Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” has hit the record stores a week prior to the world premier of the film with the same name. The two-disc album features the greatest hits of the late pop star including “Billie Jean” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Something.” The second disc on the other hand, features unreleased versions of Jackson’s classic songs plus a spoken word track entitled “Planet Earth”. Retailers hope for the success of the album throughout the holiday season.
Francis Okolo, a 47-year-old fan of Jackson, told CNN that he purchased a copy for himself and his wife. “It’s Michael Jackson, so we’re going to have to get it,” said Okolo who plans to purchase “two or three more” as presents for his family.
Twenty-three year-old fan Vicky “Skytilz” Mantey, who bought two copies and a Michael Jackson t-shirt, said that she has all of Jackson’s albums. “I learned to dance copying his videos,” she said.
Initial sales of “This Is It” may not be as big as the album sales generated following Jackson’s death but HMV spokesperson Gennaro Castaldo said that the album can be “among the top five for the next two months”.
“Forty percent of annual sales are in the run up to Christmas. This is a huge release for that period,” he said. “It’s not quite the huge emotional response as the day after. We’ll have to wait over the next few weeks to see the extent of the interest [in the album].”
Jackson memorabilia will be displayed in London this week along with the world premiere of “This Is It”, directed by Kenny Ortega, to boost album sales. Jackson posters, apparel, books and a 2010 calendar will also be available.
