rip michael joseph jackson

Michael Jackson passed away today, just a couple of months short of his 51st birthday. I saw the news when I signed into my Twitter account this morning after reaching the office and saw a tweet from CNN announcing it. My first thought was “Aw fuck, no! Please tell me this is a hoax…”

Sadly, it was no hoax. Le Roi de la Pop est mort.

Honestly, I never expected his death – or indeed, the death of any celebrity – to affect me in the least. After all, it’s not like I knew him personally, right? See, I forgot to take into consideration the fact that his music truly touched my life so many times.

When I was little, MJ was the one musician (aside from The Beatles) whose music always filled the house. Of course, back in the 80s, his music filled everybody’s homes, so I’m certainly not alone there. Perhaps that is why I identify so much with his music… Remember when he came to Singapore in 1993? I was there at the National Stadium screaming “I LOVE YOU MICHAEL!” together with my sister.

Yes, given that I was 11 at the time, he may very well have loved me back too, and in more ways than one. But you know, so what? Everybody has their own demons, and I know this is a rather tenuous argument, but no charges brought against him were ever successfully prosecuted, so perhaps it’s not completely true.

In introspective moments, I’ve had Man in the Mirror playing. Whenever I’ve thought of my legendary girlfriend, it’s tended to be She’s Out of My Life that I listen to, sometimes then followed by I Just Can’t Stop Loving You and Rock with You.

Thinking of good friends, sometimes I’ll hear Ben in my head. Or when I’m simply feeling nostalgic, I listen to The Girl Is Mine. There are few songs more appropriate for times you’re feeling energetic as Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough, Billie Jean, Beat It or Thriller.

His discography runs the gamut of human emotions; there quite simply is an MJ song appropriate for just about any situation. Unfortunately, right now, the appropriate song is Gone Too Soon.

I’ve always loved MJ’s music, and always will. Rest in Peace, Michael Joseph Jackson. You will be sorely missed.