The Estate of Michael Jackson and Epic Records confirmed today that the lead single from the upcoming ‘XSCAPE’ album will be the John McClain and Giorgio Tuinfort co-produced early-80s demo “Love Never Felt So Good”.
“Get ready for the premiere of the first #MJXSCAPE single, “Love Never Felt So Good” on Thursday!” reads the post made by the “official” Michael Jackson Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The track, originally written in 1980 (as per U.S. Copyright filing) by Jackson, Paul Anka and Kathy Wakefield, will make its debut during the inaugural iHeart Radio Music Awards, to be held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
“Love Never Felt So Good” was touted by reporter Kevin Hughes as: “An amazing 1983 disco groove,” with “a soulful vocal, infectious baseline and orchestral strings,” in his review for The Mirror. The track,which has been likened to 2013 Daft Punk mega-hit “Get Lucky” and Jackson’s own 1979 classic “Rock With You”, would apparently not sound out of place on a Pharrell album. A French review hyped “Love Never Felt So Good” as: “A power track completely calibrated for your summer,” adding that the track was: “Big disco funk,” with a galactic groove spirit. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy says that the track comes complete with: “1980s disco beats and crisp finger clicks,” adding that “the groove of the track is soaked in nostalgia.”
The iHeart Radio Music Awards will air live on NBC from 8pm PST featuring performances by Drake, Pharrell, Kendrick Lamar, Pitbull, Shakira, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Ariana Grande, Arcade Fire and Ed Sheeran.
Discuss below…
First off, I am very excited for the single and album release. However, I thought MJ had worked with Anka “post Thriller”?
The “official” story going around states 1983 but the Copyright filing says the work was done in 1980.
Thank you! I have Joe Vogel’s book here at home, and according to him the song was written in 1980. The story I had always heard before was ‘1983’. Thank you for clearing this up.
this would be an even better song if it was really Michael Jackson actually singing!!! just like “this is it”…if you are not deaf tone and listen really closely…I can tell it’s a fraud! I’ve just been listening to MJ since thriller and being in the music scene for so long…my ears smell a rat!
pretty curious that I haven’t found anything on the web to this regard. people just eat up any crap you put in their face! anyway…the song does have a good ring…I guess it’s kinda like buying a pair of fake nike’s, they fit and all, but just don’t cut It!
possibly one of the dumbest comments i have ever seen on this blog
“Love Never Felt So Good” is the only demo leak out if the bunch pre-leaked that I was never crazy for. I didn’t even listen to the song to the end.
It’s the only song that I’m truly relying on the new contemporary version to make me like it (as it was the music that I was not digging on the demo).
If I am sold on LNFSG Thursday, then I will be 100% excited about the possibility of loving XSCAPE from start to finish. The deacriptions of “Chicago”… I know that I will love it, which will only leave the mysterious “Loving You” to make XSCAPE a start-to-end winner with me.
The MICHAEL album bever stopd a chance due to the Cascio tracks… and overall, it just was not consistelly of quality production.
XSCAPE already blows MICHAEL out of the word in my opinion. Here’s to Thursday.
Finally. Now I know for sure what song is the first single from the album. Some people kept telling me it was Chicago so I wasn’t sure. But now I am and I’m glad this song will be released because although the demo sounds so simple with piano and finger snaps accompanying Michael’s singing, and a little bit of mumbling, the way he sings that song makes you feel, on the whole, good. When I finished hearing the whole demo, my heart was aching to hear it again and again, which I did do while singing along. This song being released first from the album Xscape will make it 10 times more successful than Michael. Now the album Michael was a disaster. First of all, the Cascio tracks had a big controversy over whether Michael was singing the songs on the album or if it was an impersonator, most likely Jason Malachi. I personally think that it’s Michael’s voice because of the way he enunciates the words and the way he breathes during the songs but that the producers made the mistake of using Melodyne to auto-tune his voice and fix his mistakes. Also, why didn’t they include a second disc with demos of the songs so people would know that it’s actually him singing ALL the songs?!?!? That is exactly why I believe that Xscape will be a surefire success!
His breathing was copy-pasted from his previous recording along with some words, screams, “awws” and “hoooos”. The lead vocals on all Cascio songs (Monster, Breaking News & KYHU) are Jason Malachi, not MJ. Other 7 songs on MICHAEL are real and great.
Let’s be fair – ‘Monster’, ‘Breaking News’ and ‘Keep Your Head Up’ are still pretty great songs. I don’t know whether the singer was Jason Malachi or Michael Jackson (although I’m more inclined to believe it was Michael Jackson, but don’t start an argument), but the songs themselves were pretty good. ‘Monster’ was quite reminiscent of ‘Thriller’ and ‘Breaking’ News’ had the same theme as ‘Tabloid Junkie’. Anyhoo, I have pretty high hopes for ‘Xscape’ – ‘Love Never Felt So Good’ should be a good song (judging by the 2013 remix of ‘This Is It’ featuring Paul Anka and Michael Jackson), and the other songs should be hits.
Paul Anka had nothing to do with this new version of Love Never Felt So Good. John McClain & Giorgio Tuinfort produced it.
All Cascio songs (those 3 released + 9 more unreleased) had theme similar to some older Michael Jackson tracks. That was their intention. The 3 songs that were released sound the most like Michael (but still it’s not Michael). If you listen other 9 songs (Stay, All I Need, Soldier Boy, Ready 2 Win, Water, Fall In Love, Black Widow, All Right) – you can find them online.. you’ll know that all Cascio songs are fake.
So we’ll have to wait until the iHeart awards show ?
Because maybe thursday means during the day of thursday on the radio ?
Some things to note about “Love Never Felt So Good”…..
1. The finished version of this song was given to legendary singer Johnny Mathis, who recorded it for his album “A Special Part Of Me.” That album was released in 1984. It’s available on iTunes.
2. The demo that we all know of LNFSG is clearly a work in progress. The finished version, which Mathis recorded, features lyrics not heard in MJ’s demo.
3. Regardless of what “Pas Master” says above, Paul Anka did have something to do with this song. He co-wrote it with MJ! He may not have anything to do with production, but still involved. And he will of course be profiting from this as well.
Can’t wait to hear the new version!
Wow, thanks for that Erich. I didnt know Johnny Mathis recorded the song! I quite like his version. He’s a legend in his own right.
Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPyOCS0xccM
Classic. I would love to hear MJ’s Vocals on this music. Add a bit more soul to that funk and jazz pop.
Of course he co-wrote it. I meant with the new version.
Justin Timberlake posted artwork from “Love Never Felt So Good” with Michael Jackson’s and Justin Timberlake’s names under the title of the song. Hint of what’s to come at iHeartRadio Music Awards?
Damien, this track never leaked online before, did it?!!
It certainly did. “Love Never Felt So Good” has been available online since 2006.
Thank you for answering. So why is it referred to as “never before heard”?
The general public have never heard most of these songs. The slogan “the best you’ve never heard” is targeted at that demographic. Hardcore fans will always have a tendency to seek out materials. If fans don’t want to hear anything until it’s officially released they should steer clear of leaks. Fans can be their own worst enemy sometimes.
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