Executive produced by L.A. Reid and the late Epic Records chairman, Xscape takes a bold, controversial stance. Instead of presenting the raw demos as historical artifacts, Reid assembled an all-star "dream team" of modern producers—Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, and Jerome "Jroc" Harmon—to Jackson’s vault recordings. The result is a fascinating, if flawed, paradox: a record that tries to prove Michael Jackson is still relevant by sanding off the very eccentricities that made him timeless.
: Originally recorded in 1980 with Paul Anka. Michael Jackson Xscape -Deluxe Edition- 2014
This is the heart of the Deluxe Edition for purists and scholars. Here, listeners hear exactly what Michael Jackson left behind—raw, stripped-down demos recorded in his home studios (Hayvenhurst, Neverland) or professional spaces. These versions, such as the soulful Loving You , the haunting Slave to the Rhythm , and the epic Xscape , offer an intimate portrait of a perfectionist at work. Jackson is heard layering harmonies, beatboxing, and creating complete arrangements using only his voice and rudimentary keyboards. Executive produced by L
Xscape (Deluxe Edition) arrives as both a time capsule and a careful exercise in custodial craftsmanship. Released in 2014, this posthumous collection of Michael Jackson material—reworked, completed, and contemporized—offers a layered listening experience that raises familiar tensions: reverence versus reinterpretation, archival value versus commercial curation. The result is a fascinating, if flawed, paradox: