I’m sort of willing to accept the fact that music is released posthumously, although there’s obviously something mildly creepy about it. And it’s pretty sad. And not just sad because they’re dead but sad because the music is DOUBLE bad. You know how the music of aging pop stars just gets progressively worse and worse as they fall ever further from the exciting spark that drove them into the sky in the first place? It just becomes this lazy, phoned in old person thing dripping with satisfaction and disinterest, probably recorded in some mansion basement somewhere, who even knows which mansion at this point, and even the artist doesn’t seem to understand why exactly they’re making another record except that that is what bought the basement in the first place so it just seems necessary at this point? You know what I mean? Now imagine they’re dead. Eek. Like, at the very least, the aging pop star selects the best of his or her terrible music to release for no good reason, but a dead pop star’s posthumous songs are the ones that even they were like “Let’s leave this one in the can.” Michael Jackson, rest in peace, but Michael Jackson at the height of an inhuman liquid-painkiller addiction, lying around in the wreckage of a shattered mind was like “We don’t need to put this song out, you guys, even I can see that.” That’s the way that it’s sad. But I get it. The artist is gone, and the artist’s fans want anything they can get their hands on, even sub-par mansion basement b-side outttakes. Fair enough. But a music video? Now we are just being morbid.

“What’s so morbid about it? I think it’s going to be dope!” Shut up, Akon.

Oh, here’s another thought real quick: if you ARE going to release a posthumous song from a dead international pop star whose passing seemed like kind of a big deal for a lot of people, how about you use all of your years of ProTools experience to figure out some kind of crazy workaround so that the first line of the song isn’t “This life doesn’t last forever.” YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF HOW GOOD GRIEF. Also: does the video HAVE TO include little children? They were not even alive when Michael Jackson was good, what do they care about Michael Jackson? He raped them, remember? You’re just digging up dirt, music video. Cut it out.

Comments (83)
  1. “Micheal Jackson > Akon”
    ~ Stereogum

  2. Fun fact: Wikipedia lists Akon’s birth name as Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Badara Akon Thiam. I’d probably just go by one name, too.

  3. This song is Bad

  4. There was a big yikes with tykes moment, and if you blinked then you missed it.

  5. Beet It #VegetableMichaelJackson

  6. Soy Soy Soy (ft. Paul McCorney)

  7. Smooth Pickled Dill

  8. Hold my Hand #deadmichaeljackson

  9. Gabe, the law says that this Michael Jackson clip has to be at least 50 posts away from The Today Show Kid Clip.

  10. I want you backyard garden

  11. “I wanted to have a duet with MJ SO BAD that I had to wait for him to die before I could!” — Akon

  12. So the guy who freaks on underage kids at in concert does a duet with the guy who freaks on underage kids in private, AND it’s called Hold My Hand? This is almost TOO classy.

  13. When I read the title for this post my immediate thought was “Who is emcee Immeasurable Sadness and why have I not heard about him at the local cassette store?”

  14. Nobody asked for anything Akon this year or any other year. A true holiday saving miracle.

  15. “They were not even alive when Michael Jackson was good, what do they care about Michael Jackson? He raped them, remember?”

    I <3 u Gabe.

  16. I hate Akon because he sucks but also because he claims to be 29. Suuuuuuuuuurrrrrrreeee, Akon.

  17. don’t worry children, ghosts cannot touch your places.

  18. Not surprised, I have felt this way about Tupac since after 96 and Biggie since after 97. Then again they both died at the top of their game, Michael unfortunately died in the midst of attempting a rebirth so I wouldn’t have been surprised if he did this song while alive. Remember he paid Brando a million to utter one line in one of his “comeback” videos featuring Chris Tucker.

  19. I’ve gotten enough. We can stop now. We don’t have to keep going.

  20. “Also: does the video HAVE TO include little children?” Yes, Gabe. Especially in a slumber party setting. An absolute must.
    #fullcircle

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