14 DAY TRIAL // Sony Music has just announced that the lead single off Michael Jackson’s upcoming album, “Michael,” won’t be “Breaking News” but a duet he recorded with Akon in 2007, “Hold My Hand.”
Though billed as “new,” the track is the exact opposite of that: recorded in 2007, it leaked online in 2008, but that was an unfinished version, TMZ reports.
Akon recently went back to the studio to put the finishing touches to the song – and fans will get the chance to hear the final version of the song come this Monday, November 15.
“Epic Records/Sony Music just announced the lead single off the upcoming album ‘Michael’ – and ‘Hold My Hand’ will be released this coming Monday, November 15 on michaeljackson.com,” TMZ writes.
“Akon and MJ recorded the track back in 2007... a raw, incomplete version was eventually leaked to the public,” the same media outlet reports, including the leaked version in the same post.
In a separate post, TMZ notes that the version that will come out on Monday will probably differ to a great extent from the one fans got to hear back in 2008, since Akon just recently went back to the studio to complete it.
“Our sources say Akon recently came back to the studio to lay down more vocals and really put the finishing touches on it. It sounds more produced than the ‘Breaking News’ song that was put online this week,” TMZ reports.
“It’s a classic, Akon-type song and it seems like Michael takes on Akon’s style. His voice fluctuates like Akon’s and there’s a similar tonal quality,” the same report reads.
It seems “Breaking News” will also sound differently on the album than the version fans got earlier this week, as Sony decided to produce it some more.
However, the Akon collaboration is not the only one on the “Michael” album, it has emerged. Other artists featured on it are Lenny Kravitz and 50 Cent.
The official tracklist for “Michael” is this:
“Hold My Hand” (ft. Akon) “Hollywood Tonight” “Keep Your Head Up” “(I Like) The Way You Love Me” “Monster” (ft. 50 Cent) “Best of Joy” “Breaking News” “(I Can’t Make It) Another Day” (ft. Lenny Kravitz) “Behind the Mask” “Much Too Soon”