MJ (album)
MJ (Original Broadway Cast Recording) is the cast album to the 2022 musical MJ. The musical tells the story of American singer, songwriter, and dancer Michael Jackson with book written by Lynn Nottage. The music and lyrics are mostly by Michael Jackson. The recording stars Myles Frost, Ayana George, Christian Wilson, Tavon Olds-Sample, Antoine L. Smith, Apollo Levine, Quentin Earl Darrington, Whitney Bashor, Trey Campbell, Lamont Walker II. It also features Raymond Baynard and Zelig Williams.[1][2]
| MJ (Original Broadway Cast Recording) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Cast recording by the original Broadway cast of MJ the Musical | |
| Released | July 15, 2022 |
| Recorded | February 7–8, 2022 |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 59:39 |
| Label | Sony |
| Producer |
|
Recording for the original Broadway cast album took place on February 7 and 8, 2022.[3] The original Broadway cast recording was released on July 15, 2022.[4] A snippet of Billie Jean was shared on May 19 by The New York Times in anticipation of the album.[5] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, losing to Into the Woods.[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beat It" | Michael Jackson |
| 2:45 |
| 2. | "Jackson 5 Medley (The Love You Save / I Want You Back / ABC)" | The Corporation |
| 3:28 |
| 3. | "I'll Be There" |
|
| 3:32 |
| 4. | "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough / Blame It on the Boogie / Dancing Machine" |
|
| 5:32 |
| 5. | "Stranger in Moscow" | Jackson |
| 2:17 |
| 6. | "You Can't Win" | Charlie Smalls |
| 1:59 |
| 7. | "I Can't Help It" |
| 2:28 | |
| 8. | "Keep the Faith" |
|
| 1:31 |
| 9. | "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" | Jackson |
| 2:33 |
| 10. | "Earth Song / They Don't Care About Us" | Jackson |
| 3:36 |
| Total length: | 29:41 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Billie Jean" | Jackson |
| 3:27 |
| 2. | "Smooth Criminal" | Jackson |
| 2:31 |
| 3. | "Victory Tour (For the Love Of Money / Can You Feel It)" |
| 3:06 | |
| 4. | "Keep the Faith (Reprise)" |
|
| 1:49 |
| 5. | "She's Out of My Life" | Tom Bahler |
| 2:58 |
| 6. | "Human Nature" |
| 2:34 | |
| 7. | "Bad / 2 Bad" |
|
| 1:30 |
| 8. | "Thriller" | Rod Temperton |
| 4:01 |
| 9. | "Man in the Mirror" | Glen Ballard, Siedah Garrett | Cast | 4:07 |
| 10. | "Finale (Jam / Black or White / Wanna Be Startin' Somethin')" |
| Cast | 3:55 |
| Total length: | 29:58 | |||
Personnel
|
Cast
Ensemble vocals
|
Production Orchestrations - Jason Michael Webb & David Holcenberg Producer - Derik Lee |
Musicians Additional musicians for recording
|
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Cast Albums (Billboard)[7] | 1 |
Awards
| Year | Award type | Categories | Results | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Grammy Awards | Best Musical Theater Album | Nominated | [6] |
References
- "Sony Music Set to Release 'MJ the Musical - Original Broadway Cast Recording' on Friday, July 15". Legacy Recordings. June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- "'MJ the Musical' to release cast album in July". TheGrio. June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- "MJ The Musical: The Original Broadway Cast Recording". MJVibe.com. February 8, 2022.
- Wild, Stephi (June 10, 2022). "Preorder MJ THE MUSICAL Original Cast Recording Today". Broadwayworld.
- Allah, Sha Be (June 10, 2022). "The Source |Sony Music Set To Release "MJ the Musical - Original Broadway Cast Recording" On July 15". The Source. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. November 15, 2022.
- "Cast Albums". Billboard.
