Breaking News (song)
Encyclopedia
"Breaking News" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson
. The song was written by Jackson, Eddie Cascio and James Porte, produced by Teddy Riley, Cascio and Jackson, and was included on his posthumous album, Michael
. The R&B
song talks about the media wanting a piece of the pop star, which drew comparisons to Britney Spears
' "Piece of Me
" (2007). An instrumental snippet "Breaking News" was unveiled in a promotional video which features a montage of various TV journalists reporting breaking news about Jackson, and refers to the tabloid stories and legal troubles that plagued Jackson in the years leading up to his death. Since the release of the song on November 8, 2010, it has become controversial with regard to its authenticity. "Breaking News" achieved minor success, peaking at number one on Billboard Bubbling Under Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
.
to precede the announcement of Michael. On November 5, 2010, a video "teaser" for "Breaking News" was made available on Jackson's official website. The video opens with a montage of various TV journalists reporting breaking news
about Jackson. The musical introduction follows, ending before the vocals start. The video refers to the tabloid stories and legal troubles that plagued Jackson in the years leading up to his death. Three days later the full length version of the song appeared on Jackson's website and was subsequently played on some radio stations. The song was included on the posthumous album, Michael
(2010).
compared the song to "Piece of Me
" (2007) by Britney Spears
.
said, although "people miss Jackson," the song is "hard to compete with his classics and legacy". Skip Dillard of WBLS
mentioned, "listeners overall seemed to think that "Breaking News" sounds 'unfinished' and is not a representation of the level of perfection that Michael sought in his music." Ashante Infantry of Toronto Star
said "Breaking News" "threatens to diminish the posthumous goodwill afforded the pop star," and "is a self-referential rehash that spotlights all that was wrong with Mike. If Michael is similarly disappointing, Jackson’s label and executors will find a limit to these "Breaking News" lyrics – “No matter what, you just want to read it again/No matter what, you just want to feed it again.”" Darryl Sterdan from QMI Agency said, "the vocals on the verses of the self-referential "Breaking News" seem artificial, as if they were recorded for a different song and heavily manipulated to readjust their pitch and tempo, then buried under layers of overdubs." A review by The Christian Science Monitor
said, "[the] new Michael Jackson song prompts more controversy, fans were divided, with many loving the new single and others expressing scepticism." Cameron Adams of Herald Sun
said the song "would have no doubt stayed unreleased", if Jackson hadn't died. Joe Vogel, author of the book Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson, gave the song a positive review, saying, "in spite of the backlash, the content of the song is classic Michael Jackson."
as well his sister La Toya
, and his nephews T.J., Taj, and Taryll, in addition to many of his fans, who will pass on the album and future projects until this is rectified. AFP
reported that it was immediately clouded by questions over whether it was really the singer's voice. Reuters
reported that the song was "sparking a new round of controversy over whether the voice is really that of the dead 'Thriller' singer". In a statement, Sony Music Group countered that it had "complete confidence in the results of our extensive research, as well as the accounts of those who were in the studio with Michael, that the vocals on the new album are his own."
On November 11, 2010, Michael Jackson Estate issued a report: "six of Michael’s former producers and engineers who had worked with Michael over the past 30 years — Bruce Swedien
, Matt Forger, Stewart Brawley, Michael Prince, Dr. Freeze
and Teddy Riley all confirmed that the vocal was definitely Michael." Sony claim two forensic musicologists were hired by Jackson Estate and Epic to perform a waveform analysis
on the vocals but no proof of this occurrence has been issued. Jason Malachi, who has been noted as the possible vocalist of this song, said he was not involved in the recording. On January 16, 2011, a statement appeared on Jason's Facebook
to confess that he had sung songs on the album. He later claimed that his website, Myspace and Facebook had been hacked. After 2 hours, his manager Thad Nauden claimed to TMZ that "someone created a phony Facebook page in Jason's name" and "Jason wants everyone to know beyond a shadow of a doubt ... he did not sing a single note on the album. "
and R&B
to adult
and oldies
. A total of 246 plays were recorded on that day, reaching an estimated 2.2 million listeners. Additionally it logged 1.1 million impressions on 52 R&B/Hip-Hop stations after two days of airplay, according to Nielsen BDS. Among all stations monitored by BDS, the song registered 302 plays on 177 stations, amounting to an audience of 2.6 million, since its arrival on November 8, 2010. Drawing a mixed reaction from radio programmers, "Breaking News" bubbled under the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart at number one after two days of radio airplay. The song remained on the chart for only one week.
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. The song was written by Jackson, Eddie Cascio and James Porte, produced by Teddy Riley, Cascio and Jackson, and was included on his posthumous album, Michael
Michael (album)
Michael is a posthumous album of previously unreleased tracks by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released from December 10, 2010 - January 14, 2011 by Epic Records and Sony Music Entertainment and features guest performances by Akon, 50 Cent, Lenny Kravitz and Dave Grohl...
. The R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song talks about the media wanting a piece of the pop star, which drew comparisons to Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' "Piece of Me
Piece of Me
"Piece of Me" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was released on November 27, 2007 by Jive Records as the second single from the album...
" (2007). An instrumental snippet "Breaking News" was unveiled in a promotional video which features a montage of various TV journalists reporting breaking news about Jackson, and refers to the tabloid stories and legal troubles that plagued Jackson in the years leading up to his death. Since the release of the song on November 8, 2010, it has become controversial with regard to its authenticity. "Breaking News" achieved minor success, peaking at number one on Billboard Bubbling Under Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
.
Background
"Breaking News" was written by Jackson, Eddie Cascio and James Porte, and produced by Teddy Riley, Cascio and Jackson. The song was released by Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
to precede the announcement of Michael. On November 5, 2010, a video "teaser" for "Breaking News" was made available on Jackson's official website. The video opens with a montage of various TV journalists reporting breaking news
Breaking news
Breaking news, also known as a special report or news bulletin, is a current event that broadcasters feel warrants the interruption of scheduled programming and/or current news in order to report its details. Many times, breaking news is used after the news network has already reported on this story...
about Jackson. The musical introduction follows, ending before the vocals start. The video refers to the tabloid stories and legal troubles that plagued Jackson in the years leading up to his death. Three days later the full length version of the song appeared on Jackson's website and was subsequently played on some radio stations. The song was included on the posthumous album, Michael
Michael (album)
Michael is a posthumous album of previously unreleased tracks by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released from December 10, 2010 - January 14, 2011 by Epic Records and Sony Music Entertainment and features guest performances by Akon, 50 Cent, Lenny Kravitz and Dave Grohl...
(2010).
Composition
"Breaking News" was recorded by Michael Jackson in New Jersey in 2007 when Jackson was living with the Cascio family. Other tracks recorded during that time include "Monster" and "Keep Your Head Up", which were also included on Michael. The song delivers Jackson’s now-requisite anti-tabloid screed, albeit with satisfyingly melodic gall. Jackson also refers to himself by name in several lines. Elena Gorgan of SoftpediaSoftpedia
Softpedia is an Internet web site that indexes information and provides software downloads. The site also covers major technology, science, health, and entertainment news from both external and in-house sources and provides software and game reviews. , it is one of the top 500 websites according to...
compared the song to "Piece of Me
Piece of Me
"Piece of Me" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was released on November 27, 2007 by Jive Records as the second single from the album...
" (2007) by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
.
Critical reception
"Breaking News" received mainly negative reviews from music critics. Terri Thomas, program director of radio station KJLHKJLH
KJLH is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station serving the Los Angeles area and offers More of a variety of Today's R&B & Classic Soul with a taste of Hip-Hop, Gospel and sometimes Smooth Jazz. The station, which is owned by Stevie Wonder's Taxi Productions, operates at 102.3 MHz with an...
said, although "people miss Jackson," the song is "hard to compete with his classics and legacy". Skip Dillard of WBLS
WBLS
WBLS is an urban adult contemporary FM radio station in New York City, operating on 107.5 MHz. WBLS is owned by Inner City Broadcasting Corporation along with sister station WLIB...
mentioned, "listeners overall seemed to think that "Breaking News" sounds 'unfinished' and is not a representation of the level of perfection that Michael sought in his music." Ashante Infantry of Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
said "Breaking News" "threatens to diminish the posthumous goodwill afforded the pop star," and "is a self-referential rehash that spotlights all that was wrong with Mike. If Michael is similarly disappointing, Jackson’s label and executors will find a limit to these "Breaking News" lyrics – “No matter what, you just want to read it again/No matter what, you just want to feed it again.”" Darryl Sterdan from QMI Agency said, "the vocals on the verses of the self-referential "Breaking News" seem artificial, as if they were recorded for a different song and heavily manipulated to readjust their pitch and tempo, then buried under layers of overdubs." A review by The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
said, "[the] new Michael Jackson song prompts more controversy, fans were divided, with many loving the new single and others expressing scepticism." Cameron Adams of Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
said the song "would have no doubt stayed unreleased", if Jackson hadn't died. Joe Vogel, author of the book Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson, gave the song a positive review, saying, "in spite of the backlash, the content of the song is classic Michael Jackson."
Controversy over authenticity
The authenticity of "Breaking News", as with other songs allegedly written with Cascio and Porte, was questioned by Jackson's mother KatherineKatherine Jackson
Katherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.-Early life:...
as well his sister La Toya
La Toya Jackson
La Toya Yvonne Jackson is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, television personality, actress, businesswoman, philanthropist, activist and former model. She is the fifth child of the Jackson family...
, and his nephews T.J., Taj, and Taryll, in addition to many of his fans, who will pass on the album and future projects until this is rectified. AFP
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
reported that it was immediately clouded by questions over whether it was really the singer's voice. Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
reported that the song was "sparking a new round of controversy over whether the voice is really that of the dead 'Thriller' singer". In a statement, Sony Music Group countered that it had "complete confidence in the results of our extensive research, as well as the accounts of those who were in the studio with Michael, that the vocals on the new album are his own."
On November 11, 2010, Michael Jackson Estate issued a report: "six of Michael’s former producers and engineers who had worked with Michael over the past 30 years — Bruce Swedien
Bruce Swedien
Bruce Swedien is a Grammy Award-winning audio engineer and music producer. He is known for his work with Quincy Jones.Swedien is a five-time Grammy winner and has been nominated 13 times. He recorded, mixed, and assisted in producing the best-sold album in the world, Thriller by Michael Jackson...
, Matt Forger, Stewart Brawley, Michael Prince, Dr. Freeze
Dr. Freeze
Elliot Straite also known by his pseudonym Dr. Freeze, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. His songs are mostly in New Jack Swing style...
and Teddy Riley all confirmed that the vocal was definitely Michael." Sony claim two forensic musicologists were hired by Jackson Estate and Epic to perform a waveform analysis
Audio signal processing
Audio signal processing, sometimes referred to as audio processing, is the intentional alteration of auditory signals, or sound. As audio signals may be electronically represented in either digital or analog format, signal processing may occur in either domain...
on the vocals but no proof of this occurrence has been issued. Jason Malachi, who has been noted as the possible vocalist of this song, said he was not involved in the recording. On January 16, 2011, a statement appeared on Jason's Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
to confess that he had sung songs on the album. He later claimed that his website, Myspace and Facebook had been hacked. After 2 hours, his manager Thad Nauden claimed to TMZ that "someone created a phony Facebook page in Jason's name" and "Jason wants everyone to know beyond a shadow of a doubt ... he did not sing a single note on the album. "
Personnel
- Written: Michael Jackson, Eddie Cascio and James Porte
- Produced: Teddy Riley, Angelikson and Michael Jackson
- Background Vocals: Michael Jackson and James Porte
- Mixed: Jean-Marie Horvat and Teddy Riley
- Violin: Mark Cargill, Kathleen Robertson, Susan Chatman, Pamela Gates, Lesa Terry, Marisa McCleod, Richard Adkins, Yvette Devereaux, Jennifer Choi and Nicole Garcia
- Viola: Karen Elaine, James “Jimbo” Ross, Cameron Patrick, Darrin McCann and Kaila Potts
- Cello: Miguel Martinez, Peggy Baldwin, Nancy Stein-Ross, Ernest Ehrhardt, Giovanna Moraga Clayton and Stepanie Fife
- Guitars: Joe Corcoran
- “Breaking News” Reporter Voice: Stuart Brawley
- String Session: The Benjamin Wright Orchestra
- Drum Programming: James Porte
- Voice Talents: Stuart Brawley, Sandy Orkin, Stacey Michaels, Michael Lefevre and Lisa Orkin
- Keyboards: James Porte, Eddie Cascio and Stuart Brawley
- Programming and Finisher: Teddy Riley
- Arranged and Conducted: Benjamin Wright
- Bass: Kevin Brandon and Francis Lui Wu
- Bass: Stuart Brawley and James Porte
Track listing
Chart performance
The song received instant airplay on numerous radio stations on the debut day, as 151 U.S. stations sampled "Breaking News" that day on several formats, from popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
to adult
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
and oldies
Oldies Radio
Classic Hits Radio is a 24-hour Classic Hits radio network. Classic Hits Radio, formerly known as "Pure Gold" and "Oldies Radio", plays a selection of well-tested pop and rock hits from the late 60s, 70s and 80s...
. A total of 246 plays were recorded on that day, reaching an estimated 2.2 million listeners. Additionally it logged 1.1 million impressions on 52 R&B/Hip-Hop stations after two days of airplay, according to Nielsen BDS. Among all stations monitored by BDS, the song registered 302 plays on 177 stations, amounting to an audience of 2.6 million, since its arrival on November 8, 2010. Drawing a mixed reaction from radio programmers, "Breaking News" bubbled under the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart at number one after two days of radio airplay. The song remained on the chart for only one week.
See also
- List of unreleased Michael Jackson material
- Death of Michael JacksonDeath of Michael JacksonOn June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered a respiratory arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse,...
- List of works published posthumously