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The first single from Michael Jackson’s forthcoming Thriller 25, a collection of tunes celebrating the 25th anniversary of the King of Pop’s classic LP, will be a newly recorded rendition of "Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ " that features {tag Akon}, {tag Will.I.Am} and, of course, Jackson himself. Listen to it now:
http://www.mjeol.com/acc/WannaBeStartinSomething2008_Akon.mp3
Wanna Be Startin Somethin 2008 with Akon
"He’s incredible," Akon told MTV News about working with MJ. "He’s a genius. Just to be in the same room [with him], I felt everything I wanted to accomplish in life has been achieved. That aura … that’s how incredible that aura is. We about to shake the world up, man. You know how you be with somebody and you can’t even explain [the feeling]? I used to sit and think, ‘How does somebody sell so many records and dominate a whole business genre to a point [where] nobody can’t be a part of that without associating with you?’ The way he thinks … some artists think regional, some think national, I was thinking international. He thinks planets. It’s on another level."
The track is a new take on the original, according to a press release, and was produced by Akon and Jackson. MJ mixed and mastered the new cut.
{tag Thriller} 25, which is due in stores February 12, will include the original version of the 1982 record, in addition to five tracks previously unreleased in any form, including a Kanye West-helmed remix of "Billie Jean"; Will.I.Am’s reworkings of "The Girl Is Mine" and "P.Y.T."; Fergie’s version of "Beat It"; and an outtake from the original Thriller sessions called "For All Time."
The set will also feature a DVD, including all the Thriller-inspired short films ("Thriller," "Beat It" and "Billie Jean"), in addition to Jackson’s Emmy-nominated performance of "Billie Jean" during the "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" TV special. The DVD reportedly will also boast an exclusive, Jackson-penned greeting to his fans.
Initial reports suggested Jackson had also worked with Pharrell, {tag Ne-Yo}, {tag Neff-U}, Jerkins, {tag Chris Brown}, [tag Dallas Austin} and {tag Teddy Riley} on the project, but it remains unclear whether those collaborations will materialize.
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1579562/20080114/jackson_michael.jhtml