Michael Jackson - a popstar whose demise has captured the attention of the whole world, both young and old. My parents remember him as a young talented boy with charmingly good voice performing together with his brothers as the Jackson Five. I remember him as the singer-entertainer whose music videos I enjoy watching so much. The best thing I like about his music videos is the dancing. They are executed with so much energy and drive, you almost want to get up on your feet and dance. Most importantly, the dancers are amazingly synchronised.

I remember watching the music video of "Black or White" when I was in primary school. The final moments (when "It's black, it's white" is repeated) of the video, for some reason, has left a great impression on me til this day. Scenes of changing faces always come to mind when I hear the song played on the radio. The effect created is quite good though. Now, that is good art, something that has made such an impression on you that you remember it, even after a long time has passed.


Having said that, I realise how much music of today is dependent on the visual. The rising popularity of music videos in the 1980s and in more recent years, YouTube as a medium for our diet of music listening, has distracted us from hearing music purely for its sounds. We need the visual action in order that we may be attracted to the sounds.