Video: Michael Jackson's Moonwalking Hologram at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards

Almost five years after his death, a hologram form of Michael Jackson appeared onstage at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.

The performance began with a group of dancers dressed in SWAT team apparel and their chest adorned with M.J. initials. The curtains divided to reveal a virtual reincarnation of the King of Pop sitting at his golden-throne. Embellished in a gold jacket, white t-shirt and red trousers, Jackson performed a contemporized version of the 1991 recording of “Slave to the Rhythm,” featuring retooled production from L.A.Reid, Timbaland, and Babyface. The track is off his second posthumous album Xscape, out now.

Treading away from the digitized backdrop, Jackson’s hologram delivered a slew of his best-known dance moves including his iconic moonwalk, riveting crotch grab, and magnetic spins. His startling falsettos and feathered-timbred vocals were accompanied by a host of background dancers both real and virtual. The show-stopping performance led to a standing ovation amongst the sea of stars, but the Jackson hologram experience was on the verge of suspension prior to the Sunday performance.

The owner of the technology, who was also responsible for the digital resurrection of Tupac Shakur for a 2012 performance at Coachella Music Festival, filed a lawsuit against the show based on alleged patent violations. A judge denied their claim, stating that there was not enough evidence to prove that the Billboard Music Awards violated or used their patents.

Xscape is an eight track compilation album with featured production from L.A. Reid, Timbaland, StarGate, Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon, John McClain, and Rodney Jerkins. The album is available in two different configurations, one with contemporized tracks and another containing a disc with original song versions.

Watch the digital rebirth of Michael Jackson’s moonwalking hologram above and cop a copy of Xscape, available now.

Morganne Nikole
 Saint Heron: http://bit.ly/1vtnsWe