Song #23: Michael Jackson - "Smooth Criminal"

Song #23: Michael Jackson - "Smooth Criminal" (1987)

Bad

"So they came into the outway, it was Sunday, what a black day. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, sounding heartbeats, intimidations."

Ever since I first heard Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" years back, I always thought that a film adaptation of the song wouldn't be difficult, if the right writer was hired and the song's ideas and structure came into play (and, you know, we heard the song in the film). The song is probably my most favorite of Jackson's mainstream hits, narrowly beating "Beat It," and that reason is mainly because of how simultaneously fun, energetic, and suspenseful the song is.

The song describes a woman by the name of Annie, who is gravely injured after a break-in or a burglary, which leaves bloodstains on the carpet, with our singer detailing the brutal account as well as trying to play the hero. Right off the bat, this seems like the kind of song Jackson was made to sing, being the fact the song has so much energy and soul into its simplistic but entertaining lyrics. Jackson sings at such a rapid-fire pace, almost to the point of obscuring complex and beautifully-written lyrics (like the one I quoted above).

However, the best part about "Smooth Criminal" is its sound and instrumental structure, which is one of the catchiest eighties pop has seen. The song sounds unlike anything I've personally ever heard, and its unconventional style fits with the kind of unpredictability Jackson accentuated throughout his career so freely and in an unrestricted manner. The song is a beautifully-done thriller, one I rank higher than Jackson's overplayed "Thriller." But "Smooth Criminal" also works to show that Jackson actually incorporated almost every genre, from suspense, to thriller, to comedy, to horror in his music in some way, shape, or form.

Give "Smooth Criminal" a listen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBrWNbjw3RA