This Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of American entertainer Michael Jackson’s fourth studio album Forever, Michael. Released on Motown Records, the album is known for its singles: “One Day In Your Life” “We’re Almost There” and “Just A Little Bit Of You”. Michael Jackson is indisputably the greatest entertainer of all time. Jackson has sold 500 million albums worldwide and became an influential figure in visual and performance artistry. The 13 time Grammy winner and music icon, known for his 1982 magnum opus Thriller, had been the lead singer of family music act The Jackson 5 since 1964. During this time, Michael began releasing his own solo albums: Got To Be There and Ben (both 1972), and Music & Me (1973).
It is no secret that the aforementioned Thriller is perhaps what the late King of Pop is known for the best. Second to that, the album that came before – Off The Wall (1979) – was another pivotal album in the singer’s discography. Both albums would go on to establish Jackson’s status as an experimental and trail blazing artist, through hits such as “Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough”, “Rock With You”, “Billie Jean”, “Beat It”, and “Thriller”. With these albums being written and recorded in the singer’s early twenties, Forever, Michael was recorded when the singer was at the tender age at 16, a pivotal time in the transitional phase between boy to young man.
Poignant in vulnerability and innocence, this album marked the final act in the first act of Jackson’s career. Soaked in the bubblegum pop and groove sound that defined Motown, Jackson was four albums into his solo career while simultaneously still occupying the lead singer role of The Jackson 5.
This would be the last solo album Jackson would release on Motown as he would later sign with Epic. Visibly, Jackson’s voice began to mature, evolving from a high pitched boy tenor to a mellow light deep countertenor. According to a 2024 article for Revolt, “Forever, Michael marked a shift in the global superstar’s career as he began moving away from his Jackson 5 roots. Tracks like ‘One Day In Your Life’ offered a glimpse of the introspection and depth that would define his later work. The 1975 album’s softer production and mature themes signaled the evolution of MJ’s artistry.”
Often seen as one of Jackson’s weaker albums, it is almost immediately overshadowed by its two successors, but in the 50 years since its release, Forever, Michael can largely be seen as the bridge between his bubblegum pop beginnings and his pop titan future. According to a recent review from Entertainment Weekly, “Jackson’s Motown swan song reveals an Afroed 16-year-old clearly on the brink of manhood, and its comparatively adult soul sound confirms he was ready to move on from his days as Gordy’s bubblegum boy wonder.”
