Michael Jackson Songs Pulled From Streaming Due To Debate Over Vocals
Three Michael Jackson songs from the late singers posthumous album, Michael, were pulled from streaming services on June 30th, including Apple Music, TIDAL, Spotify, and YouTube.
The songs in question, “Keep Your Head Up,” “Breaking News,” and “Monster” have caused fans and even the Jackson estate to question whether they actually contain Jackson’s vocals. This debate has been a hot topic since the album’s release in 2010. A spokesperson for the late singer’s website said the removal “had nothing to do with their authenticity.”
“I can confirm that the three Cascio tracks on the 2010 album Michael are no longer being made available by Sony Music for purchase or streaming but I should point out that the removal of these three songs has nothing to do with their authenticity,” read the statement that was provided to the fansite Behind the Mask.
The authenticity of the vocals on the removed songs have been questioned by Jackson’s own mother, sister La Toya, nephew Taryll, and children Prince and Paris. At the time of Michael’s release, Sony Music Group said 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.”
A class action lawsuit was filed against Sony Music, Jackson’s estate, and the song’s producers Edward Cascio and James Porte by a fan named Vera Servoa in 2014 for violation of consumer laws, unfair competition, and fraud. Three appeals court judges ruled in the favor of the estate and Sony in August 2018, removing them from the case. Cascio and Porte are still a part of the lawsuit, which is current in California Supreme Court.
