Recently, I went with a friend to see ‘Michael’ the movie. 

Initially I had no intention of seeing it, but seeing the shorts and listening to the iconic music that is MJ, I was interested.

We had gone to see MJ The Musical in Chicago.

What a privileged life I lead, to be able to say that.

We both loved the musical.

It gave some insight into the strange life that was the Jacksons. 

Michael Jackson’s music of course always reminds me of happy times.

Times of joy, expectation and anticipation.

My eldest son spent at least 7 months inside my tummy listening to both the Bad and the Thriller albums.

Every day.

I have never really wanted to think about the darkness, the stories, but it’s hard not to face the reality.

Having recently seen a documentary on a victim, a young boy, and his family, it’s difficult to reconcile the music with the man.

In my opinion, a victim must always be listened to.

And believed.

Seeing the movie, was therefore now, not on my list.

But listening to the trailer, the iconic music, reminded me of what a difference this man had made to music.

To the music of that generation.

And generations to come. 

If you can seperate the music from the man, and that is quite problematic, perhaps you can see MJ for what he was.

Genius.

Seperate the music from the man and there is so much to celebrate.

The music.

Widely regarded as some of the most influential and successful pop music ever recorded. He blended pop, R&B, soul, funk, rock, and dance music in a way that appealed to everyone. His songs are known for their strong melodies, memorable hooks, innovative production, distinctive vocals, and rhythmic energy.

The Music Videos, specifically shown on MTV. 

Beyond the music itself, he helped transform music videos into a major art form, with groundbreaking videos for songs.

Think Thriller.

How could anyone forget that one. 

Of course, Billie Jean is widely credited with breaking MTV’s color barrier because it became the first video by a black solo artist to receive heavy rotation on the network. MTV had initially been reluctant to play many black artists’ videos, particularly on high rotation even if they were popular, but the success of Billie Jean helped change that.

The dance. 

The moonwalk, which by the way, he did not invent, but made his signature. 

Whether you personally enjoy his style or not, his influence on popular music, dance, music videos, and modern pop artists is difficult to overstate.

Then, there was the charity work.

‘We are the World’, co-written with Lionel Ritchie, to raise money for the poor in USA and Africa.

Raising $63 million USD at the time. 

That was in 1985. To get that into perspective, it’s about $190 million USD today. 

The Heal The World Charity he founded in 1992, naming it after his song.  The purpose of the charity was to provide medicine to children and fight world hunger, homelessness, child exploitation and abuse. And it did. At the time. 

So much about this man was to be celebrated.

And yet so much of this man is the darkness.

The movie portrays his life to about 1988.

His nephew, Jafaar Jackson, portrayed him in such a way that you thought perhaps AI had generated some of the scenes. Apparently not.

Search YouTube – ‘Michael (2026) Billie Jean Movie -v- Real Life comparison MoTown 2026 Moonwalk’. 

It’s extraordinary.

The movie does not cover most of the 1990s and 2000s, including many of the controversies, legal cases, the Neverland years, or his death in 2009. The focus is largely on his upbringing, family dynamics, creative genius, and rise to fame.

The end scene declares they haven’t finished.

This era is yet to follow.

It will be interesting to see the remaining chapter and how they portray that. 

If you can seperate the man from his music. 

If you can lead with an open mind.

If you can have empathy for a somewhat complex and disturbed childhood. 

One of the best movies I have seen for some time.