New Michael Jackson single out Nov. 15
Epic Records is set to release the first single off the late Michael Jackson's new album Michael on Monday, according to the singer's official website.
Jackson requested in a handwritten note that Hold My Hand be the first single for his newest project, claims those looking after the singer's estate. Hold My Hand is a 2007 duet with singer/songwriter Akon. Fans first heard the song when an unfinished version was leakedin 2008.
The track list for Michael will be:
| 1. Hold My Hand (Duet with Akon) 2. Hollywood Tonight 3. Keep Your Head Up 4. (I Like) The Way You Love Me 5. Monster (Featuring 50 Cent) 6. Best Of Joy 7. Breaking News 8. (I Can’t Make It) Another Day (Featuring Lenny Kravitz) 9. Behind The Mask 10. Much Too Soon |
"The world was not ready to hear Hold My Hand when it leaked a couple years ago … But its time has definitely come; now in its final state, it has become an incredible, beautiful, anthemic song," said Akon, who just recently finalized production on the song.
Jackson also worked with 50 Cent and Lenny Kravitz on the new album, which will be released Dec. 14.
Hold My Hand comes one week after Breaking News, another song off Michael, was released.
The authenticity of Breaking News and other tracks on the new album were questioned this week by members of Jackson's family.
Two of Jackson's nephews commented on their skepticism via Twitter.
"Deceptively merging shady vocals with MJ samples [from prior MJ records] will never fool me," tweeted TJ Jackson, son of Michael's brother Tito, Nov. 8. "Why they would ignore the obvious, look the other way and rush a suspicious track that was NEVER on my uncle's radar is beyond me."
"I heard these 'so-called' Michael Jackson songs raw and without the distraction of the well-produced music by Teddy Riley," tweeted T.J. Jackson's brother Taryll Jackson.
"How they constructed these songs is very sneaky and sly," he tweeted Nov. 8.