I’m sure that by now, everyone has seen the box office smash hit, Michael. Whether you saw it at an afternoon matinee, filled with children asking why Thriller was so scary, or a nighttime feature with other super fans practicing their moonwalk down the aisles, the Michael Mania that was present 40 years ago, still persists today. There’s been renewed discourse about his music, it’s impact and the way that it makes you move. When choosing a song to write about this week, I decided to choose a song that may be a deeper cut: “Off The Wall,” from 1979’s, “Off The Wall”.
What strikes me first as a listener is the laughing at the beginning of the song. It’s almost like a precursor to “Thriller.” Then the groove begins, and Michael takes you on your usual journey of boogeying your worries away. “Off the Wall” is a more dance-focused album on the whole, but particularly this song. It lets the music move you, whenever the world is on your shoulders. It highlights the freedom that Michael embodies, and the dancing feet that we all know and love. It’s the perfect after-work anthem – the signal to leave the 9-5 up on the shelf and just enjoy yourself. He focuses on explaining to listeners that when the music gets into you, life isn’t so bad at all… and I have to agree. Especially if it’s a Michael Jackson instrumental. What I love, and what I’m sure we all love about MJ, is his free spirit and ability to let his listeners let loose and move. This song is the type of uplifting dance anthem that Michael is known for, and is often forgotten in discussions about his greatest hits. In every corner of the world, the name Michael Jackson is known. Whether it’s “Off The Wall,” “Thriller,” “Bad,” or “HIStory,” Michael Jackson’s impact continues to live on: in short films, in music and on the charts– he’s currently the number one artist on Billboard, 40 years after the release of most of his songs. You can’t deny greatness, and it’s exemplified in MJ’s “Off the Wall.”
