THRILLER 40 LISTENING PARTY!! 🤍

I am SO EXCITED and can't WAIT to hear NEW MUSIC FROM KING MICHAEL!!! 😭👑🙌 Even from beyond the grave, he's still sharing music with us! 💗

I'm going to be first-time listening/reacting to the new demo tracks, not the entire album. I already know the album is good, it's the biggest and best selling album of all time so how could it not be? 😏 These are the tracks that could have been included! I can't wait a second longer,

LET THE THRILLER 40 LISTENING PARTY COMMENCE!!!! 🎉

Starlight - THE BEGINNING IS THRILLER WHAT THE HECK!?! I can't understand what he's saying but it's definitely not the same lyrics as Thriller. Oh my gosh, "We need some starlight! Some starlight sun(?). There ain't no second chance we gotta make it while we're young" 😂 What!!? It's so cheesy! 😂 Apparently Thriller was suppose to be called Starlight and be this cheesy, love song! I'm so glad it got a complete lyric make-over and became what it is now! This is wild! It just goes to show a song doesn't always come together on the first try. 

Got the Hots (Demo) - Time for a REAL new song now!!...Very funky start! Michaels vocals are on fire!! 😍🔥 He's really showin' off on this one! This is basically a "sexier" version of Baby Be Mine 😂 Its definitely got the "Michael Jackson" dance groove seal of approval going on, I can't help myself from bopping along to the beat! The chorus is super catchy!

Who Do You Know (Demo) - Slooooowin' things down a bit. This weirdly is giving me 90's boyband vibes...but in the 80's 🤷 Did Michael inspire the 90's boyband ballad signature sound & style?? Probably. Always ahead of his time! I love Michael's voice (always 🤍) but the song isn't my favorite...it's not awful but it's a little on the long side and gets pretty repetitive. I can still listen to it though because of Mike's vocals 😍😍

Carousel - I know this one!! 🤍🎠 I hope it's the "long version!" I have a "short version" on my Thriller 25th Special Edition copy. Even though this isn't "new" for me, I still love this song so I'm happy to hear it again!! It's the long one! Yay!! 🎉 

Behind the Mask (Mike's Mix (Demo)) - I think I know this one too...yup, it's the song I thought it was! I shared it during this year's Halloween music posts. It's super cool! It was first featured on the Michael album from 2010. 

Can't Get Outta The Rain - WHOA!! What a start! Smacks you right in the face! Not a lot of lyrics with this one but it sure is funky! There is a lot going on in this song! Is that someone screaming or is it a trumpet? 😂 It sounds like the seagull from Little Mermaid (you know I mean!) 😂 Awww, Michael's laugh!! 💓 Makes me think of You Can't Win (may be because of that annoying bird sound lol). Michael is really showing off his vocals and range! Go off boy! The trumpet/seagull noise is really annoying! 😬 I think this one would have been really cool if it had been finished with more lyrics (and sans bird noises).

The Toy (Demo) - WHAT!?! THIS IS BEST OF JOY!!!! BUT HE JUST SAID "I AM YOUR TOY, I AM YOUR BOY!!!" What!? Ew!! That is low-key creepy! 😂 All I can picture is this really creepy version of Pinocchio I saw as a kid singing "I am your toy, I am your boy."  to me! 😱😂 It's horrifying! I am now also thinking of the movie The Boy that gave me nightmares (and I never even saw it!). AHHH!! 😖 I can't!! Help! OK, I'm going to try and think about Woody, Buzz and Jessie from Toy Story instead and say this is the happier, upbeat reprise of When She Loved Me because the toys have a home with Andy! haha. So happy "toy & boy" were eventually changed to "joy"!! I can't get over that lyric, like why!? Apparently it was suppose to be in a movie called The Toy...still doesn't make it less weird and creepy!! I really like Best of JOY though....why'd they gotta ruin it with this!? lol. Next song, quick!!

Sunset Driver (Demo) - This is disco funk to the MAX! It sounds like it could have been on Off the Wall! Definitely makes me wanna dance! 💃🕺 Awww, at the end you can hear Michael say, "That's it Janet." And Janet says, "That's fine Michael."

What A Lovely Way To Go (Demo) - Woooo!! This piano is a new sound for an MJ song and Michael is singin' from his HEART & SOUL! And, is he beatboxing?? Are his brothers on this one?? I can hear a bunch of voices in the background. This is giving me Bruno Mars vibes...mixed with Taylor Hanson, hahaha. Probably because of the passion on the piano. 💓 This may be my favorite one so far, the melody is beautiful! I find the background voices/sounds kinda annoying and unnecessary but Mike is KILLING it vocally! 😍 I just need the lyrics so I can know what he's saying and what the song is actually about! 

She's Trouble (Demo) - The groovy, dance funk is back! Oooo...I like this one a lot so far!! WAIT!! OK, this is my favorite track!! I LOVE IT! Ugh, Michael is so hot here, lol. 😅😳😍🔥 I can't even see him but his voice is sending me!! 

Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I have to be honest....this didn't exactly live up to my expectations. Nothing really caught my attention and blew me away and there were several "repeat" songs (i.e. Carousel, Behind the Mask & The Toy (aka Best of Joy). The stand-outs for me were the final two demo tracks What A Lovely Way To Go & She's Trouble. Other than that...maybe I just need more time to sit and listen to them (like I did with RGB). Kind of a bummer but still a lot of fun overall! And Michael is still KING! 👑

I have LOVED doing these live listening/first reaction "parties" throughout the year! Musically, this year wins in every single way! Not only did I get brand new music from ALL of my faves, but I saw them LIVE (seeing PTX TOMORROW!!!). So that has been absolutely incredible!

If I had to rank all the new music from this year it would have to be:

#5 - Chaos in Bloom - The Goo Goo Dolls. Still haven't really gone back and listened to any of the songs since my first listen. 😬

#4 - Thriller 40 - Michael Jackson. I only really loved two of the 10 new tracks, three of which have already previously been released.

#3 - RGB - Hanson. 😲 I'm as shocked as you!! These final three are TOUGH to choose between!! This one was so unique, it took me several listens through (and seeing some songs performed live) before I really felt like I could honestly say I loved every single song. I love RED, it's by far my favorite. GREEN & BLUE still have some songs that need to grow on me...still love you HANSON!!! 💖💚💙

#2 - Holidays Around the World - Pentatonix. There was one track I didn't love (Last Christmas) and one that I still can't apply to Christmas (Invincible). But I LOVE the new arrangements and original songs and overall think it's a 5-star album! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#1 - Meet the Moonlight - Jack Johnson. Every single song is incredible and this has been the album I have listened to the most! Jack knocked it out of the park! It's my favorite Jack Johnson ALBUM! 🤍🖤