Invincible

i think people should stop judging michaels work on his own acheivements and start judging it on music standard. i understand that when someone becomes as huge as michael was, they can only be judged upon the scale of histories greats, or in otherwords on himself. i'm going to judge michaels new album on the music, and not on his scale of fame, thriller, sales, odditys or looks,

the first three tracks (unbreakable, heartbreaker and invincible) have a very techno sound, although decent tracks they have very little flow to catch. michaels voice does excell and the sound, although similar to past efforts remains experimental.
this album has some of the greatest and most unique ballads i have ever heard by any artist. butterflies and heaven can wait, have both fresh and captivating concepts and dont walk away you are my life and speechless have some beautiful hooks that gel perfectly with michaels voice.
dont walk away actually has a country sound to it.
whatever happens is a landmark song, a collab with carlos santana, its a song about a unamed tradgedy and i feel is the strongest track on the album.
where this album fails is the songs cry, privacy and the lost children, although his voice is great in all of those songs,. i feel it is a step backwards apon anyones standards.

i feel that this album is one of the best of the past years by any one, although i can understand the standard mj has set himself.
if you are expecting thriller, maybe turn away and live in the 80s.
if you want something fresh that stands amoung the greatest r&b albums of the new millenium definately purchase the album.

As a music reviewer I try to give a fair and un-biased opinion of the music whether I like or loathe the artist. Invincible is an album that HAS to be "listened" to, to be fully appreciated. In a way this is a slight disadvantage, since it appeals much more to those who have a "musical ear" and who understand the way music is put together. On first listening, or to the "un-trained ear" it is true that some tracks may go "over the head", but such is MJ's talent that what you first hear is far from the whole picture. Invincible is a highly complex and truly "musical" album full of the trademark discordant chords, complicated rythmns, subtle key and major/minor changes and juxtyposing harmonies. The most musically interesting tracks include "invincible", "unbreakable", "break of dawn", "butterflies", and "whatever happens". The most aesthetically pleasing (and saleable) include the likes of "speechless", & "cry". If you listen carefully with "open ears" you will find that whenever you expect the music to go one way, it inevitabley goes the other, this is a hallmark and much underrated feature of MJ's work - evident from the earliest albums.
Invincible marks an entrance to new territory for MJ. Sure there are the classic "get back at the tabloids tracks" ("Privacy") and the "children tracks" ("lost children"), and these may be used as amunition by those who wish to challenge his position as an innovator. But surely these are private tracks, not saleable ones, they are a means to express feelings in the only way MJ knows how - by song. Invincible IS a much more sophistcated album by MJ & if time is taken to listen and appreciate it, without being coloured by the many derogatory comments about the artist, you will see why.
To compare Invincible to the likes of Thriller & Bad before it is premature, it is time to turn our attentions to the present (isn't that what some critics say about MJ?!) Those albums were made almost 20 years ago - yes that's right 20 years ago! Whether you like him or not, the fact that people still talk about him (positively OR negatively) all these years later is a testament to the extraordinary impact MJ has had on the music industry.

First of all as a big MJ fan i bought the album straight away. Instantly i loved it.The obvious songs to mention are Unbreakable and Speechless, not forgetting You Rock My World and Break of Dawn. In my opinion however Butterflies is the best song on the album. I cannot explain it but the song just really clicked with me. No matter who you are there is something on this album for you to listen to. It is just a feel good album. Invincible is a must buy album for all MJ fans and general music lovers. And at the prices above who can refuse!!

And on a totally different note can i just recommend R.Kelly's Chocolate Factory album. Pure Class!!