Review Summary: MJ's final record prior to his death is a good, but overlong, effort. Unfortunate that it never got promoted.
Invincible was MJ's last album before his death. Unfortunately, this album didn't sell much because of his legal battles with Sony over the rights to his music. This album got mixed reviews from critics, but has gotten some love after MJ's death.
1. Unbreakable- An uptembo dance record. The song has an incredibly funky beat which hooks you in immediately. Jackson's vocals are aggressive and quenched, but they fit the lyrics of the song really well. The chorus is very catchy with wonderful background vocals. Biggie comes in with a posthumous rap verse in the middle of the song. His verse is short but fits the song well. The song can be a bit too long for some at six minutes, but anyone who listens to MJ knows he likes long songs. Overall, a great opener to the album and I give it a 5/5.
2. Heartbreaker- Another uptempo dance number. The song is about some girl who is a, you guessed it, "heartbreaker". Some have claimed that Heartbreaker is a precursor to dubstep. To me, it sounds like an interesting combination of funk, new jack swing, and electronica. I like the fact that MJ was trying something new. Moving on, the chorus of this song is great and the rap verse by Fats is solid. The end of the song has all kinds of futuristic effects and you can clearly Jackson beatboxing near the end of the song. The only significant negative to this song is the electronic noise that keeps coming in with the guitar chord and the funky drumbeat. I can't clearly describe the sound but it sounds out of place with the rest of the beats. To me, that hinders the quality of the song. Overall, the song is a 3.5/5.
3. Invincible- the title track is a midtempo alternative soul number. Jackson's vocal performance is fine, but the beat of the song is a bit hard on the ears. Plus there is this really annoying background instrument that goes along with the piano-enhanced beat. I don't know for sure if it is a musical instrument or some sound MJ and Darkchild created, but it is really annoying. The rapper Fats comes in with a nice verse and Jackson snarls his vocals at the end of the song. Overall the song is a mixed bag. I give it a 2.5/5.
4. Break of Dawn- this is a classic R&B love-making record. Jackson sings about some girl that he wants to make love till the break of dawn. This is for lovers of soul music. Jackson's vocals in this song are incredibly passionate, kind of reminiscent of Jackson's singing in the Lady of My Life. The vocals really make this song. One can say that the song is generic, which maybe an appropriate criticism, but for Jackson it was something new. Overall, I like this song very much and I would give it a 4/5.
5. Heaven Can Wait- another romantic R&B record with exquisite Jackson vocals. Jackson's vocals in the second verse are awe-inspiring. I also love his passionate ad-libs near the end of the song. The only problem is that the lyrics are kind of ordinary and cliched. The song is perfectly adequate if a bit generic and unmemorable. Should have been cut, imo. I give this song a 3/5.
6. You Rock My World- a disco/funk classic about some girl who rocks MJ's world. The song starts with a funky bassline which is simply infectious and the accompanying orchestral arrangements fit the funky beat perfectly. This song could have easily fit on Off The Wall, my favorite MJ LP. Jackson's vocals are mature in the verses and the chorus is perfect. During the third verse of the song, Jackson's vocals become more intense and his ad-libs during the third chorus is simply euphoric. The last minute suddenly adds this amazing sound effect to the bassline and Jackson's singing is heavenly. I simply love this song. I give it a 5/5.
7. Butterflies- a neo-soul inspired ballad written by Marsha Ambrosius. The lyrics are about some girl who gives MJ's butterflies. The chorus of this song is sweet with amazing background and Jackson perfectly hits those high notes in the second verse. Ambrosius gives background vocals and ad-libs with Jackson near the end of the song. Jackson and Marsha combine for some absolutely heavenly, magical singing. One of MJ's best ballads. This song touches my soul in an indescribable way and I give it a 5/5.
8. Speechless- a gospel-inspired soul record. The lyrics are a bit ambiguous but I believe they pertain to some girl who makes MJ "speechless". Some have speculated that song is about Jackson's devotion to God. Anyways, the song begins with Jackson singing acapella, which is something new. The track slowly kicks in after Jackson sings acapella for about thirty seconds. The song has endearing lyrics, and there is a nice choir near the end of the song with Jackson belting passionately. The song ends with another short acapella from MJ. Imo, the only negative thing is that the song is way too short. If you take out the acapella bits, the song clocks in at a little over two minutes. It is too short. Jackson should have made it longer. Just for that, I give this song a 2/5.
9. 2000 Watts- a funky/ hip hop dance number. This was the song that Tyrese gave to MJ. MJ's vocals are really deep in this song; virtually unrecognizable. The lyrics are incredibly ambiguous; I have no idea what the song is about. Anyways, the beat of the song grates after a while and I don't think this song was meant for Jackson to sing. I don't really have much positive to say about this song. I appreciate the fact that MJ was experimenting with something new, but this song is just not it. I give it a 1.5/5.
10. You Are My Life- the Babyface ballad. The lyrics pertain to a shining light that rescues MJ from his loneliness. I think this song is about MJ's children. The chorus is sweet and well-intentioned, but kind of generic. Jackson's vocals are a bit limp in the verses, but he makes up for it in with his scorching vocals in the latter part of the song. Overall, I think this song should have been cut. I give it a 2/5.
11. Privacy- a mid-tempo funk rock song with Slash. As many have noted, this song could have easily fit on the HIStory album because it is about the papparazzi hounding him. The song incorporates a picture-clicking from a camera, which is cool. Jackson also references Lady Diana's death in the second verse of the song and attacks the media for hounding her. Slash comes in with a nice guitar solo after the second chorus. The track is catchy enough, but the tempo of this song is just a bit too slow. Imo, Jackson should have replaced this song with Xscape. I give this song a 2.5/5
12. Don't Walk Away- a romantic folk/country song. Jackson sings about his girl walking away from his life. Jackson's vocals in this song are incredibly emotional. The lyrics are really heartfelt and well-written. The background vocals in the last third of the song are fantastic and Jackson's ad-libs are top-notch as usual. One of the better ballads on the album. I give it a 4/5.
13. Cry- an understated gospel record. This song is very much in the vein of Man In The Mirror and Keep The Faith. However, it is nowhere near as good as the aforementioned record. The music is a bit limp and the track doesn't get really get going until the last hundred seconds of the song. Jackson's vocals are also aren't as powerful as his vocals in Keep The Faith. The gospel choir near the end of the song is great and really adds some momentum to the song. Overall, a bit too generic and a step down from his previous gospel anthems. I give it a 2/5.
14: The Lost Children- some kind of gaelic folk song about all "The Lost Children". The lyrics are fine and Jacksons' vocals are earnest and compelling. The children's choir in the second half of the song is really cute. I am glad MJ added it. I don't think this song is great, but it is pleasant enough. I give it a 3/5.
15: Whatever Happens- a fusion of soul and Latin rock; its the Santana collaboration. The lyrics are about a couple that is facing some kind of unnamed ominous danger. Jackson's vocals are deep and resonant. Santana's virtuosic guitar playing and MJ's desperate and impassioned ad-libs really mesh together beautifully in this song. Gorgeous background vocals from a female singer comes near the latter third of the song. This song is just an underrated gem. I give it a 5/5.
16. Threatened:- a modern version of Thriller, except that this song is much better than Thriller. The song kicks in ferociously with a thumping, grimy, funky bassline. Like Thriller, this song does a guest verse which fits in well with the theme of this song. Lyrically, this song has Jackson supernatural powers to himself. There are some clever vocal and studio effects near the end of the song. I just love this song. I give it a 4.5/5.
Overall, Invincible is a good album but it is incredibly overlong. If Jackson had just cut it to about 12 tracks, then this album could have been a classic. My version of Invincible is this:
1. Unbreakable
2. Heartbreaker
3. Invincible (with some minor changes to the beat)
4. Break of Dawn
5. You Rock My World
6. Butterflies
7. Speechless
8. Xscape
9. Don't Walk Away
10. The Lost Children
11. Whatever Happens
12. Threatened
Overall, this album was a disappointment but still had some great pop music.
