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The week marked the 2001 release of the single ‘Cry,’ which the Michael Jackson estate celebrated, but soon after, the low-quality video clip, which was pixelated, was posted on the artist’s account. This led to the criticism and the celebration overshadowed. While the audience’s part emphasized the song’s humanitarian message, the majority of the reactions were from fans expressing their disappointment and disbelief over the poor visuals and arguing that the King of Pop’s legacy of perfection was disrespected.
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Therefore, the Michael Jackson estate took the step to celebrate an anniversary. The song was ‘Cry,’ the opening single from the 2001 ‘Invincible’ album. The post asked the followers if they knew any facts about the song while a short, low-quality video clip from the music video was playing in the background. What was meant to be a simple acknowledgment of the past, instead, it ignited a segment of Jackson’s loyal fan base that’s quite sensitive about the issue. Not that the song’s message was the issue—indeed, many applauded it—but it was the shocking and blocky quality of the video that was the problem. As more than one person remarked, it looked like it was a scene from a vintage video game.
The reaction was instantaneous and very funny yet at the same time very harsh in many cases. A user asked with irony, ‘Is this world like MINECRAFT?,’ which set up a mood of incredulous mockery. Another one said, ‘God created the greatest and most famous man on earth; and this is how He treats His account? Let someone who can post quality videos handle it for God’s sake.’ What was more, the disapproval was also expressed in languages other than English. A Portuguese-speaking fan posted a message, ‘Do they think it’s so hard to download a remastered video from YouTube and give the proper credits instead of posting this all pixelated video?’ The general agreement among the fans was that the situation was bad: ‘even black and white TV shows have better quality than this.’
What was going on was not merely minor discontent. The issue was that for many people presenting Michael Jackson’s work this way was just plain wrong. ‘Michael was a perfectionist, and that should be respected,’ one commenter made his point in a reply to the thread. ‘The lyrics are important, but the whole situation needs to be put right.’ The issue underlying this dilemma is a familiar one nowadays in the digital reality of legacy artists: the strictness of the estate versus the demands of fans. The perfect, cutting-edge visuals were part and parcel of Jackson’s career, so a pixelated post can almost feel like a particular sin.
Despite the enormous fuss over the video quality, some followers attempted to divert attention and focus on the music instead. ‘And the message is still relevant today,’ one mentioned, reminding everyone of the song’s plea for compassion and change. Another person called it ‘one of my favorite songs from Invincible’ and expressed his sorrow that the song was not so much talked about. One fan even went as far as to say that the estate’s acknowledgment of ‘Cry’ was a surprise, saying, ‘Michael Jackson estate’s mention of Invincible???? I am so happy they remembered it – and it’s not even YRMW!’ This was a reference to the single ‘You Rock My World,’ which received more promotion than ‘Cry.’
But the quality of the video continued to be the main topic of discussion. The critics of the post received replies from some defenders who told them to concentrate on the lyrics rather than the visuals. ‘You better think about the words in this song,’ one wrote repeatedly. ‘You know what this song is about, or you just love the look of it but not the sound?’ This sparked up small debates in the comments section, where the opinion of those supporting the artistic message clashed with those demanding the presentation meeting a certain standard. ‘He makes it sound like the lyrics of the song don’t change your dark heart,’ a user replied to a comment. ‘MJ, rest in peace, was a perfectionist. Sorry, but he made us accustomed to perfection, so his image must remain perfect forever.’
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It’s a strange contemporary problem. The post fulfilled its purpose of making ‘Cry’ recall in the minds of people, but the main story became that of the estate’s execution, not Jackson’s artistry. The event showcases a passionate, protective fan base that considers itself the guardian of his legacy, one high-definition pixel at a time. Ultimately, the anniversary of ‘Cry’ turned out to be less about a song’s release and more about the whole, loud, collective wincing at a blurry screen—a constant reminder that for a legend such as Michael Jackson, even a social media post is always held to a legendary standard. The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic is highly anticipated. Recently, Prince Jackson honored his father’s legacy with a charitable event. The enduring popularity of his work is clear, as Michael Jackson’s Thriller continues to achieve historic milestones. In other entertainment news, Crystal Renee recently celebrated with the cast of Sistas. Furthermore, Nick Cannon has declared the biopic will be an instant classic.