New Michael Jackson Album - "Xscape"

Epic Records is set to release a new album of songs by Michael Jackson utilizing his vocals from past songs but reworked by famous producers to "contemporize" the songs.

Via press release:

Epic Records, in conjunction with the Estate of Michael Jackson, will release XSCAPE, an album of new music by Michael Jackson on May 13th.

XSCAPE is executive produced by Epic Records Chairman and CEO L.A. Reid. After mining by the Estate of Jackson’s archives, Reid was granted unlimited access to the treasures spanning four decades of material on which Jackson had completed his vocals. Reid then teamed up top producers to “contemporize” the songs while retaining Jackson’s essence and integrity, creating the best music you’ve never heard.

The list of producers includes Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate and John McClain.

The new album will feature eight brand new recordings. A Deluxe Edition of XSCAPE will include a selection of the recordings in their original form. Both the standard and Deluxe Edition’s are available April 1st for pre-order on iTunes and elsewhere.

John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson said, “Michael was always on the cutting edge and was constantly reaching out to new producers, looking for new sounds. He was always relevant and current. These tracks, in many ways, capture that spirit. We thank L.A. Reid for his vision.”