackson.com at just after midnight on Monday morning, October 12.

"This Is It" is the first recording released since the entertainer's death on June 25 from apparent drug complications. A 40-second snippet of the new song leaked a day early on the celebrity gossip site tmz.com.

The new song, which Jackson reportedly recorded in 1991 during sessions for the Dangerous album, opens with an orchestral flourish and begins with Jackson singing, "This is it / Here I stand / I'm the light of the world / I feel grand." "It feels as though I've seen your face a thousand times," Jackson sings as the song moves into a bridge and chorus featuring background vocals from some of Michael Jackson's brothers.

"This Is It" was quickly revealed to be the same song recorded by R&B singer Sa-Fire in 1991 under the title "I Never Heard." The song was co-written by Michael Jackson and Paul Anka. Jackson's new version is much more of a straightforward pop song than many of the hip hop-influenced songs that ended up appearing on Dangerous. Jackson's voice is strong, and the vocals from his brothers blend nicely with his own voice.

Initial reviews of the new song were mixed, but given the renewed excitement and interest in Jackson's music since his death, "This Is It" is all but guaranteed to be a worldwide hit. The song is likely to be the first of many posthumous releases, given that Jackson recorded dozens, if not hundreds, of songs that have yet to be released.

"This Is It" is taken from the upcoming film and 2-CD set of the same name. "This Is It," the 2-CD package, will be released internationally on October 26 and in America on October 27, followed by a vinyl edition of the album on November 10. The collection will feature some of Michael Jackson's greatest hits, unreleased demos, this new single, and a previously unreleased spoken poem called "Planet Earth."

"This Is It" the movie will appear in theaters on October 28, and advance tickets have already sold out in several cities around the world. The film contains behind-the-scenes of footage of Michael Jackson as he rehearsed for what would have been his comeback concert performance series in London, scheduled for July 2009.

The new song "This Is It" remains available for streaming on michaeljackson.com. The album is also available for pre-order from the website.

Sources:
http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/news/unreleased-michael-jackson-song-it-be-unveiled-midnight-october-12th-michaeljacksoncom
http://www.mjtunes.com/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?cid=1&lid=1062
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCV1h40oS0o
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1623517/20091009/jackson_michael.jhtml