This month in 1991, pop legend Michael Jackson released his eighth studio album and his fourth under Epic Records, Dangerous. The album features Jackson’s usual genres: R&B, pop and rock. With the help of well-known record producer Teddy Riley, the album also incorporated new jack swing, which was a dominating genre at the time, as well as hip-hop, soul, gospel, classical and opera.
Music-wise, this album is regarded as something vastly different from what the masses knew Jackson for, as he was now the executive producer after parting ways with longtime collaborator and legendary hitmaker Quincy Jones, contrary to his three previous albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. Jackson also incorporated more modern sounds of the time, along with sounds reminiscent from the 1960s, like beatboxing, scat singing and synthetic basslines. The album features Heavy D, Wreckx-n-Effect, LTB, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, gospel musicians Sandra and Andraé Crouch, Slash and the Cleveland Orchestra.
This is Jackson’s best album because he stepped out of his comfort zone and tried new things with new sounds. This was shown in tracks such as “In the Closet” with Princess Stephanie of Monaco, “She Drives Me Wild” and “Can’t Let Her Get Away,” where abstract sounds like a car honking and miniature samples were turned into upbeat, funky tracks. The album also breeds “Black or White” and “Heal the World,” which shed light on issues of the world, including racism and poverty. “Why You Wanna Trip on Me” also chips in on these themes as well, along with criticism of the media for intruding on his personal life, which is prominently shown throughout the song, especially in verse 1, where he sings that we’ve got “world hunger / Not enough to eat / So there’s really no time to be trippin’ on me.” Jackson also revisited his rock side with “Give In to Me” with Slash in a hard rock ballad which greatly differs from the rest of the record while trying new musical techniques.
While being home to some of Jackson’s biggest hits, like “Remember the Time” and “Jam” with Heavy D, the album also appeals to the emotional side of the human with “Who Is It,” which chronicles the musical persona in the aftermath of a breakup, and “Gone Too Soon,” a tribute to a friend who passed away due to HIV/AIDS.
There is another track called “Keep the Faith” with Sandra and Andraé Crouch that encourages the listener to keep on pushing through “because it’s just a matter of time / Before your confidence will win out.” This is a track that we all need to visit every once in a while to remind us that we can make it through the storms of life. The final and title track talks about the protagonist and his encounters with her, which led to him being overtaken by the “strange inhumanity” of lust and his lover leaving him. This is one of Jackson’s most unique tracks in his discography, as there was more story narration, adlibs and instrumentation than singing.
Out of all the fourteen tracks on this album, the one that stands out to me the most is “Will You Be There,” which was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1993 adventure film “Free Willy.” The 2-minute introduction features the Cleveland Orchestra vocalizing, collectively performing an excerpt from Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9 in D Minor,” with the instrumentals consisting of the piano, synthesizer, keyboard, drums and percussion subsequently fading in. The lyricism features Jackson singing to a friend asking if they will be there in his toughest times, where he says, “Carry me like you are my brother / Love me like a mother / Will you be there?” There is a monologue at the end of the track, in which a pained Jackson asks his friend if they will still be there in their darkest hour and his deepest despair, while assuring them he will always care: “Through my joy and my sorrow / In the promise of a better tomorrow / I’ll never let you part / For you’re always in my heart.”
Dangerous is a sonically diverse and emotional album with something for everyone; it is able to appeal to the human mind in more ways than one might realize until a listen is taken. If you’re feeling romantic, heartbroken, grief or anything at all, this album is definitely for you. Dangerous is a great way for students to listen to something more classical and enhance our listening experience.
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