Майкл Джексон: «Wanna Be Startin' Somethin» туралы

1983 single by Michael Jackson

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American singer songwriter Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album Thriller (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 9, 1983, by Epic Records. It was written and co produced by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones. The lyrics pertain to strangers spreading rumors to start an argument for no good reason. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" evokes the disco sound of Jackson's previous studio album, Off the Wall, released in 1979. The song is characterized by a complex rhythm arrangement and a distinctive horn arrangement. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" became Jackson's fourth consecutive top 10 single from Thriller on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number five. The song also topped the charts in Canada as well as the Netherlands and charted within the top 20 and top 30 in several countries. It was generally well received by contemporary music critics. As part of the release of Thriller 25, a remix of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", titled "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 with Akon", was recorded with Akon, and released as the second single from the album. The remix was commercially successful, mainly charting within the top 10 in six countries, as well as the top 20 in several territories worldwide and top 40 in Canada. It was more successful internationally than in the United States, having peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 81, which was the song's lowest charting position. Unlike previous singles from Thriller, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" did not have a music video to accompany it but was performed by Jackson on world concert tours as both a member of The Jacksons and as a solo artist. Following Jackson's death in June 2009, the song re entered music charts worldwide. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" has been covered and sampled by multiple recording artists since its release, notably by Rihanna in her 2007 song "Don't Stop the Music", who was sued as a result. Aside from Thriller, the song appears on multiple compilation and greatest hits albums by Jackson.

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" was written, composed and co produced by Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones. It was originally written for his sister La Toya Jackson about her troubled relationship with her sisters in law, but Michael ended up recording the song, and La Toya sometimes performs the song at her concerts. The song was originally recorded in 1978 for the inclusion on the Off the Wall album, but was later re recorded in fall 1982, in Los Angeles, California. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" was one of the four songs that Jackson received writing credits on for his sixth studio album Thriller in 1982. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" appeared on the first disc of Jackson's two disc compilation album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I in 1995 as well as the 25th anniversary edition of Thriller, titled Thriller 25, and the greatest hits album King of Pop; both albums were released in 2008. The coda at the end of the song "Mama say mama sah ma ma coo sah" is a variant of a lyric in Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango's 1972 disco song "Soul Makossa".

Christopher Connelly, a writer for Rolling Stone, described "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" as being Thrillers "most combative track". Cash Box called the song a "smash," specifically praising the "danceable groove superb arrangement and strange but ultimately uplifting lyrics." Stephen Thomas Erlewine, a writer for AllMusic, listed "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", along with "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Human Nature", as being the best songs from Thriller. He also described the song as the "freshest funk on the album". Eric Herderson, a writer for Slant Magazine, commented that with "three quick rimshots", he felt that "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" was like a "court fanfare". Robert Christgau, a music critic, commented that he'd "expect to bear more" of Thrillers "Wanna Be Startin' Something" and "Thriller" on the "dancefloor" rather than in his "living room". "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" received one Grammy Award nomination; it was nominated for "Best R&B Song" at the 1984 Grammy Awards, but lost to "Billie Jean," another of Jackson's singles from Thriller. Pitchfork ranked this song No. 2 on its list of "The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s", saying that "if you're going to become the biggest star in the world, it helps to make the biggest song".

In 1983, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" had a good chart performance worldwide. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart top ten positions on July 2, 1983, at number nine, having moved up six places from the song's previous week. On July 16, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" charted at number five, which was the song's peak position on the chart. The song's peak position made "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" Thrillers fourth consecutive single to peak within the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also peaked within the top ten, at number five, on the Black Singles Chart. The following week, the song moved up 24 positions to number 14, and on June 25, the song peaked within the top ten at number eight. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" re entered the United Kingdom charts on July 4, 2009, and peaked at number 57 the following week. During rehearsals at Staples Center for the This Is It comeback concerts in London at The O2 Arena, Jackson's performance of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" contained an a cappella snippet of "Speechless", from Jackson's studio album Invincible (2001). Following Jackson's death in June of the same year, video footage of Jackson rehearsing the song was used as the opening song in the 2009 concert documentary, Michael Jackson's This Is It.