06/25/2023
14 YEARS LATER, MICHAEL JACKSON IS MORE ICONIC THAN EVER
by DEANTÈ YOUNG
Sometime during the mid-afternoon of Thursday, June 25, 2009, I sat watching television with my soon-to-be 6 year old daughter.
Suddenly, the screen went blank and the whirr of the fan stopped. I soon realized that the power had gone out.
A few hours later, I received the suffocating news that the legendary entertainer Michael Jackson, a supernova of unfettered brilliance and a lifelong obsession of mine—had died from cardiac arrest.
Predictably, this news sent shockwaves around the globe.
Years later, I looked back on the brief and odd power outage in my house that day and concluded that it likely occurred at the moment that Jackson left this world.
The occurrence matched up to the reported time that he lost consciousness, so it’s entirely possible.
MJ, the ultimate shining light had gone out.
Hard as it is to believe, today marks the 14th anniversary of that fateful and painful day. Fans of MJ worldwide will forever mark June 25th with excruciating emotional pain and a celebration of the brightest light to ever burn in the history of the pop music universe.
As I take stock of Jackson’s prized music catalogue and the continued popularity and acclaim of his artistic achievements, it’s obvious that the man is more iconic now than ever before.
His massive influence—from his singular fashion legacy to his mind-blowing mastery of singing, songwriting and dancing—is prevalent in many of today’s music stars.
The ultra popular K-Pop group BTS are among the most visible examples of his influence, as is Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, and Chris Brown.
His trailblazing short films, notably the visuals for “Thriller,” “Smooth Criminal,” and “Remember the Time” (to name just a few of the many), continue to bring awe, countless imitations and modern re-appraisals of his genius…..
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