Michael

Michael was the first album of songs released after Michael Jackson's 2009 death. It primarily features tracks Jackson had been working on before he died, along with several songs dating from the Thriller era of 1982. Controversy will always arise regarding material that an artist couldn't have given final approval to, but the tracks here are consistent with the sounds and styles Jackson had worked with throughout his career. The list of producers and guest musicians is long and in keeping with the more-the-merrier approach Jackson employed after the Bad album ended his affiliation with producer Quincy Jones. "(I Like) The Way You Love Me" first appeared in a much different form on a 2004 career retrospective and is typical of the gorgeous melodicism that Jackson often explored. Akon shows up for "Hold My Hand." 50 Cent is featured on "Monster," and Lenny Kravitz worked on "(I Can't Make It) Another Day." The album's final cut—"Much Too Soon," from the Thriller era—is an orchestrated ballad that takes on greater poignancy with his tragic passing.