IMMORTAL, the New Album From Michael Jackson Out Today

Epic Records in conjunction with the Estate of Michael Jackson are pleased to unveil IMMORTAL – the new album from Michael Jackson and soundtrack for Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil currently traveling though North America – in stores today Monday, November 21st.

Esteemed musical designer Kevin Antunes worked with Jamie King, the writer/director of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour, in redesigning and reimagining more than 40 of Michael Jackson's greatest original recordings, creating a fully immersive experience into Michael's world by synching this re-envisioned music with the visuals on screen and the live action unfolding before audiences on stage. After spending a year in the studio working with Michael's original multi-track master recordings, Kevin created this new soundscape to Michael's artistry while preserving the power and familiarity of his unparalleled voice and his legendary tracks. The result was not just a unique musical journey through Michael's world but also an album that offers a fresh listening experience. Even those who are still waiting to see the traveling arena show will appreciate the depth and richness of Michael's music in an entirely new way.

"Immortal Megamix," the debut track off IMMORTAL was unveiled to the world online on October 31st. Included in the unique mix are "Can You Feel It," "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Billie Jean," and "Black Or White." Upon release, critics began showering praise for the track including Entertainment Weekly who had this to say, ""Immortal Megamix" kind of rules: a perfect pop primer in a nine-minute package."

Getting a jump start on release week, Epic launched a successful online track premiere campaign. Four additional highlighted tracks off the album were premiered with different online partners including, "Wanna Be Starting Something" on Perezhilton.com, "Dancing Machine/Blame It On The Boogie" with Billboard.com, "This Place Hotel/Smooth Criminal/Dangerous" on USATODAY.com, followed by "Is It Scary/Threatened/Thriller" premiering on sites such as GIANTLife.com and TheUrbanDaily.com. The campaign then culminated with an impressive album premiere on NPR where Ann Powers critically praised IMMORTAL saying, "It's a fun new way to take on Jackson's music - it gives your ears a slap and reminds you how fresh these great songs sounded when you first discovered them," "the effect is startling - instead of absorbing the music in the habitual way, you're forced to pay attention, as if you've just walked in on somebody else's listening experience" and finally "for a moment, Jackson seems to be right here with us. It's a trick, of course. Michael Jackson, that illusionist, would have loved it."

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil includes over 100 minutes of Michael's original recordings reimagined for the show. Placing all of this incredible music onto a single disc proved impossible hence the single disc edition which is jam-packed with nearly 78 minutes of highlights and the double disc edition which offers listeners the opportunity to enjoy the soundtrack for Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour from start to finish as it is experienced during the performance of the show. The tour's next stop is December 3rd in Las Vegas.
To view footage from Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour please visit www.michaeljackson.com.

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,400 artists from more than 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities on six continents. In 2011, Cirque du Soleil will present simultaneously 22 different shows around the world. For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

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