The aesthetical and eclectic references which inspired and built his vocality had been systematically re-appropriated, re-invested and assimilated in a single vocal personality. Michael Jackson was an artist whose many vocal expressions made up the first ground of an eminently pop identity. Soucieux de restituer avec transparence cette identité, l’ingénieur du son Bruce Swedien a opté pour des approches techniques et des stratégies de studio visant à conserver fidèlement les expressions premières du chanteur : micros, prises de son analogiques, techniques d’enregistrement des larges prismes vocaux, élaboration d’espaces acoustiques naturels, champ stéréophonique converti en un espace sonore tridimensionnel jouant sur les early reflections, plywood, Monstercable ou encore Tubetraps ont fait l’objet, dans la quête d’authenticité de Bruce Swedien, de choix délibérés convoquant conjointement ou tour à tour tradition et technologie. L’identité sonore de Michael Jackson, outre ses constituants mélodiques et rythmiques, est construite de façon audible et tangible sur un phénomène de physicalité qui fait la part belle au bruitisme buccal, guttural, respiratoire ou corporel d’un chanteur dansant même en studio. Les références esthétiques éclectiques qui ont échafaudé et nourri sa vocalité se sont trouvées systématiquement réappropriées, réinvesties et assimilées en une seule et même personnalité vocale. In contrast to Michael's other short films of the Bad era, "Man of the Mirror" tells a story not through performance, but through powerful images of oppression, homelessness, hunger, police brutality and other ills of the world, as well as events and leaders of the 20th century whose work is reflective of the song's message to "make that change.Michael Jackson est un artiste dont les multiples expressions vocales constituent le premier jalon d’une identité paroxystiquement pop. That's the truth." A review of Bad in Rolling Stone in 1987 called the song "among the half dozen best things Jackson has done." Don't be looking at all the other things. "'Man in the Mirror' has a great message," he wrote in his 1988 memoir Moonwalk. "Man in the Mirror," written by Siedah Garrett (Michael's duet partner on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You") and Glen Ballard, is one of only two songs on Bad not written by Michael Jackson and, even though it wasn't a song he wrote himself, it was a message that was strongly identified with him and reflective of his own philosophies, as demonstrated through his actions and expressed in some of his own lyrics. 1 singles from one album on the Billboard Hot 100-making Michael the first artist to achieve this milestone. In the U.S., "Man in the Mirror" was the fourth of five consecutive No. 1 in four countries in 1988, topping the charts in the United States, Italy, Belgium and Poland and reaching Top 5 in Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. Michael Jackson's short film for "Man in the Mirror" was the third of nine short films produced for recordings from Bad, one of the best selling albums of all time. Produced by Quincy Jones for Quincy Jones ProductionsĬo-Produced by Michael Jackson for MJJ Productions, Inc.įrom the album Bad, released August 31, 1987 Written by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard In keeping with the lyrical message of "Man in the Mirror," which was strongly identified with Michael Jackson and reflective of his own philosophies, the short film features powerful images of events and leaders whose work embodies the song's message to "make that change." Rolling Stone praised the short film in 2014 as "a powerful statement to deliver to personality-driven MTV."