Introduction: After Off the Wall didn't win the Grammy for Album of the Year Michael fell into depression. He would walk around his neighborhood looking for someone to talk to only to end up back home sadder than before he left. He put so much hard work and effort into that album. It was his breakthrough. You could call such depression melodramatic since he made so much money and overall success with the album, but there is something about an artist who is left feeling unrecognized that truly resonates. Michael soon got a new manager and said he wanted to be the biggest thing in music since Elvis. He wanted to make an album full of hit singles He went back to the studio and recorded 30 songs with Quincy Jones. These are the first signs that there is something wrong with Thriller...
Cover Art: Whenever I hear the title 'Thriller" and see the cover art of MJ just laying down without a smile and wearing a white suit I get this chill down my spine. It's feels like Michael is saying "Hey f*ckers, you didn't like my last album? Take this." Just a simple mix of loneliness and anger makes this cover art truly great. Michael Jackson is The Thriller.
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin': And holy sh*t was I right about that anger part. We actually get a copy and paste of Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough except the fun of that song has been replaced with a man on the defense and boy is he here to win. The song also sounds bigger than the opener from the last album, like stadium pop, thanks to "Mama Se, Mama Sa, Mama Coosa!" F*ck is that catchy.
Baby Be Mine: Omg, and now the second song on this album sounds like the second song on his last album. Of course, this song is nowhere near as good as Rock with You. And with this song the difference in writers sounds much clearer. Which is bad.
The Girl Is Mine: This is where you realize the album is slowly slowing down in tempo, yet it's another song about MJ trying to get a girl to be his. I like how Michael solved the issue of Paul McCartney not writing on this song but simply featuring him on it instead. Great collaboration. It's like he's trying to make a bigger version of Off the Wall or something...
Thriller: And the title track rolls in and changes the tone of the album. Why? I don't know. Because he named his album Thriller and needed a song called Thriller? I thought the album name meant like a thrill ride. Now I'm just confused. Why couldn't he just make every song like a horrorcore pop song? The overall song is about evil things coming after you, and it honestly sounds like he is referring to the critics coming after him. He even has Vincent Price (VINCENT PRICE!!!) say at the end of the song that no one can resist The Thriller, who is Michael Jackson. Seriously?! Great song though ;D
Beat It: The album returns to it's tone of angry-fist-pumping Michael. Except now it's a rock pop song with Eddie Van Halen. WHAT?! This song would have been perfect on Bad! What is it doing here?! Is he really this angry?! Amazing guitar solo by the way, Eddie.
Billie Jean: One of my favorite songs of all time. Seriously. This groove blows my mind. If Michael is ever called a genius it is because of this song. If you don't own this album buy it just for this song. It's like Stan for the 80's. Except it's Billie Jean, and she wants MJ to believe he is the father to her child. OH Y GAWD, THIS GROOVE!!! Sorry, this song is Fah. King. Amazing.
Human Nature: Next we got a very dreamy song. I actually recognize this song more from a Nas sample hahahaha don't really know what to say about this song other than it's pretty good...
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing): And that it works surprisingly well with this song. This song and Human Nature have good chemistry together. One a soft ballad, the other a dance song, perfect.
The Lady in My Life: SKIP!!!
Conclusion: The main problem with Thriller is that it was done for all the wrong reasons. A great album isn't just hit singles. It's hit singles working together to create a truly beautiful gem. And how can you say that's true for Thriller when MJ recorded 30 different songs with only 9 making the cut? Shouldn't the album then only be 30% complete? Plus he seems to be trying to 1-up Off the Wall as if the only way to be better than it is to try and recapture the lightning in the bottle. He chose to to focus on each individual gear of an already beautiful clock and now it seems the gears don't even belong together. But at least you got what you wanted, right? 8 Grammys including Album of the Year plus the recognition you've always wanted. Yet I wonder, did you still walk through your neighborhood looking for someone to talk to...
