Saturday, November 13, 2010

Michael Jackson's duet with Akon to be released on Monday



'King of Pop' Michael Jackson's "incredibly beautiful" duet with Akon recorded in 2007 will be released on Monday as the first official single from the late singer's next album, it was announced today.

"Michael," Jackson's first album of new music in nine years, also includes duets with rapper 50 Cent and rocker Lenny Kravitz, Epic Records announced, saying the song will be released on December 14.

"Hold My Hand" featuring Akon was chosen to be the first single because the estate found a handwritten note from Jackson that indicated his desire that it be the first single on his next project, the company said.

The song is familiar to Jackson fans because an unfinished version of the song leaked onto the Internet in 2008, but Akon, a Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter, rapper, returned to the studio to complete a new version, Epic said.

"The world was not ready to hear 'Hold My Hand' when it leaked a couple years ago," Akon said. "We were devastated about it."

The song is now in "its final state," Akon was quoted as saying by CNN.      

"It has become an incredible, beautiful, anthemic song," he said. "I'm so proud to have had the chance to work with Michael, one of my all-time idols."

The song will be unveiled on www.michaeljackson.com on Monday and then will be available for purchase by digital  download, the company said.

The 10-track album will mostly include "songs that Michael worked on recently. There are also earlier compelling tracks," Epic said. It includes "Breaking News," a song streamed on-line last week as a preview.

Jackson was the highest earning celebrity of 2010, with an estimated income of USD 240 million.

The 'Black or White' hitmaker's music shot back into the charts following his sudden death in June, 2009 at the age of 50.

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