Invincible (Michael Jackson album)

''Invincible'' is the tenth and final studio album by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on October 30, 2001, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's last album before his death in 2009. The creation of ''Invincible'' was expensive and laborious, featuring the work of ten record producers and over 100 musicians. Jackson started the multi-genre production in 1997 and did not finish until eight weeks before the album's release. It was reported that it cost $30 million to record, it remains the most expensive album ever made. The album features appearances from Carlos Santana, the Notorious B.I.G., Fats, and Slash. It incorporates R&B, pop, electronic and soul, and similarly to Jackson's previous material, the album explores themes such as love, romance, isolation, media criticism, and social issues.

''Invincible'' debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart and also reached number one in thirteen other countries worldwide. The lead single, "You Rock My World", was Jackson's final hit single during his career, as it reached number ten on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2002 Grammy Awards. " Cry" was also released as a single, and " Speechless" and "Butterflies" were released as promotional singles. The album received mixed reviews and became Jackson's most critically derided album. Retrospective reviews of the album have been more positive, being praised for its musicality and production in particular. It has been credited as featuring early examples of dubstep.

In July 2002, following Sony's decision to abruptly end promotion for ''Invincible'', Jackson alleged that the CEO of Sony Music, Tommy Mottola, was a "devil" and a racist who used his Black American artists only for personal gain. Jackson refused to tour to support it, adding to the growing rift between him and Sony Music. Despite this, it was certified double platinum in the US; global sales of the album reached over 8 million copies. In 2009, the year of Jackson's death, ''Invincible'' was voted by online readers of ''Billboard'' as the best album of the 2000s decade.

Production

Prior to the release of ''Invincible'', Jackson had not released any new material since the remix album '' Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'' in 1997; his last studio album was ''HIStory'' (1995). ''Invincible'' was therefore viewed as Jackson's "career comeback".

Jackson began recording new material in October 1997, and finished with "You Are My Life" being recorded only eight weeks before the album's release in October 2001 – the most extensive recording of Jackson's career. The tracks with Rodney Jerkins were recorded at the Hit Factory in Miami, Florida. Jackson had shown interest in including a rapper on at least one song, and had said that he did not want a "known rapper". Jackson's spokesperson suggested a New Jersey rapper named Fats; after Jackson heard the finished product of the song, the two agreed to record another song together for the album.

Rodney Jerkins stated that Jackson was looking to record material in a different musical direction than his previous work, describing the new direction as "edgier". Jackson received credit for both writing and producing a majority of the songs on ''Invincible''. Aside from Jackson, the album features productions by Jerkins, Teddy Riley, Andre Harris, Andraeo "Fanatic" Heard, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, R. Kelly and Dr. Freeze Bill Gray and writing credits from Kelly, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Nora Payne and Robert Smith.''Invincible'' liner notes Epic Records (2001). The album is the third collaboration between Jackson and Riley, the other two being '' Dangerous'' and '' Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix''. ''Invincible'' is Jackson's tenth and final studio album to have been recorded and released during his lifetime. It reportedly cost $30 million to make the album, making it the most expensive album ever made.

''Invincible'' was dedicated to the fifteen-year-old Afro-Norwegian boy Benjamin "Benny" Hermansen who was stabbed to death by a group of neo-Nazis in Oslo, Norway, in January 2001. The reason for this tribute was partly due to the fact that another Oslo youth, Omer Bhatti, Jackson's friend, was also a good friend of Hermansen. The dedication in the album reads, "Michael Jackson gives 'special thanks': This album is dedicated to Benjamin 'Benny' Hermansen. May we continue to remember not to judge a man by the color of his skin, but the content of his character. Benjamin ... we love you ... may you rest in peace." The album is also dedicated to Nicholette Sottile and Jackson's parents, Joseph and Katherine Jackson.

Music and lyrics

''Invincible'' is an R&B, pop and soul record. The album's full length lasts over 77 minutes and contains 16 songs – fourteen of which were written (or co-written) by Jackson. It was noted that the album shifts between aggressive songs and ballads. ''Invincible'' opens with "Unbreakable"; the last line in the first verse recites the lyrics, "With all that I've been through/I'm still around". In a 2002 interview with the magazine '' Vibe'', Jackson commented on his inspiration for writing " Speechless", saying:

"Privacy", a reflection on Jackson's own personal experiences, is about media invasions and tabloid inaccuracies. "The Lost Children" is about imperiled children. Jackson sings in a third person in "Whatever Happens". The song's lyrics, described by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as having a "jagged intensity", narrate the story of two people involved in an unnamed threatening situation. ''Invincible'' features four ballads: "You Are My Life", "Butterflies", "Don't Walk Away" and "Cry". "Cry", similar to Jackson's " Man in the Mirror", is about healing the world together. The lyrics to "Butterflies" and "Break of Dawn" were viewed as "glaringly banal" and it was implied that they could have been written by anyone. "Threatened" was viewed as being both a storyteller and a "Thriller redux". The song "You Are My Life" is about Jackson's two children at the time, Prince and Paris. The song features Jackson singing, "You are the sun, you make me shine, more like the stars."

Singles

The album spawned two official singles ("You Rock My World" and " Cry") and three promotional singles (" Speechless", "Butterflies" and "Unbreakable"), although all were given limited releases. "You Rock My World" was only released to radio airplay in the United States, consequently only peaking at number ten on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Internationally, where it was released as a commercial single, it reached number one in France, number two in Norway, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, number three in Italy, number four in Australia, and five in Sweden and Switzerland. The second single, "Cry", was not released in the United States. It was only moderately successful, with the song's most successful territories being Spain, Denmark, France, and Belgium, charting at number six, sixteen, thirty and thirty-one.

"Butterflies" was released in the United States only to radio airplay. It reached number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and at peaked at number two for five weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart. A three-track commercial single of the song was scheduled for release on January 15, 2002, but its release was canceled. A remix of the song by Track Masters was released promotionally which features singer Eve. Jackson had reportedly wanted "Unbreakable" to be the album's first single, but it was ultimately only issued promotionally. The song peaked at number 62 on the Romanian Top 100 chart. " Heaven Can Wait" charted at number 72 on the ''Billboard'' R&B/Hip-Hop Chart due to radio airplay without an official release; the song did not chart internationally.

Promotion

It was reported that the album had a budget of twenty five million dollars set aside for promotion. Despite this, however, due to the conflicts between Jackson and his record label, little was done to promote the album.Taraborrelli, p. 611 Unlike with Jackson's post-''Thriller'' studio albums, there was no world tour to promote the album; a tour was planned, but cancelled due to conflicts between Jackson and Sony, and the September 11 attacks (the latter of which had also motivated many other artists to cancel their then-upcoming concerts in late 2001 and early 2002.) There was, however, a special 30th Anniversary Celebration at Madison Square Garden in early September 2001 to mark Jackson's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson performed "You Rock My World" and marked his first appearance onstage alongside his brothers since the Jacksons' Victory Tour in 1984. The show also featured performances by Britney Spears, Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, Tamia, Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, 98 Degrees, and Slash, among other artists. The show aired on CBS in November 2001 as a two-hour television special and was watched by 45 million viewers according to Nielsen.

The album's promotion was met with trouble due to internal conflicts with Sony Music Entertainment and Jackson due to his part of ownership with the company and the contract to a deal with Sony that was originally signed back in 1991. The issue stemmed back during the production of ''Invincible'' when Jackson learned that the rights to the masters of his past releases, which were to revert to him in the early 2000s, would not revert to him until much later in the decade. When Jackson consulted the lawyer who worked with him in making the deal back in 1991, he learned that the same lawyer was also working for Sony, revealing a conflict of interest of which Jackson was never aware. Not wanting to sign away his ownership in Sony Music Entertainment, Jackson elected to leave the company shortly after the album's release. After the announcement, Sony halted promotion on the album, cancelling single releases, including a 9/11 charity single that was intended to be released before ''Invincible''.

In July 2002, following Sony's decision to abruptly end promotion for the album, Jackson alleged that the CEO of Sony Music, Tommy Mottola, was a "devil" and a racist who used his African American artists only for personal gain.Taraborrelli, p. 610–611 He accused Sony and the record industry of racism, deliberately not promoting or actively working against promotion of his album. Sony disputed claims that they had failed to promote ''Invincible'' with sufficient energy, maintaining that Jackson refused to tour in the United States.

Critical reception

''Invincible'' received mixed reviews from professional critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a mixed score of 51 based on 19 reviews.''Invincible'' (2001): Reviews
. Metacritic. Retrieved on August 7, 2010.

David Browne of ''Entertainment Weekly'', felt that ''Invincible'' is Jackson's "first album since ''Off the Wall'' that offers virtually no new twists" and stated that the album "feels like an anthology of his less-than-greatest hits". James Hunter of ''Rolling Stone'' critiqued that the album's later ballads made the record too long. Hunter also commented that Jackson and Riley made "Whatever Happens" "something really handsome and smart", allowing listeners "to concentrate on the track's momentous rhythms" such as "Santana's passionate interjections and Lubbock's wonderfully arranged symphonic sweeps".

Mark Beaumont of ''NME'' called it "a relevant and rejuvenated comeback album made overlong", while '' Blender'' also found it "long-winded". Reviewing for ''The Village Voice'', Robert Christgau said that despite being overlooked, Jackson's "skills seem undiminished nd...he's doing new stuff with them--his funk is steelier and his ballads are airier, both to disquieting effect." He described the album's first three tracks as being the "Rodney Jerkins of the year". In a negative review for ''The New York Times'', Jon Pareles'' said that it is both innovative and meaningful because exceptional songs such as "The Lost Children" and "Whatever Happens" more than make up for overly sentimental songs like "Heaven Can Wait" and "You Are My Life". '' Q'' magazine said that it is an aurally interesting, albeit inconsistent, album.

''Invincible'' received one Grammy Award nomination at the 2002 ceremony. The album's song "You Rock My World" was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male, but lost to James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight". Due to the album's release in October 2001, it was not eligible for any other nomination from the 2002 Grammy Awards.

Retrospective reviews

In retrospective reviews, ''Invincible'' has gained more positive reviews and the track "Heartbreaker" has been cited as an early development of dubstep. AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine commented that it has a "spark" and "sound better than anything Jackson has done since '' Dangerous''." Erlewine noted that while the album had good material it was "not enough to make ''Invincible'' the comeback Jackson needed – he really would have had to have an album that sounded free instead of constrained for that to work – but it does offer a reminder that he can really craft good pop." Writing for ''PopDose'', Mike Heyliger wrote "''Invincible'' isn't the piece of shit most claim it to be. A leaner structure to the album and more sympathetic production would have resulted in a classic. But when measured against the radio junk that passes for pop-R&B these days, ''Invincible'' is stronger than ever." In December 2009, readers of ''Billboard'' voted ''Invincible'' the best album of the 2000s. In 2025, ''Screen Rant'' called it "ahead of its time" and a feat of musicality and production.

Jackson later admitted to have been very proud of ''Invincible'': "It is tough because you’re competing against yourself. ''Invincible'' is just as good or better than ''Thriller'', in my true, humble opinion. It has more to offer." Producer Jerkins also give his thoughts about the album: "There's stuff we didn't put on the album that I wish was on the album. My first batch f beatsis what I really wanted him to do. I was trying to really go vintage, old school Mike. And that's what a lot of my first stuff was, that I was presenting to him. He kept 'Rock My World'. But he wanted to go more futuristic. So I would find myself at like junkyards, and we'd be out hitting stuff, to create our sound.
I think ''Invincible'' needs to be re-released. Because something happened at the record company onythat caused them not to promote it no more after we put our heart and soul in it. He had about five singles on the album. But it came down to who can stop who 'sic'' And he was caught up in that mess."

In a retrospective review for ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', Pareles said that ''Invincible'' showed Jackson had lost his suave quality to "grim calculation".Pareles, Jon.
Review: ''Invincible''
". ''Rolling Stone'': 415. November 1, 2004.

Commercial performance

''Invincible'' was Jackson's first studio album since ''HIStory'' six years earlier. It debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 363,000 units. It was Jackson's fifth ''Billboard'' 200 number-one, and his fourth solo album to chart at number one in its first week; however, it sold less than ''HIStory'' in its opening week, which sold 391,000 units. In its second week, the album slipped to number 3 selling 202,000 copies with a 45% drop. ''Invincible'' also charted at number one on the ''Billboard'' R&B/Hip Hop Albums Chart for four weeks. After eight weeks of release, in December 2001, ''Invincible'' was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the sales of five hundred thousand units. In the same month, the album was certified platinum for the sale of one million units. On January 25, 2002, it was certified two times platinum for the sales of two million units. In the United States, it was the 45th best-selling album of 2001 selling over 1.56 million units. As of 2009, Invincible had sold 2.4 million copies in the United States.

''Invincible'' left the Billboard 200 in June 2002 after charting there for 28 weeks. Shortly after the release of the album, in a poll conducted by ''Billboard'' magazine, "an overwhelming majority" of people—79% of 5,195 voters—were not surprised by ''Invincible'' entering the ''Billboard'' 200 at number one. ''Billboard'' also reported that 44% agreed with the statement, proclaiming that Jackson was "still the King of Pop". Another 35% said they were not surprised by the album's ranking, but doubted ''Invincible'' would hold on for a second week at the top of the chart. Only 12% of people who responded to the poll said they were surprised by the album's charting debut because of Jackson's career over the past six years and another 9% were taken aback by the album's success, in light of the negativity that preceded the album's release.

''Invincible'' reached number one in 14 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. It also charted within the top ten in several countries, including Austria, Japan, Italy, New Zealand, and Spain.

''Invincible'' was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, for the sales of over 300,000 units in the United Kingdom. The album was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for the sales of 40,000 units in Switzerland. The IFPI also certified the album gold in Austria for the sales of 15,000 units. Australian Recording Industry Association certified ''Invincible'' two times platinum for the sales of 140,000 units in Australia. ''Invincible'' was the eleventh best-selling album of 2001 according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry with 5.4 million copies. According to different sources the album sold 8 million, or even 13 million copies worldwide.

Following Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, his music experienced a surge in popularity. ''Invincible'' charted at number twelve on the ''Billboard'' Digital Albums Chart on July 11, 2009. Having not charted on the chart prior to its peak position, the album was listed as the ninth biggest jump on that chart that week. It also charted within the top ten, peaking at number nine, on ''Billboard''s Catalog Albums Chart on the issue date of July 18. On the week of July 19, 2009, ''Invincible'' charted at number eighteen in Italy. ''Invincible'' peaked at number sixty-four on the European Albums Chart on the charts issue date of July 25. The album also charted at number twenty-nine in Mexico on July, and eighty-four on the Swiss Albums Chart on July 19, 2009.

Track listing

Notes
*The rap verse by the Notorious B.I.G. in "Unbreakable" was originally from the second verse of the song " You Can't Stop the Reign" by Shaquille O'Neal.
*"Break of Dawn", "2000 Watts" and "Threatened" were excluded from the original release in China. In the Chinese edition of the box set '' The Collection'' released in 2013, all 16 tracks are included.

Credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from ''Invincible'' album liner notes.

* Michael Jackson – lead vocals , background vocals , arranger , multiple instruments , programming , drum programming , orchestral arrangements and conducting , keyboard programming
* Marsha Ambrosius – background vocals
* Maxi Anderson – vocals
* Gloria Augustus – vocals
* Babyface – acoustic guitar, bass guitar, background vocals, drum programming, and keyboards
* Tom Bahler – youth choir conductor
* Emanuel "Bucket" Baker – drums
* Rose Beatty – youth choir
* Edie Lehmann Boddicker – youth choir
* Robert Bolyard – youth choir
* Norman Jeff Bradshaw – horns
* Brandy – additional background vocals
* Stuart Brawley – whistle solo
* Mary Brown – additional background vocals
* Tim Brown – vocals
* Brad Buxer – drum programming , keyboards , keyboard programming
* David Campbell – string arrangement
* Matt Cappy – horns
* Martha Cowan – youth choir
* Andraé Crouch – vocals
* Sandra Crouch – vocals
* Paulinho da Costa – percussion
* LaShawn Daniels – background vocals
* Valerie Doby – vocals
* Dr. Freeze – background vocals , multiple instruments
* Monique Donally – youth choir
* Kevin Dorsey – vocals
* Marja Dozier – vocals
* Alfie Silas Durio – vocals
* Nathan East – bass guitar
* Jason Edmonds – choir
* Geary Lanier Faggett – vocals
* Vonciele Faggett – vocals
* Fats – rap
* Lynn Fiddmont-Lindsey – choir
* Kirstin Fife – violin
* Judy Gossett – vocals
* Harold Green – vocals
* Jonathon Hall – youth choir
* Justine Hall – youth choir
* Andre Harris – multiple instruments
* Scottie Haskell – youth choir
* Micha Haupman – youth choir
* Tess (Teresa) Escoto – youth choir
* Gerald Heyward – drums
* Tabia Ivery – choir
* Luana Jackman – youth choir
* Prince Jackson – narrative
* Rodney Jerkins – multiple instruments , programming
* Tenika Johns – vocals
* Angela Johnson – vocals
* Daniel Johnson – vocals
* Zaneta M. Johnson – vocals
* Laquentan Jordan – vocals
* R. Kelly – choir arrangement
* Peter Kent – violin
* Gina Kronstadt – violin
* Michael Landau – guitar
* James Lively – youth choir
* Robin Lorentz – violin
* Jeremy Lubbock – orchestral arrangements and conducting
* Brandon Lucas – youth choir
* Jonathon Lucas – youth choir
* Ricky Lucchse – youth choir
* Melissa MacKay – youth choir
* Alex Martinez – youth choir
* Howard McCrary – vocals
* Linda McCrary – vocals
* Sam McCrary – vocals
* Alice Jean McRath – vocals
* Sue Merriett – vocals
* Bill Meyers – string arrangements
* Mischke – background vocals
* Patrice Morris – vocals
* Kristle Murden – vocals
* The Notorious B.I.G. – rap
* Novi Novog – viola and contractor
* Nora Payne – background vocals
* Que – background vocals
* Teddy Riley – multiple instruments additional background vocals
* John Robinson – drums
* Baby Rubba – narrative
* Carlos Santana – guitar and whistle solo
* Deborah Sharp-Taylor – vocals
* F. Sheridan – youth choir
* Slash – guitar solo
* Andrew Snyder – youth choir
* Sally Stevens – youth choir
* Richard Stites – additional background vocals
* Thomas Tally – viola
* Brett Tattersol – youth choir
* Ron Taylor – vocals
* Michael Thompson – guitar
* Chris Tucker – introduction
* Mario Vasquez – additional background vocals
* Johnnie Walker – vocals
* Nathan "N8" Walton – choir
* Rick Williams – guitar
* Yvonne Williams – vocals
* Zandra Williams – vocals
* John Wittenberg – violin

Record production

*Executive producer: Michael Jackson
*Produced by Michael Jackson , Rodney Jerkins , Dr. Freeze , Teddy Riley , Andre Harris , Babyface , R. Kelly
**Co-produced by Andreao "Fanatic" Heard" and Nate Smith , Richard Stites
*Recorded by Bruce Swedien , Teddy Riley , Rodney Jerkins , Stuart Brawley , Brad Gilderman , Dexter Simmons , George Mayers , Jean-Marie Horvat , Brad Buxer , Mike Ging , Paul Boutin , Andre Harris , Humberto Gatica
**Assistant engineers: Rob Herrera, Craig Durrance, Kevin Scott, Steve Robillard, Franny Graham, Richard Thomas Ash, Chris Carroll, Dave Ashton, Christine Tramontano, Vidal Davis
*Rap recorded by Bob Brown
*Strings recorded by Tommy Vicari
**Assisted by Steve Genewick
**Production coordinator: Ivy Skoff
*Mixed by Bruce Swedien , Teddy Riley , Rodney Jerkins , Michael Jackson , Mick Guzauski , Stuart Brawley , George Mayers , Jean-Marie Horvat , Jon Gass , Humberto Gatica
**Assisted by Kb and EQ
*Mastered by Bernie Grundman
*Digital editing by Stuart Brawley , Brad Buxer , Rob Herrera, Harvey Mason, Jr. , Alex Greggs , Fabian Marasciullo , Paul Cruz , Paul Foley , George Mayers
**Additional digital editing and engineering by Michael Prince
*Art direction: Nancy Donald, David Coleman, Adam Owett
*Cover design: Steven Hankinson
*Photography: Albert Watson
*Illustration: Uri Geller
*Make-Up and hair: Karen Faye
*Vocal consultant: Seth Riggs
*Archivist: Craig Johnson

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

See also

* Michael (2025 film)

References

Bibliography

* George, Nelson (2004). '' Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.
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External links

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{{Authority control

2001 albums
Michael Jackson albums
Epic Records albums
Albums produced by Michael Jackson
Albums produced by Babyface (musician)
Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins
Albums produced by R. Kelly
Albums produced by Teddy Riley
Albums recorded at Capitol Studios
Albums recorded at Marvin's Room