I’m Picking Up Where Michael Jackson Left Off

Let me start by clarifying, I am not saying “I’m the next Michael Jackson.” That would be delusional and disrespectful. No one can be him, no one can replace him. There will never be a “next” Michael Jackson. What I am saying is that I am picking up the mission he was on for the second half of his life.

Michael is more than his mainstream hits, especially more than Billie Jean and Thriller. Michael Jackson was onto something with his music that no other mainstream artist has tapped into at the level he had. Michael was harnessing the power of pop music to send a message. Songs like Heal The World (well known) and Earth Song (lesser known) are prime examples of this ability and willful desire to create works of art that called out the misgivings of humanity and gave us pause and opportunities to change and push forward – something that is unheard of and cringed at these days.

Michael never knew what regular life was like. I won’t discuss the ramifications of that in this article, but that fact played a critical role in his development as a humanitarian. You can hear his transformation begin in the song Man in the Mirror. He discusses his realization of great misfortune in the world and how he is overcome with empathy and begins to reflect on his beliefs, his own fortune and his way of life. He grasps the idea that he has been divinely gifted true power, and with that power he has a choice – to use it all for himself or to spread it out and use it selflessly for the betterment of humanity.

This thread of encouraging, reflective and spiritually-infused music pops up in at least a few songs on every album from Bad to Michael. His unapologetic tone and conscious messaging flies in the face of modern day pop culture – a culture which steers away from deep and impactful messages of global priorities and philosophy in favor of lowest-common-denominator, prepackaged and disposable bops. Some songs make it through into the mainstream but they end up being lite, generic or bubbly afterthoughts buried on albums or released as one-off singles with no real promotion, let alone being taken seriously (Earth – Lil’ Dicky.)

Michael Jackson was the glue holding together the morality and conscience of the mainstream music industry. If you look at the timing, Michael’s passing acted as a final blow to the pillars of integrity in popular music. His fierce light energy, now dissipated and no longer singularly focused, opened the floodgates of the depravity and immorality we see running up and down the mainstream charts today.

As the decades rolled on into today’s vapid and soulless world of music, no one has stepped up to the challenge of carrying on what Michael was doing with music. I have yet to find an artist in the mainstream that writes and releases songs about humanitarian and Earthly issues, let alone stands for anything outside of their own well being or chosen tribe. Maybe there’s a reason I haven’t or we haven’t collectively seen an artist attempt what MJ was doing.

Maybe I am that artist. I am that artist.

I am picking up where Michael Jackson left off. The darkness has someone new to challenge it. Someone to channel light so big and broad that darkness has no choice but to recoil into a balanced state of harmony with the light. It is my mission to relentlessly and unapologetically pour light into the mainstream music world. It is my calling to infuse modern versions of the teachings and ideas of hope, peace, love, understanding, consciousness and unity into my music, just like Mike did.

I have nothing but the utmost respect for Michael Jackson. I am not vying to replace him, be greater than him, or siphon off his energy. I’m me, Chad Rising. I do believe Michael is with me and with his grace and permission I channel some of his energy into my work and essence, but that’s the extent of it. Otherwise, I am simply following in the footsteps of an Earth angel and a divine giant, hoping that I can fill them to the level that I am capable of or that the collective consciousness will allow.

Michael Jackson forever.

– Chad Rising