I get what you’re saying, and I don’t disagree that a lot of MJ’s demos are impressive on their own. My point isn’t that the demos lack genius. It’s that the kind of genius Michael had often wasn’t fully apparent at the demo stage. Take Beat It with just the harmonies. Yes, that already shows melody, structure, and instinct. But what made Beat It Beat It wasn’t just that skeleton. It was the refinement, the restraint, the production decisions, the sonic identity that came later.
If the demo were the finished statement, the song wouldn’t be what it became. The genius wasn’t just in the idea, it was in what he chose to add, what he chose to remove, and when he knew it was done. So I’m not saying “MJ demos aren’t genius.” I’m saying his greatest genius often reveals itself through process, not at the first sketch. And of course, this could be said about any artist, really, but I think this is especially true for MJ because of his unorthodox way of creating music. this is especially important when people judge unreleased or unfinished material as if it represents what he would’ve put out. That’s the distinction I’m trying to make.
