LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Michael Jackson fan will be this week finally get their hands on the first record in the pop icon since he died, with huge sales planned despite lukewarm reviews and questions about its authenticity.
"Michael," released Tuesday in the United States, includes 10 songs the King of pop was at various stages of completion when he died last year and includes contributions by rapper 50 cent, singer Lenny Kravitz and USA Akon.
Two tracks have already been released online, the first of which--"Breaking News," as the media persecuted the singer scandal-tainted--a fierce protest sparked a heated debate over whether it was really voice Jackson.
Record company Sony--which envisages the granting of a number of new album of Jackson--was forced to defend the album after the fans and even some of the members of the family of Jackson interrogated authenticity of records.
"We have full confidence in the results of our extensive research, as well as the accounts of those who were in the Studio with Michele that the voice of the new album are its", said in a statement.
LaToya Jackson's sister said openly that the record "doesn't sound like him." But more generally, purist Jackson fan demand as some of the songs were finished, from material recorded sometimes several years ago.
At least one song, "Much Too Soon," was written at the time of Jackson landmark 1982 album "Thriller", many derive from the moment of his last album of new material, "Invincible 2001."
The stems of track, "Band of joy," the latest from months before the death of Jackson shock in June 2009--he planned to continue working on it in London between a series of sell-out concerts in July and August, say the producers.
Jackson is credited as a writer of all but two songs--"Another Day" by Lenny Kravitz and "Hold My Hand" by Akon, and producers are eager to point out how closely they kept the original intentions of the singer.
"While Michael was not there to complete the tracks as only he could, he left behind a mapping roadmap only his creative vision in the form of notes and detailed conversations," says in an introduction to multimedia, pages 10 who spends two pages, trying to justify the authenticity of the album.
Reviews of new pre-release albums--reportedly the first of a bargain than 10-album in seven years, although it is difficult to confirm--decidedly mixed.
"This is not a Michael Jackson album ... He would not have released anything as this compilation, a bag of grab outtakes and contours assembled from Jackson's label," said the Rolling Stone, although by calling the album "interesting".
Entertainment Weekly gave a grade of "B", saying "like going musical epitaphs, Michael is a solid album, probably stronger than Invincible and certainly not great affront to his name.
"But it can be difficult to listen and not wonder what he would do differently--or if he would have liked to hear us all."
In Britain, reviewer of music weekly NME said the album was saved by two last traces: "Behind the mask" which he describes as "Brilliant" and the Ballad of thriller-era "Much Too Soon."
"Oh, it isn? t really very good, don? t be illusions of that. But I respect the mess useless, inauthentic and offensive, could be ...? Michael? can actually be considered something of a win, "she says.
But, perhaps inevitably, the album is already a bestseller with fans, like last year's film, "This is it," realized by movies of evidence for the exhibition in London.
The album--which cover, in typical style of Jackson, depicts him be crowned with putti with a star looking biblical background--was number 11 in amazon.com sellers this weekend, ahead of his actual issue.
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