The King of Pop lives on: Michael Jackson's music video 'Hold My Hand' is released
The hotly anticipated video for the first single from michael jackson's posthumous album has been released.
The duet with Akon, Hold My Hand, was released in the UK this week.
Die-hard fans have been eagerly waiting to see how producers managed to create a video melding old footage of the star in stage with new material of Akon.
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Beyond the grave: The video for Hold My Hand, Michael Jackson's duet with Akon, has been released
Duet: The song was recorded by Jackson and Akon in Las Vegas in 2007
Volunteer fans of the King of the King of Pop participated in a video shoot that took place two weeks ago in California.
Pellington says the fans are 'representing Michael’s legacy, shining a light on the aura left behind by King of Pop.'
The song, which opens with the line, 'This life don't last forever,' was recorded with Akon in Las Vegas in 2007.
King of Pop: The opening line of the track is: 'This life don't last forever'
Posthumous: The video pulls together old footage of Jackson with new video of Akon and MJ fans
Young fans: Children dance in the street in the video
The Senegalese artist originally wrote Hold My Hand to record himself as a solo, but when Jackson requested to duet with him he eagerly volunteered the track.
'The song was pretty much finished, but his delivery creates a whole other environment,' Akon says.
'We decided we would make it his record featuring myself, because I felt like he'd give it more mileage, and the record would be so, so much bigger if it was a Michael Jackson record.'
An unfinished version of the song leaked on to the internet in 2008.
'Powerful': Director Mark Pellington says 'the
video is a tribute to all that Michael stands for - life, in all its
permutations... love, and its power... A video of memory, healing and
joy'
Legacy: The video features 'people representing Michael’s legacy, shining a light on the aura left behind by King of Pop'
'The world was not ready to hear Hold My Hand when it leaked a couple years ago. We were devastated about it,' said Akon, who only recently completed recording vocals for the finished product.
'But its time has definitely come; now in its final state, it has become an incredible, beautiful, anthemic song.'
A statement on Michael Jackson's website says that the singer indicated - in a hand-written note to his estate before his death on June 25 last year - that Hold My Hand was to be the first single from his next project.
MICHAEL, the first album released under a seven-year, $250 million deal between the Jackson estate and Sony Music to put out Jackson's unreleased material, will go on sale on December 13.
Living on: michael jackson is the first album to be released in a seven-year $250 million deal with the Jackson estate and Sony
Collaboration: Akon wrote the song for himself,
but volunteered it when asked to collaborate by Jackson: 'The song was
pretty much finished, but his delivery creates a whole other
environment'
For young and old: The star has gained a whole new following since his death last year
The record, which features ten previously unheard tracks, is expected to reach number one just from pre-sales alone.
The album also features collaborations with Lenny Kravitz, for (I Can't Make It) Another Day, and 50 Cent, on the track Monster.
However not everyone is happy with Sony releasing the album.
In addition to protests from members of the Jackson family - who are concerned that some vocals are not genuine - will.i.am has voiced his displeasure.
The Black Eyed Peas singer worked in the studio with Jackson, but refused to allow their tracks to appear on the album.
2008 Leak: 'The world was not ready to hear Hold
My Hand when it leaked a couple years ago. We were devastated about
it,' Akon has said
Fans: Volunteers took part in filming of new material three weeks ago in California
'He was a perfectionist, and this might be a Michael Jackson album, but it’s not Michael Jackson’s album.'
'Whoever put it out and is profiting off of it, I want to see how cold they are,' will.i.am told Entertainment Weekly. 'To me it's disrespectful, there's no honouring.'
Last week Jackson received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal for This Is It, the title track from his concert documentary.
He is up against Michael Bublè, Adam Lambert, Bruno Mars and John Mayer in the category for the Awards in February.
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