“There is no new King of Pop. You didn´t earn it, my uncle did,” shared Michael Jackson´s nephew, Taj Jackson on X, after seeing the Rolling Stone UK cover, crowning Harry Styles with the honourable title.
Rolling Stone awarded the 30-year-old pop singer, Harry Styles with the title that no one since Michael Jackson had dared to touch, causing mixed reactions from the public and alarmed responses from Jackson´s family.
Michael Jackson´s son, Prince Jackson appeared on Good Morning Britain to address the controversy. “I do feel that my father is the King of Pop, will always be the King of Pop, and it´s not something that you can ever take away…”
What it means to be King
Michael Jackson was first titled the King of Pop by the iconic American actress, Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Heritage Award for career achievement at the Soul Train Music Awards in 1989.
This was 25 years after the start of Jackson´s career; 25 years of his tireless work and fight against racial and class discrimination.
Rolling Stone claimed Harry Styles with the same title just six years after his launch into a solo career, following the fall of the popular boy band, One Direction, formed after auditioning in the X-Factor in 2010.
The “untouchables”
Prince Jackson said to Good Morning Britain; “Harry Styles is an incredible artist. But the King of Pop was a moniker that really my dad earned in a time that the access to information and the access to popularity and fame wasn´t as easily accessible as it is today.”
Michael Jackson´s name alone is recognisable across the globe; he is one of the “untouchables” among Elvis Presley, Luis Armstrong and Prince. It was his work and legacy that broke down the barriers within the music industry and society on the whole.
Today, no pop star can be “untouchable.” With social media, celebrities are closer to the public than ever before. With the power of the internet, singers from all over the globe have a world of an audience right at their fingertips; an access which musicians like Michael Jackson couldn´t have dreamt of.
Future of pop
“He was incredible and I don´t think anyone can ever top him. I would love to meet the person that could do that,” said Michael Jackson´s sister, La Toya Jackson to the Press.
42 years after the release of Thriller, the hit continues to be heard today. In today´s pop, trendiness reigns over timelessness. Will Watermelon Sugar still play in 2061?
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