Timbaland and J-Roc turn it into a breezy, soul-infused summer anthem.
The true value of the Xscape -Deluxe Edition- lies in its inclusion of the original, untouched demo recordings of all eight songs. For purists and music historians, this was a revelation. It allowed listeners to hear exactly what Michael Jackson left behind in the vault.
Released in May 2014, is the second posthumous compilation of unreleased material from the King of Pop. Curated by Epic Records chairman L.A. Reid , the project features eight tracks originally recorded between 1980 and 1999 that were "contemporized" by a team of leading producers.
The deluxe edition of "Xscape" includes 10 additional tracks, making a total of 17 tracks. Some of the notable tracks on the deluxe edition include:
Recorded in 1998, this track is a reimagining of the folk-rock band America’s 1972 hit "A Horse with No Name."
: Includes the raw, un-remixed recordings of the 8 tracks, which many critics and fans prefer for their authentic "time capsule" quality.
The primary disc of Xscape was executive produced by L.A. Reid, who employed a philosophy of "contemporizing." Reid gathered a team of elite producers, including Timbaland, Stargate, and Rodney Jerkins, to strip down Jackson’s demos and rebuild them with modern sonic textures. The result is an album that feels surprisingly cohesive. Unlike the fragmented nature of the 2010 album Michael , these tracks do not sound like graveyard exhumations; they sound like active, breathing pop records. The title track, "Xscape," drives with a militaristic percussion and a bassline that vibrates with urgency, while "Love Never Felt So Good" swaggers with a jubilant, disco-funk energy that fits seamlessly alongside modern radio hits. These productions proved that Jackson’s melodies were robust enough to withstand modernization—they were, in essence, hits waiting to happen.
However, the true brilliance of the Xscape project is found in the Deluxe Edition’s second disc: the "Original Versions." This inclusion transforms the album from a standard release into a historical document. It grants the listener the rare privilege of deconstructing the myth of Michael Jackson. For decades, Jackson was viewed as a perfectionist monolith, a man who polished every sonic atom until it gleamed. Hearing the demos—some little more than a piano, a drum machine, and a guide vocal—reveals the raw, naked architecture of his genius.
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