14 DAY TRIAL // Michael Jackson’s first posthumous album “Michael” has leaked online one week ahead of the official release. Those who say a firm no to piracy can rejoice as well, because MichaelJackson.com is now streaming the full album – free of charge.
As we also reported the other day, as “Michael” kept surfacing on more and more torrent sites for illegal downloads, Sony kept mum on the subject – several media outlets tried to contact the record label for a comment on this, but came up empty-handed.
Out of the blue, the official site of the singer is now hosting a player that streams the full album – in all its 41:42 minutes of glory.
No one knows whether this is Sony’s response to the leak (much like U2 also did with their “No Line On The Horizon”) or if the label itself is somehow behind the leak, as speculation would have it.
What is certain at this point is that the record label is offering Michael’s much talked about album for free streaming – and it’s doing so in a context in which there’s still a while to go until official release.
In the introduction, Sony says it’s giving fans a “preview” of “Michael” that would convince fans to pre-order the album, out on December 14, right on the spot.
However, it’s clear that this is not the same 5-minute preview we were also telling you the other day, which comprised only 30 seconds from all 10 tracks on it. This is the entire album.
So far, fans’ reaction on MichaelJackson.com has been astounding, with those listening to the album saying they plan to or have already pre-ordered their own copy.
In other words, even assuming Sony isn’t behind the leak, it can’t possibly damage sales, word in the industry has it. Fans will still be buying Michael’s music because this is how they show their devotion to the late King of Pop.
Without further ado, here is where you can listen to Michael Jackson’s upcoming “Michael” album. Enjoy.