Video will appear as you scroll through the story
Michael Jackson · S7 E6
Invincible
The last studio album — and why it disappeared
October 30, 2001. Michael Jackson releases his tenth studio album after four years and $30 million in production costs, and Sony pulls nearly all promotion within weeks.
Cry, Michael Jackson (2001). The second and final single from Invincible. Michael does not appear in his own video, which instead shows ordinary people performing acts of resistance and kindness. A telling sign of how distant Michael had become from his own promotional machine.
Cry, Michael Jackson (2001)
Written and produced by R. Kelly, "Cry" is one of the most conventional pop ballads on Invincible. The production relies on a simple piano-and-strings arrangement that would have fit on any adult contemporary station. What makes it significant is the absence: Michael's vocal is the only trace of him on the entire single campaign, because the video contains no footage of him at all. Sony released it as the second single, then pulled all remaining promotion.
Sources
Invincible album credits, Epic/Sony Records, 2001
Billboard Hot 100 chart history, 2001
The Making
Invincible took four years and an estimated $30 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive albums in history. Michael worked with Rodney Jerkins, Teddy Riley, Babyface, R. Kelly, and a roster of producers that read like an all-star team. The sessions ran from 1997 to 2001 across multiple studios. Sixteen tracks made the final cut from what was reportedly hundreds of recordings.
Sources
Michael Jackson, Inc., Zack O'Malley Greenburg, 2014
Invincible album credits, Epic/Sony Records, 2001
TAP TO REVEAL: Why did Invincible disappear?
The Music They Missed
Strip away the corporate warfare, and Invincible is a better album than its reputation suggests. The production is dense and modern, with Rodney Jerkins pushing Michael into late-90s R&B territory that sounded nothing like Bad or Dangerous. "Butterflies" became a top-15 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with zero promotion and no music video. The music was there; the machine behind it was not.
Sources
Billboard Hot 100 chart history, 2001-2002
Invincible album credits, Epic/Sony Records, 2001
Invincible by the Numbers
Butterflies, Michael Jackson (2001)
The song that proved Invincible had great music even if Sony would not promote it. Written by Andre Harris and Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry, "Butterflies" was never officially released as a single and never received a music video. It climbed to number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 purely on radio airplay, one of the most organic hits of Michael's career. A delicate R&B ballad that shows Michael could still float effortlessly over a modern production.
Butterflies, Michael Jackson (2001)
The lyrics are a simple love song about the nervous excitement of a new relationship. Marsha Ambrosius wrote it with Michael's voice specifically in mind, and the fit is seamless. Listen for how understated the vocal is compared to the HIStory era: Michael sounds genuinely calm for the first time in years.
Which Invincible track became a top-15 hit without a music video or official single release?
Invincible is Michael's last studio album, and the Sony War has left him financially exposed. Then a British journalist named Martin Bashir arrives at Neverland with a camera crew, and what he broadcasts will trigger the second allegation.
0 XP earned this session