The mid-90s were not a good time for Michael Jackson. After becoming one of the biggest musicians in the world, the artist found himself caught in a never-ending media frenzy.
At first, there were crazy accusations of wanting to buy the elephant man's bones and sleeping in an oxygen chamber to stay young. And then things escalated when he was accused of sexually assaulting some of the children that would sleepover at his now infamous Neverland Ranch.
Whether or not Michael actually did the crimes he was accused of is still actively a topic of discussion in the present day, thanks to documentaries like Leaving Neverland.
I do think it should be noted however that he’s admitted to having slept in the same bed with a number of these children, which is weird and creepy.
This led Jackson down a dark path, where he began abusing painkillers and stopped eating. This combination eventually led him to cancel the remainder of the dates for his Dangerous tour and was later checked into rehab.
After that, the musician started to try and slowly distance himself from the public eye...well...
In 1994, he would release HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book I, a double album that saw the artist attack these criticisms head-on. And despite its massive commercial success, large concept, and $30 million promotional campaign, which included erecting six thirty-plus foot statues of himself around different countries, I did not find the record interesting enough to create such a big spectacle around it.
While the record still features many classic songs like They Don't Care About Us and Scream, a lot of it is rounded out with songs like Tabloid Junkie, where instead of trying to create interesting hooks and melodies, Michael spends the time venting over dated drum machines.
Yes, this is one of the few records where you quite literally can't remove the art from the artist. Maybe if Michael didn’t openly admit to sleeping with other people’s kids while addicted to drugs, he wouldn’t get so much scrutiny.
But my opinion doesn't matter as the record went on to sell over 20 million units worldwide.
In 1997, a remix album came out called Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which most of you reading this article probably only know for its lead single of the same name.
It's a subpar record that continues in the same direction as its predecessor, and while it tends to share the same flaws, I became hooked on one song.
Morphine is a song that was written specifically about his drug problem, and due to the harsh subject matter, it's also one of the darkest things he's ever penned.
The way it's composed is really interesting too, the track begins with an almost Nine Inch Nails-esque drum beat, accompanied by heavy electric guitars played by Slash. As the song crashes into its bridge, the scenery changes, the guitars turn to strings, and Michael's harsh vocals go soft. It goes all out with its concept.
It makes me wonder what a full-on industrial Jackson record would've sounded like, but alas, that time has long passed.
It also makes me wonder if I would've liked the original record more if the songs about his personal issues were handled more like this. Probably not, but it would've been cool.
Michael would later pass due to an overdose on the drug propofol, causing this song to have a way harsher edge because of it. He knew it was a problem, but wasn’t able to get the help he needed.
Check out the song below.
