Big expectations for the WMA

In the UK, with the exception of the BRIT Awards—which, over the past few years, has tried to correct the image people had in their minds of disorder and chaos at the ceremony—no other music awards ceremony has been hosted in this country. That’s why, when it was announced that the World Music Awards would be held here, it grabbed everyone’s attention. Attention grew even more when it became clear that the special guest of the ceremony would be Michael Jackson, who would receive the Diamond Award. The global award is given to artists who, over the course of their careers, have sold more than one million music pieces. In fact, Michael should have received seven Diamond Awards, because as announced by his spokesperson and general manager, Raymone Bain, the supervisors of this ceremony have confirmed Michael’s sales of 750 million music pieces since he was 11 years old. The day before the ceremony, Guinness World Records announced that the album Thriller has sold 104 million copies on its own since its release in 1982. Two weeks before the start of the ceremony, the organizers shamelessly used Michael’s name and the promise of his performance to raise expectations to a point where they got out of control. Earl’s Court, one of the biggest stadiums in England, wasn’t completely full during the ceremony. But it would have been even less crowded if the WMA supervisors hadn’t placed Michael’s name and photo at the top of their online list of performers. They also promised in the media that Michael would take part on stage in a spectacular performance of Thriller, produced by Quincy Jones. But what was the real meaning and purpose of this news? Would Michael perform this song on stage? Alone? With others? Would another song from the Thriller album be performed, or only this one? What role would Quincy Jones play? Would he lead the performance, or was the point of bringing his name only to remind people of his role as producer? By mistake, fans were told that tickets would not be sold via the internet or by phone, and many fans were angry that they had been forced to wait in the cold for long lines without needing to. But in the hope of seeing the promised performance by Michael, they endured. Two days before the ceremony, anyone who searched for Michael on Google would be faced with 300 news headlines about his performance of Thriller. Most of these stories had a positive stance—or at least a neutral one. Michael arrived in London on Sunday. His smiling face and the stampede of fans around him were widely reflected in the media. The next news from the heads of WMA was that Michael was planning a “return” in his mind—not just a normal performance. Controversies continued to grow and ultimately led to the conclusion that Michael intended to make his return happen through his performance at this ceremony. It seemed that only a small number of people paid attention to his 750 million sales. The important thing was his return. None of the employees of Michael’s team tried to protect their employer by communicating with the media and controlling expectations. Although these kinds of things rarely affect Michael’s artistic position, in any case, respecting the public is more important than responding to the stupid stories of local newspapers. The fact that none of Michael’s team members tried to put out the controversy about the World Music Awards ceremony that was created by WMA organizers and the media is in no way justifiable in the eyes of the public. The final point proving the incompetence of the ceremony organizers was what happened on the red carpet along the entrance route to the ugly Earl’s Court stadium. The organizers had announced the day before that Michael would be on the red carpet. That’s why the media teams were stationed outside and inside the stadium the next day. But the crazy excitement that Michael brings everywhere would definitely prevent him from walking freely on the red carpet like Tom Cruise and greeting his fans. So if the news about the reaction of the fans and their protest shouts at the way Michael entered the venue is true, then such an impolite act by the fans is in no way justifiable, because Michael was facing severe restrictions. It seems more likely that the protesters weren’t fans, but red-carpet addicts who gather to see anything more interesting than themselves. Fans were waiting for the King’s return inside the stadium. When Michael entered the hall, reporters were able to ask him whether he was really going to perform. Some asked if he wanted to, and others asked whether he planned to perform Thriller. And this was the most ridiculous and humiliating part of the whole story. In the end, it was Michael himself who had to tell reporters—90 minutes before he appeared on stage to receive his award—that the news of his performance was only a “misunderstanding.” The mistakes made by his team members, plus the media controversy and the incorrect promises made by the WMA heads, led to the humiliation of the most famous human on Earth—who now has to correct the media’s wrong news himself. Does anyone ask why negative news about Michael was being discussed in the media even before he appeared on stage? Why, when attendees in the year were checking internet news on their phones, did they see headlines that made Michael’s presence sound like a failure and a cause of disappointment before it even happened? Why should people in a London hall—witnessing an American superstar receiving an award, which would solidify his position as the most successful showman in history—be faced with his protest shouts only moments later? Is the reason only those things I mentioned above? Well, no. There’s another point. After receiving his award as the closing act of the ceremony, Michael joined the choir on stage to sing part of We Are The World with them. He shook hands with the choir members and sang pieces of the song. And at the moment the microphone in his hand went off, it was as if a silent trumpet had sounded at Earl’s Court. There were so many flaws in this ceremony that it’s hard to tell where to start. First of all, the choir and Michael were in sync with the recorded track of this song—which is easily available in the market and was playing in the hall. Before Michael entered the stage, Bob Dylan’s voice could be heard. It was like something that happens at high school concerts. How could a man who has worked with the biggest music producers and recording engineers be put in such a situation? And who is responsible? Michael’s microphone silence became an excuse for the media to claim that they were preventing his unpleasant voice from being broadcast. Why didn’t anyone think about the scheduled time for turning off the microphone? But the important thing about this performance was that Michael made time to meet the fans who had been waiting for him all day. He walked down the stage aisle with the choir following behind him, threw his jacket into the eager crowd, received some placards from fans, and allowed them to touch him. When Beyoncé presented the Diamond Award to Michael, his position as an icon of the century was strengthened even more. He said that without Michael, he would never have pursued a singing career, and many performers around the world feel the same way. Michael gave a short but sweet speech. He thanked his family and those who supported him. In Japan, by looking at him holding the Diamond Award, it was clearly visible what a huge legacy this award is for Michael—and how his achievements and successes are beyond reach for other artists. He was probably floating on clouds that night. Those who came to the stadium to see an exceptional performance by Michael weren’t fans—they were simply lovers of music who had gathered there to watch an icon. When Chris Brown tried to recreate Thriller on stage before Michael received his award, nobody denied his abilities. But at the same time, he couldn’t hide his disappointment at seeing him in the red outfit specifically for this song—standing in a corner of the stage in a completely different outfit, not as a showman, but to receive his award. Even among them there was concern that they might not be able to see Michael performing as well as they could see Chris Brown. But these people are mistaken. In the coming months or years, Michael will surely be able to create more songs and entertain people in packed stadiums—only if he wants to. Something he didn’t want that night. So why did the people in charge of this ceremony—so poorly prepared and poorly run—spread this illusion among the public that Michael himself wanted to perform? Why was it left to Michael to correct this illusion? Why didn’t his team take the necessary steps to protect him as an artist? Until these questions are answered, we should focus on Michael’s ability to overcome the problems and obstacles in his way—what’s needed to be able to show up on stage. Source: eMJey / MJJF - Robin Meltzer, London, UK