There’s only one more week standing between all of us and the highly anticipated Michael Jackson movie, aptly titled “Michael”, starring his very own nephew Jaafar Jackson.
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As we’ve been telling you, there’s a whole bunch of goodness in store and people are chomping at the bit to see the late King of Pop come alive again in a big way onscreen. But if you somehow aren’t familiar with Michael, his story, or his musical ascent into global superstardom—then consider what we’re about to share just one of your unofficial music and visual syllabuses.
Below, we’ve listed out more than a handful of songs, TV, and film moments related to Michael that you may want to avail yourself to before you set foot in the theaters on April 24. After all, you don’t want to look like the odd ball out while everyone is singing and dancing, now would you? Yeah, we didn’t think so either!
“I’ll Be There”- The Jackson 5
While there are many Jackson 5 songs that folks love, “I’ll Be There” is no doubt one of their most memorable ones. So you definitely want to stream this soon.
“Who’s Lovin’ You”- The Jackson 5
We all know that Michael’s voice as a young child was out of this world and there’s no better song that demonstrates that than “Who’s Lovin’ You.” From his opening run, you can already tell you’re in for a sonic treat and that’s exactly what you get.
“The Love You Save”- The Jackson 5
One of the more fun, upbeat songs from the Jackson 5, “The Love You Save” is almost mandatory listening if you’re going to start going down the long and entertaining trek of the Jackson family, Michael and his path to superstardom.
“The Jacksons: An American Dream” Movie
While we’re all majorly looking forward to seeing how Antoine Fuqua and Jaafar tackle Michael’s story in this new project, real ones know that we first got a good look at the King of Pop’s story in the 1992 miniseries, “The Jacksons: An American Dream.” This is a cultural classic and a good visual syllabus to rewatch and re-familiarize yourself with before this new movie.
“Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”- Michael Jackson
Considering the fact that “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough” was the lead single off Michael’s first solo album “Off the Wall,” you already know that this is a must watch.
“Beat It”- Michael Jackson
As evidenced by the trailer and various stills from the film, the “Beat It” music video is going to be highlighted in some form. Check out the original to see how it all came together and how amazing it was. If you want even more of a behind the scenes look, you can watch this, too.
Michael & His Pets
As you well know by now, Michael had a plethora of pets from snakes and giraffes to his famous pet chimp Bubbles. So you can probably expect to see at least one of his animals in the film. But here’s a look at his pet snake “Muscles” and llama “Louie” in real life back then, so you’ll know to spot them out in the movie should they appear.
Motown 25 “Billie Jean” Performance- Michael Jackson
As you’ve seen from the trailer as well, Michael’s iconic “Motown 25” performance in 1983 will be featured. And while Jaafar appears to have done a lovely job, nothing will compare to the original as you can see here.
“Thriller”- Michael Jackson
While we probably won’t get the whole “Thriller” video in its entirety, knowing how big of a massive song and visual it was—this will no doubt be included. But you’ve got to watch the whole thing to really appreciate the storytelling.
The “Victory” Tour- The Jacksons
Based off a few clips and stills, we know that we’ll see Michael reuniting with his brothers to do the “Victory” tour will be shown in some capacity. We know it was a stellar show, so check out how they got down in Toronto back in the early 80s.
Michael Jackson’s “Bad” Tour Live at Wembley
As we previously told you, audiences will get a glimpse at Michael’s “Bad” era—but only for a short while. But if you’re a fan of his performance Live at Wembley in London back in the late 80s as shown above—then you’ll be happy to see it portrayed onscreen.
“Captain EO”
Now you don’t necessarily need to see this before you watch “Michael,” but if you loved seeing Michael in his “Bad” bag, then “Captain EO” will be fun detour from the norm.
“Moonwalker”- Michael Jackson
While “Moonwalker” encompasses a lot of “Bad”-era Michael, it does take a retrospective look at his early career days and the message that he wanted to share with his fans through his music that he felt often got overlooked. This will help contextualize how he moved the way he did a lot of the time.
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