History Music / Xscape

"''Xscape''" May refer to:

* ''XscapeMichaelJacksonAlbum'': The second posthumous album of unreleased songs from Music/MichaelJackson.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mj_1399044636.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[WinBackTheCrowd Winning back MJ's fanbase]] since 2014.]]

->''[[{{Tagline}} The best you've never heard.]]''

''Xscape'' is the second posthumous album[[note]]Eleventh, if you count all the compilations released between Jackson's death and ''Xscape''[[/note]] and twelfth studio album overall by Music/MichaelJackson, released in 2014.

After ''{{Music/Michael}}'''s [[OvershadowedByControversy tepid and controversial reception]] by fans and critics alike, both Epic Records and Jackson's estate went back to the drawing board for ''Xscape''. Producer and Epic CEO L.A. Reid, who worked with Jackson before, enlisted hip hop producer Music/{{Timbaland}} to lead a team of other record producers to remix and contemporize eight selected unreleased tracks for ''Xscape''. Among those selected to produce the album were [=StarGate=] J-Roc, John [=McClain=] and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, the latter of whom was the only producer from the eight songs to have been involved with the original production prior to Jackson's death.

Several of the tracks, including "Blue Gangsta," "A Place With No Name", "Slave To The Rhythm" and the title track, were leaked online years prior, and were highly requested by fans to be released on the first posthumous album, which didn't happen (Though "Slave To The Rhythm" and "Blue Gangsta" [[WhatCouldHaveBeen just barely missed the tracklisting]] for ''Michael'').

Unlike many of ''Michael'''s tracks, Jackson's vocals lack AutoTune or any other type of vocal processing, allowing them to sound more natural. Also unlike ''Michael'', a deluxe version of ''Xscape'' was released, featuring a second disc containing the original versions of the tracks, along with a few remixes and a behind-the-scenes DVD. The album was also heavily promoted by Sony, allowing Xperia Z2 owners and Music Unlimited members advance access to the album and an exclusive remix (which led to the whole thing getting leaked less than 48 hours prior to the album's official release).

Despite the leak, ''Xscape'' was met with positive reviews on release, and peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Not to be confused with the four-woman American R&B group [[Music/XscapeGroup Xscape]], known for such 1990s hits as "Just Kickin' It," "Understanding," and "Who Can I Run To?".

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!!Tracklist (tracks marked with a single asterisk are deluxe edition tracks and with two asterisks are special edition remixes):
# "Love Never Felt So Good" (3:48)
# "Chicago" (4:05)
# "Loving You" (3:15)
# "A Place With No Name" (5:35)
# "Slave To The Rhythm" (4:15)
# "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" (4:36)
# "Blue Gangsta" (4:14)
# "Xscape" (4:04)
# "Love Never Felt So Good" (original version) (3:21)* [[note]]recorded in 1983, during the ''Thriller'' era[[/note]]
# "Chicago" (original version) (4:43)* [[note]]recorded in 1999, during the ''Invincible'' sessions[[/note]]
# "Loving You" (original version) (3:02)* [[note]]recorded between 1985 and 1987, during the ''Bad'' sessions[[/note]]
# "A Place with No Name" (original version) (4:56)* [[note]]recorded between 1998 and 2008, during the ''Invincible'' sessions[[/note]]
# "Slave To The Rhythm" (original version) (4:36)* [[note]]recorded between 1989 and 1991 and also 1998 and 1999, during ''Dangerous'' and ''Invincible'' sessions[[/note]]
# "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" (original version) (4:39)* [[note]]recorded in 1987, 1990 and 1991, during the ''Bad'' and ''Dangerous'' sessions[[/note]]
# "Blue Gangsta" (original version) (4:17)* [[note]]recorded between 1998 and 2002, during the ''Invincible'' sessions[[/note]]
# "Xscape" (original version) (5:44)* [[note]]recorded between 1999 and 2001 and during late 2002, during the ''Invincible'' sessions[[/note]]
# "Love Never Felt So Good" (Remix/Duet with Music/JustinTimberlake) (4:05)*
# "Chicago" (Papercha$er Remix) (4:19)** [[note]]released as a Sony Xperia Lounge bonus track[[/note]]
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!!Do You Know Where Your Examples Are?
* ConceptAlbum: While not one by intention, many of the songs are centered around various love tropes, raging from the typical mushiness, to infidelity and DomesticAbuse.
* CoverVersion: Overlaps with FreestyleVersion and TheCoverChangesTheMeaning. "A Place With No Name"'s instrumentation is near identical to {{Music/America}}'s "Horse With No Name", which it's based off of. However, the lyrical content and meaning is totally different. America's version is about being isolated from stress and drama in the desert, while Jackson's version nixes the desert entirely and implies [[spoiler:he got killed in a car accident and was sent to heaven.]]
* [[invoked]]CutSong: InvokedTrope. The entire album consists of songs that were recorded between ''{{Music/Bad}}'' and ''{{Music/Invincible}}'', but did not make the final tracklistings.
* DistinctDoubleAlbum: The special edition of ''Xscape'' features a second disc with the songs in their originally recorded form, and some extra remixes.
* GreatEscape: The original version of "Xscape" has an intro that takes place inside a prison, which soon leads into a manhunt once they discover Michael had [[IncrediblyLamePun xscaped]]. The song is then sprinkled with sound effects of police choppers and a speeding car, presumably Michael's getaway vehicle.
* LetsDuet: The duet version of "Love Never Felt So Good" features Music/JustinTimberlake.
* LoveMartyr: The female protagonist of "Slave To The Rhythm". She does everything for her lover and breaks her back to support both of them and their kids, but he basically treats her like dirt.
* OneWordTitle: "Chicago" and "Xscape".
* ParentalIncest: The protagonist of "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" runs away from home because her stepfather was sexually abusing her for God knows how long, all the while making empty promises to buy her things.
* PosthumousCollaboration: The Album. While Rodney Jerkins and Timbaland have done work with MJ years before, others such as J-Roc and Gorgio Tuinfort have never worked with him at all.
** A straighter example would be the duet version of "Love Never Felt So Good", featuring Justin Timberlake
* ProductPlacement: ''As I drove across on the highway/My Jeep began to rock...''
* RecordProducer: Several. Here's the full list:
** Timbaland: The leader of the album's production group, and has co-production credits on everything except "A Place With No Name" and "Xscape".
** [=StarGate=]: Remixed "A Place With No Name".
** John [=McClain=]: Remixed "Love Never Felt So Good".
** Gorgio Tuinfort: Assisted in the remix of "Love Never Felt So Good".
** J-Roc: Assisted Timbaland on all songs except "A Place With No Name" and "Xscape".
** [[{{Music/America}} Dewy Bunnell]]: Credited on "A Place with No Name" due to Jackson originally sampling "A Horse With No Name".
** Paul Anka: Co-wrote "Love Never Felt So Good" and was the one who provided the piano accompaniment in the original demo.
** L.A. Reid: Executive producer of the album, and original co-producer of "Slave To The Rhythm".
** Music/{{Babyface}}: Original co-producer of "Slave To The Rhythm".
** Dr. Freeze: Original co-producer of "Blue Gangsta" and "A Place With No Name".
** Cory Rooney: Original writer and producer of "Chicago".
** King Solomon ([[Literature/TheBible no, not that one]]): original co-producer of "Blue Gangsta".
** Daniel Jones: Original co-producer of "Blue Gangsta".
** Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins: Original co-producer of "Xscape", and is the only producer to have been involved in any of the songs' original composition and it's remastering.
** And finally, Michael Jackson himself, who co-wrote and produced all songs, and produced the original version of "Loving You" entirely by himself.
* {{Sampling}}:
** {{Music/America}}'s "A Horse With No Name" was the basis for "A Place With No Name", and are virtually identical in composition.
** "Xscape" features samples from Jackson's "You Rock My World", also produced by Rodney Jerkins.
* TitleTrack: Xscape.
* XtremeKoolLetterz: Xscape.

Not to be confused with the four-woman American R&B group Xscape, known for such 1990s hits as "Just Kickin' It," "Understanding," and "Who Can I Run To?".