The Sunday Mail
Last Sunday night Michael Jackson was “resurrected” for a performance of his new/old song “Slave to the Rhythm” at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.Appearing on stage with armed dancers and a slinky female, the late King of Pop pulled out his trademark moonwalk choreography to the track.
The illusion was a feat considering Jackson had never performed the song live publicly during his lifetime, opening the question of whether the hologram could tour his second posthumous album “Xscape”.
The collection – featuring eight “contemporised” demos form the Jackson vaults – topped the UK chart on Sunday night and was looking at a strong debut in the US later last week, proving that there’s still a thirst for the legendary icon.
That said, if the Jackson hologram was to tour the world, would you pay to see it?
On the one hand, it’s a captivating and intriguing technology that would pique anyone’s interest. The idea that a combination of fine mesh and precise optics can project a moving lifelike being rendered by digital artists is slightly mind-boggling.
But on the other, Jackson was infamously particular about his live shows, from the costume and the staging to the set-list and choreography.
The star’s two posthumous albums have been divisive among fans, and a live show with zero MJ input would be like rubbing salt in the wound.
It’s inevitable that this technology will start to play a larger role in live music.
Ever since a Tupac hologram stunned the crowd at Coachella back in 2012, there have been numerous reports of other deceased stars making a stage comeback using the illusion.
A one-off spectacle can serve as a tribute to the immeasurable talent Jackson gave the world, but would a tour be disrespectful to a career left behind in the hands of others? – digitalspy.co.uk
