Thursday, 25 June 2009

• Michael Jackson

  Michael Jackson holds a special place in my heart. When I was very young, I lived in Hong Kong. I moved to the USA at the age of five. The only songs I knew were those of Andy Lau, Teresa Teng, and the kind you sing in kindergarten class. One day, Michael Jackson was performing in a concert which was being broadcast on TV. I remember looking at the man in the red jacket looming on our screen and asking my mommy, "Who is that?" She told me, "That is Michael Jackson." And so I came to know about my first American musical artist.
  
  I could never make out the words in his songs when I was little (in part due to the language barrier), but the tunes were easily recognizable. As I grew older, I came to like his music more and more. I dressed up as Michael Jackson for Halloween in 2004 (junior year of high school), and it was probably the best Halloween costume I've had.
  
  

  
  

  ahem... the white face makeup wore off over the day.
  

  
  I remember that David and I used to sing Michael Jackson's songs together a lot in senior year and afterward. In fact, David was the first person I texted when I heard the news. The second was my mother. Michael Jackson's music has always been an inspiration to me. He is my third favorite music artist and it is a bit hard for me to swallow the fact that he is finally at rest. He was only 50 years old.
  
  If he actually molested little boys, that is inexcusable. But we should reflect on the great things that he did. He actually received a humanitarian award this morning before he died, for donating so much to charity, mostly ones supporting causes in Africa.
  
  There are his music achievements. As part of the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson was already capturing hearts at a young age. Then, Michael Jackson basically pioneered the way modern music videos are made. He broke the racial barrier on MTV by being the first colored person on there. Thriller is the top-selling album of all time and was certified platinum 56 times. His famous performance of Billie Jean made the moonwalk an instantly recognizable dance move. He made the most famous (and probably most imitated) music video for "Thriller," the most expensive music video for "Scream," and the longest music video for "Ghosts."
  
  Then there is where his music intersected with his charity and humanitarian efforts. There's "What More Can I Give," where Michael Jackson got dozens of big name artists to join in making this single, whose proceeds were all donated to charity.
  
  
  
  Then there are inspirational songs like "Man in the Mirror," which is basically a musical version of the Gandhi quote, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world," asking people to better the world by first bettering themselves. Another humanitarian song (although slightly ironic...) is "Black or White," in which Michael Jackson says that people should not be prejudiced against each other due to skin color.
  
  Michael Jackson has been an inspiration for many artists. I remember reading an exclusive article about him in Ebony last year, where Beyonce and Chris Brown talked about how MJ was a huge inspiration and they both had had the trademark red jacket. He has collaborated with greats like Freddie Mercury and newer artists like Fergie. He has been covered by countless artists, including my very own favorite, Jason Mraz.
  
  MJ was set to start a new tour this very summer in hopes of reviving his career. Sadly, the tour will never happen now. I can't believe that this living legend, this record breaker in every way, this idol of my childhood, has finally stopped moving. May he rest in peace.
  

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