The Estate of Michael Jackson has approved the release XSCAPE, an album that features eight never-before-heard tracks from the late King of Pop.
The album — set to be released on May 13 — was helmed by Epic Records’ Chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, with Timbaland serving as lead producer. Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Jerome “Jroc” Harmon and John McClain also worked on the new songs, which were hand-picked by Reid.
According to a press release, Reid was given unlimited access to Jackson’s archives by his Estate, and he chose from “four decades of material on which Jackson had completed his vocals.”
“Modern music and artistry would look and sound completely different if not for the groundbreaking contributions Michael Jackson gifted to the world,” Reid said in a statement. “Michael left behind some musical performances that we take great pride in presenting through the vision of music producers that he either worked directly with or expressed strong desire to work with. We are extremely proud and honored to present this music to the world.”
The album takes its name from one of the new tracks, which was originally written and produced by Jackson, then “contemporized” by Jerkins — who had recorded the initial version in the studio with MJ.
XSCAPE will also be released in a Deluxe Edition, which includes the eight new songs in their original form. The album will be available for pre-order beginning on April 1 through iTunes. For more information on the project, fans are urged to check Jackson’s official site.
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