Will You Be There is a work of art. The full album version especially just takes my breath away. Just... Wow! Nearly eight minutes of emotionally touching perfection.
Honestly the entire Dangerous album, to me, is Michael's masterpiece. Yes Smooth Criminal is my favorite
song, but the Dangerous album... Taken as an entire work, it's just extremely strong all the way through. His strongest, in my opinion.
Speaking of Smooth Criminal, though... Yes! The rhythm, the one-of-a-kind lyrics, the vocals... It makes you wanna dance, but then you actually stop and listen and you go, "...wait, what kinda lyrics am I actually even dancing to??" Lol! But that's what makes it so
good, and my personal favorite. Plus it's just a pop classic in general.
And speaking of murder ballads... Little Susie. It's so unlike anything else Michael has done, and... I'd have loved more like it! It's breathtaking, heartbreaking, tragic... Goodness, now I wish the classical album had actually happened... Ugh. Excuse me while I cry. No, the lyrics don't help either.
Earth Song. This song is special to me. It was my introduction to Michael when I was a little girl, and also one of his most conscious songs. Everything about it is just... Solid all the way through, and continuously relevant. But the fact that the song that introduced me to Michael was also the very last one he rehearsed... It feels like a bookend to me, it's almost like my own personal poem. It all ended where it started.
Human Nature. This song is also special to me because of singing lessons, which I sadly no longer take. I wasn't even an active Michael fan yet at the time, though I did respect him. Either way, this song is simply a masterpiece both lyrically and musically, and it calms me when I'm upset.
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. Yes! The rhythm, the vocals, the African choir... Honestly I think it might very well be one of Michael's earliest "works of art". My favorite off Thriller together with the aforementioned Human Nature.
Stranger In Moscow. Other than being fantastic both musically and lyrically, I can also relate to it... That feeling of loneliness, man I feel that, and always have.
She's Out Of My Life. For the record, I love the entirety of Off The Wall to bits (another of Michael's finest, in my opinion), but I wanted to mention this song solely for Michael's vocal delivery. It would've been a fairly standard (although by no means bad) song if dung by anyone else, but the way Michael sings it lifts it to a whole other level. It's also a nice break from all the (fantastic, mind!) grooving on the rest of the album, haha.
For All Time. I'm so glad we got this song during Michael's lifetime. Thriller 25 was worth it for that alone. There's just something about it that touches my heart... it's hard to describe. Despite being "Thriller-esque" it was actually recorded during the Dangerous sessions, maybe that has something to do with it? The quality of that album rubbing off? Lol!
Morphine. Goodness, that song's intense. It mostly goes hard, but then turns into something more ballad-like, like a rhapsody, only to pick up again. The ballad part sounds soothing at first, but then you realize how scary the lyrics actually are. And then you remember what song you're listening to. Yes, good morning to you too.
Is It Scary. Let's just say I feel attacked, lol. Also the music is just fantastic, especially during the chorus.
Let's go all the way back. Ben! Yes it's about a rat, I don't care. It's still a very touching song sung wonderfully by a certain very talented little boy. And comparing the original with the adult live performance... Ahh, I just love doing that!
There's so much more... So, so much. I could write an entire essay, perhaps even ten of them, but I'm currently battling insomnia (what's new) and should go to bed already. Someone kick me please!