Xscape isn't an album I listen to often, as I feel like it hasn't aged well at all. It's a good album, but it's one of my least listened to MJ albums.
Anyway here is how I feel about each track and which version I feel is superior.
1) Love Never Felt So Good MJ solo Xscape version> LNFSG MJ Demo > JT Duet. JT ruins the song for me with his annoying vocals, so his version is a total no-no for me. MJ demo version is nice, but it does get a bit boring. His solo contemporised version is really nice.
2) Chicago leaked 2010 rock version > Chicago demo version > Chicage Xscape version. The best version is the 2010 unreleased rock version. This song totally works as a rock song, and I wish they released the rock version of the song on Xscape. The Xscape version is really annoying with those duck sounds, while the demo version is alright, but nothing special.
3) Loving You demo version = Loving You Xscape version. This song is a perfect example of contemporising a song, while still keeping most of the orginal elements of the song. Timbland did a very fine job with this one.
4) A Place With No Name Xscape version > APWNN demo version. I know this is a controversial opinion, as most hate the Xscape version, but I really like it. I think the demo version is solid, but it feels a bit bland and lifeless, whereas the Xscape version feel more lively, which is why I prefer it over the original demo version.
5) Slave To The Rhythm demo version > STTR Xscape version. I like both versions, but I slightly prefer the demo version, because the Xscape version just ends abruptly, which I don't like.
6) Do You Know Where Your Children Are demo version > DYKWYCA Xscape version. I praised Timbaland earlier for his work on Loving You, but the contemporised version of this song is a perfect example of how to completely destroy a song. This is a very good song with a very important message, but Timbaland totally ruined it with his version. Shame on him.
7) Blue Gangsta demo version > Blue Gangsta Xscape version. Again, both versions are fine, but I slightly prefer the orginal version, because I'm not a fan of the whole production/instrumentation during the chorus of the Xscape version.
8) Xscape (Xscape) version > Xscape demo version. This is my favourite song from the album, and one of my favourites 2000s MJ song. I loved the orginal version when I first heard it, and I love the contemporised version even more. Darkchild did an amazing job capturing MJ's vision with the modern version. I wish he was involved with more songs on the project.