Michael Jackson And Five Other Artists With Posthumous Releases
There’s a new Michael Jackson album on the way in May, Xscape, which will be the singer’s twelfth studio album. The only confusing part is, Michael died in 2009. Jackson of course isn’t the first artist to bring us ‘new’ material from beyond the grave, actually it seems it's common practice for a singer to leave behind pleanty of unreleased work. Take these five for examples of who have shown that not even death can bring an end to a recording career.
Notorious B.I.G.
Sixteen days after the death of Nortorious B.I.G. his double album _Li_fe After Death was released as had been planned. Two years later Born Again, a record comprised mainly of unfinished material and unreleased verses from his Ready to Die era was released. The album was generally not well received by critics but it did manage to top the Billboard chart. A follow up Duets: The Final Chapter came in 2005, but it was also poorly recieved, generating criticism for not featuring enough of B.I.G.. and relying too heavily on guests stars.
Next page: Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse
Aaliyah
Aaliyah’s recording career was tragically cut short in 2001 when she was killed in a plane crash a month after releasing her third album, Aaliyah. A year later a posthumous compilation ‘I Care 4 U’ was released featuring album cuts and previously unreleased tracks and demos, recorded between 1993 and 2001. The album topped Billboards R&B and Hip Hop chart and was eventually certified platinum in the United States. Another compilation was released in 2005 which featured one disc of the singer's greatest hits and a second disc of her work on soundtracks as well as her collaborations with Timberland.
After Amy’s untimely death in July 2011, a compilation of songs she was working on before her passing and duets with other artists was released as Lioness: Hidden Treasures that December. The album featured what was Winehouse’s final recording, a cover of Body and Soul with singer Tony Bennett, alongside the original version of Tears Dry on Their Own and a slowed down recording of Valerie her collaboration with Mark Ronson. The album peaked at number one in the UK charts and proceeds from the release went to The Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity set up by Amy’s family in her memory.
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