Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix by Michael Jackson
Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix is a remix album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on May 20, 1997 by Epic Records and is the second album released by Jackson's own record label, MJJ Productions. The album is made up of eight remixes from Jackson's previous studio album HIStory, and five new songs. Jackson was heavily involved with the production of the new material while the remixes were produced by other artists. The new material dealt with themes such as drug addiction, women and paranoia. The album received minimal promotion by Jackson's standards, particularly in the US. Still, a film, two singles ("Blood on the Dance Floor" and "HIStory/Ghosts") and three music videos were issued as promotion. Reviews at the time of release were largely mixed, some critics felt that Jackson had already explored these musical themes while others criticized what they perceived as weak vocals. Other critics were favorable, with praise issued for similarities to the music of Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor. Since its debut, the album has sold an estimated six million copies worldwide, making it the best selling remix album ever released. Several contemporary critics view the material in an increasingly favorable light and believe the album could have been more successful—commentators argue that certain sections of the world took interest in tabloid stories about the singer's personal life over his musical career.
Michael Jackson's 1995 double album <i>HIStory</i> didn't reach the level of market saturation that the self-proclaimed King of Pop expected from himself. The reasons were many, but the pairing of new material with an album of greatest hits had blunted the public's perception of the set as a new release. So Jackson went back into the studio and remixed eight of the songs and added five new tracks. However, this only served to confuse the non-fanatic portion of Jackson's audience further. It's a shame, since Jackson shows no letup in intensity here. "Morphine" is tough and edgy and even more frightening in light of the circumstances surrounding his death. "Blood on the Dance Floor" is a solid club track, and the classic club mix of R. Kelly's "You Are Not Alone" brings a new dimension to one of the original album's best-known songs.
