When Xscape first came out, I was so excited for the project and I absolutely loved it. I was not disappointed at all. I played it often and I was literally obsessed with it, for at least the first six-eight months. Obviously, that has toned down now and I don't play it as often, but I still do play it and I still do love it, four years later. I think Xscape and BAD25 have been the two best, most memorable and potentially long-lasting of the posthumous projects, to date (BAD25 for the unreleased demos and the Wembley concert, obviously and Xscape for the number of "new" songs). My thoughts regarding the actual songs have pretty much remained the same as they were four years ago.
My favourite song on Xscape was and still is Chicago. I love the original the most, but the new version is excellent, as well, minus the duck quacks (hate that).
I adore all three versions of LNFSG. I think it was an excellent choice for a lead single and I think Justin Timberlake was a good choice for the feature artist. The video was a lot of fun and was very respectful towards Michael.....just as it should be.
I like what was done with Loving You - the contemporised version was produced very well, from what sounds like a very old demo tape - but the song itself never really grabbed me. I think it sounds too cheesy, too immature for me, but the vocals are beautiful and definitely vintage young MJ. I like that we can hear the smile in his voice, if that makes sense.
I'm not keen on either version of APWNN and I agree with others who have said that it wasn't a good choice for a follow-up single. I can't get "A Horse With No Name", by America, out of my head whenever I think about, or listen to this song and for me, the lyrics of it are just strange - I can't link their meaning and context to anything "Michael-related", really.
DYKWYCA is a terrible song. I don't like either version and it never should have been raised up from the demo back-blocks and placed on a Michael Jackson album. Never. I always skip it.
STTR is amazing! I think it absolutely should have been the second single (or maybe Xscape). It would have done well on the radio, in my opinion. The producers gave the new version a red hot crack - and I like it a lot, but I do prefer the original, just slightly.
I'm ambivalent about Blue Gangsta. It's just an alright song, to me. Nothing much about it really sticks in my mind and stays with me. I was really excited by the snippets of it that I had heard around the place, before the release of the album, but, in the end, the best parts, to me, ended up being the snippets I'd already heard. I MUCH prefer the new version, to the original. I like how Michael's voice is more prominent....more "in the front" and his vocal delivery is brilliant, of course.
I love all of the versions of Xscape that I've heard. Dark Child did a stellar job on the re-imagined version and I think mostly, this is my favourite version. This song is great, lyrically and is definitely about an MJ "issue", in terms of its meaning.
I wish that there had been a couple more songs on Xscape, given that there probably won't be anything else, for ages now; but then, I'm always ready for more. Lol.