staywild23
Premium Member
I have always felt that Thriller40 seems like a calculated business move to get the general public thinking about Michael's genius again. It's his album with the most cultural recognition and the one that will best help steer people's minds back to Michael, the musical juggernaut. I think if they are smart they will limit "the good stuff" they put on disc 2 (as to save material for other releases), restore the films, and have a documentary. We need a *positive* Michael Jackson documentary to hit the mainstream, regardless of if it's about his music or something else. If Spike Lee did a doc, that would further help propel people to "remember" (as if anyone could forget) how incredible Michael was. All of that can prime the general public more for the biopic in a few years (which will have a soundtrack), any forthcoming documentaries, a potential Bad40, and perhaps another posthumous release album. All of that takes us to Thriller50!
My biggest concern is that the estate is just completely inept at reading Michael's popularity on social media correctly and capitalizing on it. He's HUGE on TikTok. None of his contemporaries trend the way he does. None have the kind of following he does. His fanbase is growing on a literal daily basis. Also, the musical (while sadly only a US thing for now) is huge and has just been extended on Broadway from September to April of 2023. It wouldn't surprise me if it extended again, either. It has sold out every show the past 5 weeks - no other Broadway show has done that. I bring these things up because altogether they are creating a more pro-MJ climate than there has been in a long time, from what I can understand. If they don't take advantage of this with more releases after Thriller40, including non-anniversary albums, concert releases, etc., (regardless of how it 'performs') then what are they even doing?*
*this is a rhetorical question
My biggest concern is that the estate is just completely inept at reading Michael's popularity on social media correctly and capitalizing on it. He's HUGE on TikTok. None of his contemporaries trend the way he does. None have the kind of following he does. His fanbase is growing on a literal daily basis. Also, the musical (while sadly only a US thing for now) is huge and has just been extended on Broadway from September to April of 2023. It wouldn't surprise me if it extended again, either. It has sold out every show the past 5 weeks - no other Broadway show has done that. I bring these things up because altogether they are creating a more pro-MJ climate than there has been in a long time, from what I can understand. If they don't take advantage of this with more releases after Thriller40, including non-anniversary albums, concert releases, etc., (regardless of how it 'performs') then what are they even doing?*
*this is a rhetorical question