Jackson shoots for boy band style in latest CD

By Natalie Calderon

Michael Jackson has returned to the pop music scene after six years of playing with his monkey and hiding out in Never Never Land. Although many things have changed since the 1995 release of HIStory, the double-disc album that featured a collection of both new hits, like "Black and White," and old favorites, like "Billy Jean," Michael was confident that Invincible would fare well among his generation-spanning fan base.

His first single, "You rock my world," was promising. It had all of the original beats and when listening to it, you felt like it was 1985 again, and you were ready to be awed by the impressive trance that Michael's music put you into time and time again with "Thriller," "Bad," "Beat it" and many an original song by the incredible lyricist.

But there is something about Invincible that rubs me the wrong way. The first three songs are catchy and even get you thinking that perhaps Michael has made a positive comeback after all. But then songs like "Break of dawn," "Butterflies," and "Speechless, " appear, and you find yourself disgusted and wondering why Michael thinks he can compete with today's boy band frenzy. He may be the King of Pop, but I am not buying the sudden "sex jam" shift in Michael's style.

Sure those songs might work for 'Nsync and Backstreet, but wasn't it enough for us to see Michael nude with Lisa Marie back in 1995 with the sappy hit, "You Are Not Alone"? And lyrics like, "Oh, I'll never let you go, come here girl, / Just got to make sweet love 'til the break of dawn," coming from asexual Michael just don't really go over well with me.

I still think Michael is a talented artist; he has an original voice and style that can't really be compared to many other artists, but I just don't think Michael has what it takes anymore. It's time for him to give up the crown. B-