Long Live the King of Pop

I can write a list of my 100 inspirational or influential musicians and it will be an inventory of bands or individual artists who were in a band or people proficient with his chosen instrument.

But I will top them all with Michael Jackson. Yes, you read it right, the King of Pop, the legendary song-and-dance performer.


I don’t know why but I am naturally attached to his music since I was a child who is still unconscious with music. When the Studio 23 channel started sometime in the 90’s, they initially only have MTV on the air, and coincidentally MTV then had a special daily tribute show for Jackson called MJTV. It was my first direct exposure to his music and performances which made me realize that subconsciously, I was already digging his music for a long time; I just did not know that it was his. 

Every new song played, my reaction was either “Oh! That song was MJ’s? I like that song!” or “I remember hearing that song somewhere and I know I enjoyed it!” So it was like MTV introduced me to a soulmate who I already have a bond without knowing it.

What even made me attach to him is his fondness of technology (I took up computer engineering so I think you have an idea how much I like technology). He had this short film which, if I remember right, is composed of three music videos in one (including Smooth Criminal). In the film, MJ is an alien being who befriended three kids (the kids outside the bar in the Smooth Criminal video). At the end of the video, MJ and the kids were trapped in a warehouse by a gang and when they started shooting at them, MJ suddenly transformed to a metallic creature, slowly transforming into a rocket ship. How cool is that!

Also, most of his modern concerts include a show of him strapping on a jetpack and hovering above the audiences. So not only his music, but also his video and concert performances, kept me in awe.

When MJTV finished, I still kept watching MTV hoping that they will bring it back but to no avail. So, being a kid in a poor family who cannot afford to buy his own cassette tapes (pirated CD’s or MP3’s are not that common then), I just gave up and thought that I will just wait for some random station to play his songs.

Years passed by and I met my college bestfriend, Arkel Asis who I was with in a group and in a hobby band so we were sharing rock music then. Pirated CD’s and MP3’s are now very common and sharing music had never been much easier.

One day, I was digging through his collection of CD’s and VCD’s when I stumbled upon MJ’s double-disc HIStory album! I was so excited I was juggling between memory flashbacks and asking my friend about his MJ experience.

From then on, MJ was one of the major things that we really agree upon. I still remember spending a large amount of time watching a video of his concert on a small television in some store; or when he bought new DVD’s of his and I will go his place to watch it. He was a big part of our friendship that I remember giving him special release CD+VCD release of MJ’s Thriller album last May 2009 as a birthday present. (Which makes me think now, did I have a premonition that something will happen to MJ which prompted me to recall him with my bestfriend?)

Until now, I feel like, to quote a Facebook status, “it was just a bad dream”. Since MJ became inactive, I never thought that he already wrapped up his career. I just felt that he is just there resting and recovering from all the issues he faced and will have an explosive comeback.

He did make a comeback, but I never thought it will be like this, as a news item announcing his death. What makes it sadder is that he did not die as a shining star, he just slowly faded.

Michael, thank you very much for the memories and may you rest in peace.

Long live the King!