A Jackson Song Arrives, and the Discussion Begins

At midnight on Sunday, the new Michael Jackson single, “This Is It,” became available for streaming on michaeljackson.com. Jon Pareles, the chief pop critic of The New York Times, and Jon Caramanica, a regular contributor to The Times’s pop coverage, discuss its merits, and the striking resemblance to a 1991 song recorded by the Puerto Rican singer Safi

Paul Anka Says He Shares Copyright to New Jackson Song (October 13, 2009)

Times Topics: Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson rehearsing onstage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in June of this year.

JON PARELES Michael Jackson’s commercial afterlife starts today with “This Is It.” Maybe there should be a question mark at the end of the title — or, perhaps, a slight expansion paraphrasing Peggy Lee: “Is this all there is?”

Touted as brand-new, it’s not. It has much in common — its melody and many lyrics — with “I Never Heard,” a song written by Mr. Jackson and Paul Anka before Mr. Jackson’s “Dangerous” album and shelved. “I Never Heard” surfaced in 1991 near the end of an album by the Puerto Rican singer Safire. She sang with what now sounds very much like Jackson’s phrasing, and a lot more joy.

Safire’s “I Never Heard” exults in an unexpected romance. For “This Is It,” the lyrics got a telling rewrite. Safire sang, “In the light of the world, love is grand,” but Jackson’s version changes it to the considerably more messianic, “I’m the light of the world, I feel grand.” And later, “I’m the light of the world, this is real.”

Jackson still sings about being a lover in “This Is It,” but I don’t hear romance. Now, especially since the song is attached to memorials like the rehearsal-footage movie, also called “This Is It,” and a blatantly greedy album — the big hits yet again, two versions of “This Is It” and a handful of demos — “This Is It” becomes one of the Jackson songs that conflates his own stardom with universal love and uplift. Love Michael Jackson and heal the world; it was the kind of promise he could make when he was pop’s global superstar. (And the song may well have been set aside because Jackson used the same hymnlike tempo and ascending harmonies in “Heal the World.”)

The vocal starts with the breathy jitters that added another level of tension and syncopation to Jackson’s dance tunes, but soon smoothes itself out. Over Jackson’s piano-and-voice demo, the production waxes reverent: rising massed strings, genteel guitar tickles, his brothers in the Jacksons going “Ooh.” The free stream on michaeljackson.com is the orchestra version; the “album version” Epic sent the media takes off the strings, an improvement that unveils all the vocal harmonies and the finger snaps.

No funk here: it’s the posthumous, all-sweetness-and-light Jackson that his family is determined to sell. But at least he sounds human, especially at the end, where he lets the vocal line take a few tentative leaps. The vulnerability — especially at the beginning, as he counts off the song — is the endearing thing about “This Is It.” But what was he thinking as he sang, “I’m the light of the world?”

JON CARAMANICA Oh, dear — it’s an unfortunate coincidence, I’m guessing (hoping?), that the ad I’m seeing on michaeljackson.com is for “Gone Too Far,” the MTV reality-intervention series premiering today and starring D.J. AM, another 2009 victim of a drug overdose.

Or perhaps that’s reflective of the fumbling hands with which this song has been released. As mentioned here and elsewhere, these lyrics have been heard before. On the stream, the recording of the vocals is fuzzy, and the mix is far from perfect. And the song itself never fully resolves, working at one melodic and emotional pitch and then fading out.

“This Is It” does have that naïve quality that Jackson managed to hold on to through the early ’90s, only completely losing it in the face of media scrutiny and his own melting under it. (So glad you mentioned “Heal the World,” a far better and possibly smarter song built from largely the same building blocks.) But as a musical artifact, it’s better as suggestion than song: what I hear here is how Mr. Jackson might have sung these words in a proper studio setting, perhaps in a roomier arrangement with more motion in the rhythm.

And it’s an odd choice to signal Mr. Jackson’s re-emergence. The song itself is a trifle, a mildly ornery and defensive lyric over a sketch of lush harmonies to come. For “Michael Jackson: The Lost Tapes,” maybe, it would be a welcome curio, but ultimately “This Is It” sticks out as a song chosen more for its title than for its meaning. My fear, J P, is that it’s not a question mark missing after those words, but a period.

Ajab Prem... music a must hear

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyricist: Irshad Kamil
Singers: KK, Alisha Chinoy, Atif Aslam, Javed Ali, Kailash Kher, Neeraj Shridhar, Sunidhi Chauhan, Mika Singh, Hard Kaur, Soham, Rana Mazumdar, Ashish Pandit and Suzzane D Mello
Rating: ***

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, which stars Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, is music director Pritam Chakraborty's eighth release this year and he has once again done a great job by composing music that is energetic, contemporary and pleasing.

Aa jao meri tamanna sung by Javed Ali is a breezy song. The combination of high and low pitch vocals gives this romantic number an edge. In short, it is sweet and hummable.

The song also has a remixed version, which is faster in pace. But the original is much better.

Follow me is a hip-hop number and has Hard Kaur behind the mike. It has a contemporary feel and Hard Kaur excels in what she does best - rap.

Next in line is Main tera dhadkan teri, which is a power-packed song with vocals by three talented singers - KK, Sunidhi Chauhan and Hard Kaur. The energetic track has good musical backing.

The remixed version of Main tera dhadkan teri has nothing extraordinary to offer.

Oh my god sung by Mika Singh and Sunidhi doesn't impress much. It starts with the typical wedding music, but lacks punch and good lyrics.

Up next is Prem ki naiyya, a confluence of rustic vocals and western music that has been crooned by Neeraj Shridhar and Suzzane D'mello. But this song does get a tad boring.

The remixed version too doesn't have anything new to offer.

Tera hone laga hoon, another mushy offering by Pritam, is a song already popular on the radio and music channels. Sung by Atif Aslam and Alisha Chinoy, it starts with English lyrics and then graduates to Hindi. It's a beautiful, soothing love ballad that is well sung.

The remixed version has more beats and increased pace.

Finally there is the best song of the album - Tu Jaana na. It has three versions apart from the original, which starts with a chorus. It's a soft song by Atif Aslam that instantly strikes a chord with the listener. The musical backing is neither too low nor too loud. The vocals are a plus for the song.

Next is the remixed version of the song, which is disappointing. The beats in the song seem to be forced and not properly placed.

Then we have the reprise version sung by Soham, Rana Mazumdar and Ashish Pandit. It is quite similar to the original song; only that the singers are different. Nonetheless, a nice version.

Finally there is the unplugged version, which is the best. Kailash Kher's voice takes the song to another level altogether. One can listen to this song again and again for its soul-stirring effect.

On the whole, the music of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is a must hear and has the potential to be on top of the charts.

Shilpa shows Jermaine the Taj

In fact, Jermaine was the one who give Shilpa a lot of moral support when the actress had to face some rude comments made by Jade Goody. And it’s only natural that the actress would want to meet him during his visit to India. And while Shah Rukh Khan is throwing a party for him on October 14, the Bollywood hottie, yesterday fulfilled a wish that was on Jermaine’s list when he had planned this trip to India. When Shilpa got to know that Jermaine wanted to visit the Taj Mahal, she decided to arrange a visit for him.

“They both flew to Delhi yesterday afternoon and then went to Agra,” says a source. Shilpa also had beau Raj Kundra for company on the trip. Shilpa, who’s happy to meet her Big Brother inmate, says, “I am very happy that Jermaine could come to India. He and I share a great bond ever since we hit it off when I was in the show. He is a very nice person and I wanted to make this tour a memorable one for him. And what can be better than the Taj Mahal to make it special? Nothing can be more memorable.”

'Two flops don't matter to Salman's career'

Prem Soni is one lucky director. In his very first film, he has managed to rope in Bollywood's top stars -- Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Not only that, he's also releasing his film Main Aurr Mrs Khanna on the Diwali weekend, a much-coveted Friday for most producers when the biggest movies get released.

Quite an achievement for for the first-timer, who lived in Spain for 17 years before he joined the Hindi film industry.

"I come from a business background," he says. "I had no connection with the film industry. But I've always wanted to make a film."

He decided to pursue his passion by getting the basics right. "I worked in television for more than a decade before I decided to do films," he says.

He spent two years writing on different subjects until he came out with the script for Main Aurr Mrs Khanna. And it was this script that attracted his lead stars -- and producer Sohail Khan -- to his film.

London Dreams my first authentic Bollywood film'

Though the actress has worked with veterans like Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan quite early in her career, it’s strange that she always gets sidelined in the promotions. “Salman and Ajay are obviously a double dhamaka in the film. But I am happy with whatever I have got till now,” says Asin about working along side two known actors. She adds, “I do have an important part to play in the film. So it is for the audience to decide how good my screen presence is.”

With exposure becoming the trend in the industry, how open is she to two-piece action? “It is very subjective. It depends on how comfortable I am with the role and with the team.” However, she does not rule out the possibility, “if I’m being approached with a script that demands me to expose.”

Interestingly, Asin is one of the few actresses who have shown that an actress can be friends with her female colleagues. “I share a great relationship with all of my co-stars as I never come with expectations or pre-conceived notions about people who I work with. So I get to know them well.”

But what about rumours about her tiffs with Salman Khan? “Just tiffs? There are rumours about Salman and I having an affair as well,” she quips, adding, “These are all rumours and there is nothing more to it as we share a professional relationship.”

Asin further explains, “It is a very friendly professional relationship and not a robotic professional relationship. We are very comfortable with each other and would be promoting our film together.”

And is Katrina comfortable with this friendship? “That you’ll have to ask her. To me these are all baseless and ridiculous gossips, as I am not aware of any problem that she has with me. I have met her once and she is a very nice girl,” the actress signed off.

Fardeen and Saif out, Hrithik Roshan in!

As Provogue races ahead in its tenth year, the clothing brand now delivers the ultimate punch of dynamism and energy. The pioneering fashion brand Provogue, which was launched by Fardeen Khan and then endorsed by Saif Ali Khan, has announced the signing of Bollywood superstar and youth icon Hrithik Roshan as its new Brand Ambassador at a press conference held recently in Mumbai.

Hrithik Roshan is a leading youth brand and his quintessential blend of spirit and style makes for an ideal connect with the brand, which stands for the best in 'Style and Fashion'. Provogue has shot a scintillating advertising campaign with Hrithik that unveils the new look of the Brand. With Hrithik as the new face, the brand is reinforcing its strong bond and connect with its target audience of youthful consumers.

Announcing the news at a glamorous launch event, Nikhil Chaturvedi, Managing Director of Provogue said, "I could not be more proud to welcome Hrithik into the Provogue family. And Hrithik's suave and charismatic personality epitomizes Provogue's ideology of fashion.'

CHECK OUT: Finally, 'Hrithik clone' tag off Harman

Expressing his excitement, Hrithik Roshan said, "It is a pleasure to lend yourself to a great brand that makes its presence felt. Provogue is a brand that stands for cutting-edge innovation, style and quality. It is a brand that has redefined fashion in India and it's a great privilege for me to be associated with the team. I tend to endorse brands very selectively as I need to relate to the brand and believe in it in my heart. I am delighted to be associated with the pioneer of Indian fashion."

Provogue's new campaign underlying ethos is about being the change we want to see in the world. It deals with all the attributes associated which act as a catalyst to this change. Be it courage, hope, attitude or glory. Giving fashion yet another milestone, the new campaign is all about being the next and cutting edge in its offering. Thus inspiring, exciting and inviting individuals to 'BE THE CHANGE' that new India aspires to be.

Speaking on the association with Hrithik Roshan, Salil Chaturvedi, Deputy Managing Director, Provogue said, "Hrithik symbolizes all that Provogue stands for. He is a youth icon, a trendsetter with an incredible blend of style and personality and he fits seamlessly into our new campaign."

Are you ready for Rani, the judge?

Looks like Rani Mukerji isn't dwelling too much on the failure of her recent movie Dil Bole Hadippa.

She has moved on to television as the judge of a reality dance show titled Dance Premier League -- a show with a unique format where teams from all zones of India -- North, West, East, Central, South and even one team of NRIs -- will compete for the grand prize. The show starts on October 9 every Friday and Saturday on Sony Television.

Rani will be the judge in the gala round along with choreographer Shiamak Davar and actor Arshad Warsi.

Talking about the show Rani says, "I wasn't planning to do television shows as I was pretty much obsessed with my film, Dil Bole Hadippa. I danced a lot in the last one year. But I decided to do Dance Premier League because it is my kind of show. I love dancing as well as watching people dance