If MJ was alive, how well would Xscape do?

[dam2040]

After watching the new Xscape documentary I couldn't help but wonder how well this album would've done had he been alive for it. The current sales figures stand at just over 1M copies nearly a month after release, so how well would it have done had been alive? I'm thinking he would've done This is It, plenty of side projects too like the Halloween Special, so what sort of success do you think Xscape would've had?

 

[Zakk]

After watching the new Xscape documentary I couldn't help but wonder how well this album would've done had he been alive for it. The current sales figures stand at just over 1M copies nearly a month after release, so how well would it have done had been alive? I'm thinking he would've done This is It, plenty of side projects too like the Halloween Special, so what sort of success do you think Xscape would've had?

It would have sold far more than the current artists of today, i'm sure if he performed & promoted this album.. it would sell more than 20 million.. i'm certain of that! maybe an acoustic Xscape tour.. tv performances, new short films. There could have been so many possibilities.. oh the what if's huh?

 

[Pe@cock]

If Mj was alive, the album wouldn't be released like that!
MJ would have reworked the songs, it would be a real promotion of the album with live performances, choreography. The album would sell like hotcakes.

 

[KOPV]

Xscape simply wouldn't exhist and a whole different legacy would have been left via this is it and projects surrounding it and post.... We would have new music (not old reworked) and we would have gotten a whole new style of dance and flavor as we always did..

But or or argument sake if xacape was release and mj was here it would have done much better of course simply because he could promote it

 

[reibish]

1M in a month for posthumous release is nothing to sneeze at!

This is a good question. I think there is more than one answer, so I'll go with all of them.

1) As-is, if Michael had fully finished the album, with these songs, but not necessarily in this before/after "contemporized" way, but produced the way he wanted it done - I think it would have done well. Certainly would have done better than Invincible, assuming he'd completed This is It - people would be clamoring for it.

2) If Michael had released Xscape as a whole different concept, but with that theme in mind (kindof like a second chance at Invincible, if you will), done right, I think it also would have been a smash.

3) If he'd done an entire different album? Maybe something along the lines of Michael and Xscape - not so sure. Depends what he'd put on it. But, again, assuming this would have been on the coattails of This is It (rather than doing an album THEN touring, of course he'd do it the other way around , I think anything he produced would have been a success. He knew who to work with and it was clear he knew where music was headed with the Invincible sessions.

 

[dewey]

Michael knew how to promote records, so I think with proper backing from a record company and his vision for short film innovation, Xscspe would have done very, very well. I agree that we would have new music with his creative fingerprints, his blood, sweat, tears and love all over it. However, with This Is It and touring and his desire to get into all things film, it makes me wonder if we would have these songs at all if he were still alive.

 

[HIStory]

It would have sold far more than the current artists of today, i'm sure if he performed & promoted this album.. it would sell more than 20 million.. i'm certain of that! maybe an acoustic Xscape tour.. tv performances, new short films. There could have been so many possibilities.. oh the what if's huh?

No album sells 20 million these days.

And if MJ was alive Xscape simply would not exist.

 

[dam2040]

No album sells 20 million these days.

And if MJ was alive Xscape simply would not exist.

Obviously not, but an album of Xscape's type with the new material etc - wouldn't be called Xscape obviously but basically I meant a new album.

 

[HIStoric]

maybe an acoustic Xscape tour

Noooo way. MJ wasn't too big on touring and he was a perfectionist who wanted every thing to be 100x better than the last time. I can certainly imagine performances at award shows and stuff, but not really any more tours.

No album sells 20 million these days.

Yeah basically. The only exception being Adele's 21 I believe, the way and method through which people consume music has drastically changed over the past 10 years.

Being completely honest though, I imagine MJ would be disappointed with album sales. He not only maintained that obsession with selling 100 million copies of a new album, but selling the amount of albums Invincible did in this musical climate is quite a challenge and feat in itself. I'm really not sure, circumstances would be so different if MJ was alive.

I don't think he'd have much of an issue at least topping the charts for a while and holding a solid position (because dayum did he know how to promote his shit), but I really don't know if he would sell near as many copies as he used to. I don't really think it's entirely his fault either, it's just that the way and method through which people consume music has changed drastically.

 

[Annita]

I don`t think MJ had disappointed with album-sales. Even his Thriller 25 as a reissue sold 2,6 Mio. 2007 and was the 17th best selling album of the year worldwide.

 

[reibish]

Being completely honest though, I imagine MJ would be disappointed with album sales. He not only maintained that obsession with selling 100 million copies of a new album, but selling the amount of albums Invincible did in this musical climate is quite a challenge and feat in itself. I'm really not sure, circumstances would be so different if MJ was alive... but I really don't know if he would sell near as many copies as he used to. I don't really think it's entirely his fault either, it's just that the way and method through which people consume music has changed drastically.

I think he'd be disappointed too, but one of the greatest things about the way music consumption has changed is that it's SO easily accessible. Xscape as a song was supposed to be an experiment in this realm, as back in Invincible's day, digital singles were the hot new thing. Now that entire albums are so easily accessed that way, I think it's something he would have really embraced and had a field day with, especially when considering his marketing and business savvy. He was a smart dude and would have known how to make it explode on the digital market.

 

[HIStory]

Adele is always brought up but she was an anomaly (mainly because she appeals to a demographic which still buys records rather than downloading them) and I think even she would have a hard time to repeat the success of 21 now, three years later. Even in the last couple of years sales have gone down massively with the rise of Spotify etc. Her advantage is that while she appeals to an adult contemporary audience she is still young, a current artist - so she has both the adult contemporary audience and a young audience in her corner. That combination made her album so successful IMO.

Realistically MJ would be harder to market. He's a veteran artist. Just take a look at how artists who were his contemporarties sell these days: Bruce Springsteen's latest album sold about 700k copies (less than Xscape) WW. Mariah Carey's latest album flopped. Madonna isn't the big seller she used to be either. Janet can hardly sell out theaters any more. When was the last time Prince charted? Etc. etc.

And we cannot ignore the fact that due to 20+ years of media slander MJ's public image wasn't the best when he died. That too would be an obstacle to sell 20 million copies of an album no matter how great it was.

A new MJ album would probably sell more than Xscape just based on the fact that the fanbase would be less divided: there would not be Estate boycotters etc. But that still would not make the album sell 20 million. I'd say if he could sell 3 million copies it would already be a success in the current industry climate and considering all the above factors.

 

[HIStory]

Adele is always brought up but she was an anomaly (mainly because she appeals to a demographic which still buys records rather than downloading them) and I think even she would have a hard time to repeat the success of 21 now, three years later. Even in the last couple of years sales have gone down massively with the rise of Spotify etc. Her advantage is that while she appeals to an adult contemporary audience she is still young, a current artist - so she has both the adult contemporary audience and a young audience in her corner. That combination made her album so successful IMO.

Realistically MJ would be harder to market. He's a veteran artist. Just take a look at how artists who were his contemporarties sell these days: Bruce Springsteen's latest album sold about 700k copies (less than Xscape) WW. Mariah Carey's latest album flopped. Madonna isn't the big seller she used to be either. Janet can hardly sell out theaters any more. When was the last time Prince charted? Etc. etc. Whether we like it or not showbiz is an ageist industry.

And we cannot ignore the fact that due to 20+ years of media slander MJ's public image wasn't the best when he died. That too would be an obstacle to sell 20 million copies of an album no matter how great it was.

A new MJ album would probably sell more than Xscape just based on the fact that the fanbase would be less divided: there would not be Estate boycotters etc. But that still would not make the album sell 20 million. I'd say if he could sell 3 million copies it would already be a success in the current industry climate and considering all the above factors.

 

[donalb]

^^ I agre with you about Adele. She also benefitted from the fact that she was a relatively new voice on the music scene and people were looking for something which sounded a bit different at the time. In addition to this, her first song was an absolute home run which propelled album sales around the world. This was followed up with a second smash thanks in part to her live performance of the song on MTV. There are rumors that she will release her next album later in the year. If the album is decent and released around the busy holiday season, it will definitely sell a lot of copies though probably not as much as the last one.

 

[SheilaMJFan4Ever]

I doubt he would have considered touring to promote it (especially after finishing TII), even on a small scale. I thought the purpose of the "This Is It" concert series was to say good bye to touring?

 

[HIStory]

I doubt he would have considered touring to promote it (especially after finishing TII), even on a small scale. I thought the purpose of the "This Is It" concert series was to say good bye to touring?

Yes, that's another good point. For an album to sell a massive amount, massive promotion is needed - including TV performances, concert tours etc. Michael did not want to do that any more. He wanted to focus on raising his children.

 

[Annita]

I remember Michael Prince told Piers Morgan in a CNN-IV Michael wanted to release single after single during the TII- Tour until it is a full album.

 

[Bubs]

I remember Michael Prince told Piers Morgan in an CNN-IV Michael wanted to release single after single during the TII- Tour until it is a full album.

I missed their interview or didn't remember it so I had go find it.
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-119848.html?

Michael Prince said this:
PRINCE: Right. And that way you don't get compared to "Thriller" every time you put out an album. So he was going to do it while we were on tour, maybe a single every eight weeks. And then once you had ten out, you add two new songs and you have a record.
-----------------
I wonder which songs he was going to release as singles and which songs were close enough completion, as TII was about to start and he had about 2 months to get first single out?

 

[nickzark]

if MJ was alive Xscape would not exist. Maybe other Albums

 

[HIStoric]

Yes, that's another good point. For an album to sell a massive amount, massive promotion is needed - including TV performances, concert tours etc. Michael did not want to do that any more. He wanted to focus on raising his children.

Do you think This Is It was to end all performances or just tours? I can imagine him giving one or two performances per album at the biggest events (i.e. Grammys) to promote his albums, at least while he was in his 50s anyway...

 

[HIStory]

Do you think This Is It was to end all performances or just tours? I can imagine him giving one or two performances per album at the biggest events (i.e. Grammys) to promote his albums, at least while he was in his 50s anyway...

I don't know. To me it seems if it was up to him (not because of need of money or need to promote something) he would not have wanted to perform any more. Even if you give just one performance, it is stressful - those could have led to sleep problems during the rehearsals as well. Acc. to the bodyguards he still liked to create music, but he did not like the whole commercial side any more. I guess the need to perform well on the charts etc. - those things stressed him out and did not really like it any more.

 

[Electro]

The album would sell like hotcakes.

I'm not so sure about that.
As sad as it is, only the fact that he died created that big sympathy buzz for Michael and allowed everyone to remind of his artistic genius and be open again for new music. If he would not have died, he would still be where he was in 2009, caught in the loop of bad press that focused on bad looks and bad cash flow. And who knows what kind of "scandals" or further changes to his appearance there would have been in the meantime.

How well do you think a new MJ album would have done right before his death? Not so well i think. Also because the music would have been less fresh. Don't get me wrong, Michael was a musical genius, but after Dangerous he more and more lost contact to the music world and what was really hot in the mainstream. The fact that Xscape was selected with a fresh view and a masterplan from an outsider like LA Ried without any of those corny ballads and save the planet anthems, helped a lot.

 

[HIStory]

How well do you think a new MJ album would have done right before his death? Not so well i think. Also because the music would have been less fresh. Don't get me wrong, Michael was a musical genius, but after Dangerous he more and more lost contact to the music world and what was really hot in the mainstream. The fact that Xscape was selected with a fresh view and a masterplan from an outsider like LA Ried without any of those corny ballads and save the planet anthems, helped a lot.

Whether keeping up with the mainstream is a plus or minus when the mainstream's values and worth is so questionable, is debatable. For example, Madonna did always try to keep up with the mainstream, the latest trends, always employing the hippest producers of the moment, but I would not say that made her music good. Hip of the moment? Perhaps. But much of her new stuff is unlistenable, at least to me. And it's not like it helped her keep selling either. Her latest albums were flops. And give me save the planet anthems any time over a 55-year-old woman acting like she's 16 and singing silly lyrics like that, just because she's trying to "keep up" with the likes of Miley Cyrus or Niki Minaj. Sometimes it's good to keep up with latest trends, but sometimes it's a compromise an older artist who has artistic integrity should not take IMO.

It's natural that after the age of 40-50 most artists come to a decline and they will not sell as much any more. It has nothing to do with "keeping up", it has all to do with the fact that this is an ageist industry and no matter what they do they just will not sell like young artists who mainly appeal to the record buying public.

You have older artists who do not try to keep up, just do the same old music they always did (eg. Bruce Springsteen) and they do not sell a crazy amount. (Springsteen's latest album sold less than Xscape.) They have their core, older fan base and that's it.

Then you have older artists who do try to keep up (eg. Madonna, Mariah Carey) but they flop even harder than the artists who just keep doing their old stuff. That's because at least these latters keep their artistic credibility and integrity while the ones "trying to keep up" lose their old fan base because someone who liked for example Mariah Carey in the 90s won't like her current music - it's just not appealing to the demographic who used to like Mariah. And young people who she tries to appeal to now, are just not interested in these "old grannies".

 

[terrell]

Whether keeping up with the mainstream is a plus or minus when the mainstream's values and worth is so questionable, is debatable. For example, Madonna did always try to keep up with the mainstream, the latest trends, always employing the hippest producers of the moment, but I would not say that made her music good. Hip of the moment? Perhaps. But much of her new stuff is unlistenable, at least to me. And it's not like it helped her keep selling either. Her latest albums were flops. And give me save the planet anthems any time over a 55-year-old woman acting like she's 16 and singing silly lyrics like that, just because she's trying to "keep up" with the likes of Miley Cyrus or Niki Minaj. Sometimes it's good to keep up with latest trends, but sometimes it's a compromise an older artist who has artistic integrity should not take IMO.

It's natural that after the age of 40-50 most artists come to a decline and they will not sell as much any more. It has nothing to do with "keeping up", it has all to do with the fact that this is an ageist industry and no matter what they do they just will not sell like young artists who mainly appeal to the record buying public.

You have older artists who do not try to keep up, just do the same old music they always did (eg. Bruce Springsteen) and they do not sell a crazy amount. (Springsteen's latest album sold less than Xscape.) They have their core, older fan base and that's it.

Then you have older artists who do try to keep up (eg. Madonna, Mariah Carey) but they flop even harder than the artists who just keep doing their old stuff. That's because at least these latters keep their artistic credibility and integrity while the ones "trying to keep up" lose their old fan base because someone who liked for example Mariah Carey in the 90s won't like her current music - it's just not appealing to the demographic who used to like Mariah. And young people who she tries to appeal to now, are just not interested in these "old grannies".

I agree. This is the same with Prince. Prince latest music is not good at all. I think MJ would have done well had he lived.

 

[Electro]

Of course it's easy to fail in trying to "keep up".
Madonna overdid that in recent years. But just speaking music... Xscape is a good example that it's possible if you know what your doing. The Xscape Versions don't sound like unlistenable modern Dance-trash unlike much of Madonnas latest music.

It needed dominant impulses from the outside to let that happen for Michael. If Michael would have done it, it would have become another Invincible, where he musically (partly) tries to be hip and hard as much as he can imagined it, but fails, because he is too stuck in his old ways.

 

[somewhereinthedark]

I agree with the person who said that "if Michael was alive, we wouldn't have Xscape". If Michael was still here we WOULD have new music released, just not the album Xscape. Having said that, Xscape is doing an awesome job. I have been VERY pleased with the promotion behind the album, the music on the album AND the success of the album. I am so thankful that the Estate decided to release this album. It has renewed people's interest in Michael and put the focus back on his MUSIC, where it should be. The release of this album has also given US, the fans, something to lift our spirits and hearts as we listen to Michael's magnificent voice on these wonderful songs. The album was done with love and respect for Michael AND his fans. I thank all involved for that.

 

[Korlay]

If Mj was alive, the album wouldn't be released like that!
MJ would have reworked the songs, it would be a real promotion of the album with live performances, choreography. The album would sell like hotcakes.

..and that's all it is to it, if Michael were to release an EP such as Xscape I think it would have done okay.. I'm 100% sure those songs would be reworked to perfection track for track with Michael's genius in the studio though.

 

[speeddemon88]

I'm not so sure about that.
As sad as it is, only the fact that he died created that big sympathy buzz for Michael and allowed everyone to remind of his artistic genius and be open again for new music. If he would not have died, he would still be where he was in 2009, caught in the loop of bad press that focused on bad looks and bad cash flow. And who knows what kind of "scandals" or further changes to his appearance there would have been in the meantime.

How well do you think a new MJ album would have done right before his death? Not so well i think. Also because the music would have been less fresh. Don't get me wrong, Michael was a musical genius, but after Dangerous he more and more lost contact to the music world and what was really hot in the mainstream. The fact that Xscape was selected with a fresh view and a masterplan from an outsider like LA Ried without any of those corny ballads and save the planet anthems, helped a lot.

I have to disagree that he lost contact with the current music, Ghosts? Scream ? Rock my world from 2001 was very contemporary, and listen to Justin Timberlakes music 1,2 years later and compare with this track, the style of singing etc. I was 13 at that time and I was jamming to that record like crazy. Michael was brilliant singer who could sing anything, the most important is that the production behind the voice is keeping up. That is also why Michael left Quincy cos he wanted the contemporary sound, it really depends on what kind of producers you work with. Thats why Xscape sounds so fresh and cool & I truly believe the producers brought those songs to next level.

 

[Electro]

I have to disagree that he lost contact with the current music, Ghosts? Scream ? Rock my world from 2001 was very contemporary, and listen to Justin Timberlakes music 1,2 years later and compare with this track, the style of singing etc. I was 13 at that time and I was jamming to that record like crazy. Michael was brilliant singer who could sing anything, the most important is that the production behind the voice is keeping up. That is also why Michael left Quincy cos he wanted the contemporary sound, it really depends on what kind of producers you work with. Thats why Xscape sounds so fresh and cool & I truly believe the producers brought those songs to next level.

You Rock My World ..i found that extremly oldfashioned and cheesy mellow when it was released. Especially that bassdrum-scratching sounded like inspired from some old Puff Daddy & Maze songs. Scream is great... it's futuristic... but not easy to swallow musically for the masses. How well would it have done without Janet and without the "first MJ video / song since the big scandal / from the new album" buzz? Ghosts (song) also didn't hit any mainstream nerves.. nice, but too oldfashioned beats.

You Are Not Alone... was the last song that really hit the (american) mainstream nerve full force without sounding oldfashioned.
Earth Song and They Don't Care about Us where smash hits (everywhere except USA) because they were unique and catchy enough.

Of course that's only me trying to see things objective. Subjective views, especially of fans.. is always a different pair of shoes.

 

[HIStory]

You Rock My World ..i found that extremly oldfashioned and cheesy mellow when it was released. Especially that bassdrum-scratching sounded like inspired from some old Puff Daddy & Maze songs. Scream is great... it's futuristic... but not easy to swallow musically for the masses. How well would it have done without Janet and without the "first MJ video / song since the big scandal / from the new album" buzz? Ghosts (song) also didn't hit any mainstream nerves.. nice, but too oldfashioned beats.

You Are Not Alone... was the last song that really hit the (american) mainstream nerve full force without sounding oldfashioned.
Earth Song and They Don't Care about Us where smash hits (everywhere except USA) because they were unique and catchy enough.

Of course that's only me trying to see things objective. Subjective views, especially of fans.. is always a different pair of shoes.

MJ's success or lack of it, especially after 1993 did not always have anything to do with the quality of music. Nor does mainstream taste has to do with objectivity. The lack of success for TDCAU and Earth Song and Stranger in Moscow in the US shows that - while acts like the Spice Girls or Hanson were topping the charts at the time...

Scream is great... it's futuristic... but not easy to swallow musically for the masses. How well would it have done without Janet and without the "first MJ video / song since the big scandal / from the new album" buzz?

Do you honestly think that the 1993 scandal did anything to promote his stuff, rather than making it a lot harder for him to be successful? A better question would be what Michael's new music could have achieved on the charts without the allegations? I guarantee you that his songs would have been more successful on Billboard without the scandal and the general public and critics as well would have been more open to his music. A scandal like that doesn't help anyone's marketability and chart success.