Finally. Our first non-classic rock song. And what a way to begin venturing out past the rock genre by analyzing one of Michael Jackson's best songs which landed at the number one spot for seven consecutive weeks. "Billie Jean" was a breakthrough song which defied multiple genres and essentially landed Jackson in the spotlight of pop, rock, and R&B genres for generations to come.
Despite your personal opinions about Michael Jackson and his later years before his untimely passing, no one can deny that the "King of Pop" revolutionized this genre by introducing riveting drum cadences with smooth bass lines before introducing the famous synthesizer 'pops' signaling the beginning of a mysterious chord progression - and therefore the start of the song.
"Billie Jean" is Jackson's slinky, paranoid chronicle of a woman who claims he's the father of her son and was his launching pad for the infamous moonwalk. "I knew it was going to be big while I was writing it. I was really absorbed in that song," Jackson wrote in his 1988 autobiography Moon Walk. Jackson was so entranced by the track, he noted, that thinking about it while tooling about in his Rolls-Royce resulted in him not noticing that the pricey automobile was, in fact, on fire. (He and the song escaped unharmed thankfully.)
The legend that is, was, and always will be Michael Jackson speaks volumes through the funk-ridden beat of "Billie Jean" and I personally think it serves as a beautiful introduction to our expanse from Rock 'N Roll to other genres as "Billie Jean", which was almost called "Not My Lover" defies space and time to make a lasting impression on those who hear it. I mean, it's almost impossible not to sing along in a semi-falsetto voice, right?
Comments