Let’s face it, in the last five years, Michael Jackson has been anything but Invincible. Perhaps that’s why he’s decided to step back into the studio.
If anything, Jackson’s life around the time of that 2001 release would be better characterized by song titles off that album like “The Lost Children” and “Cry.” That said, the self-appointed King of Pop is dusting off the mic to see if he can’t reclaim some of his old white-gloved glory.
Tucked away in Bahrain, where he’s been since shortly after he was acquitted on child molestation charges in June 2005, Jackson has no intention of coming back to the states to record the epic project. Instead, he’s signed an exclusive recording agreement with Bahrain-based Two Seas Records, a joint venture between Jackson and Abdulla Hamad Al-Khalifa.
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“I am incredibly excited about my new venture,” Jackson said, according to Billboard.com, “and I am enjoying being back in the studio making music.” The new album is tentatively scheduled for a late 2007 release.
Record Exec Guy Holmes of Gut Records (responsible for the ubiquitous Crazy Frog) will act as CEO of the new label. Holmes will also manage Jackson’s other business interests and his dwindling assets. Just last week, news surfaced that Jackson entered into negotiations to sell half of his stake in the Sony catalog that includes 250 Beatles hits, to ease his more than $200 million debt.
To avoid confusion, Jackson may want to consider album titles like Vulnerable, A Little Less Unbreakable, or From Bahrain With Love for this project.
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