Forever the King of Pop

I've never cried over the death of a celebrity before. Suddenly, I find myself breaking down over a rather memorable video on YouTube.

2001 marked the twilight of boy bands and bubblegum pop. Britney Spears and company were growing up, and their fans were growing up with them by either listening to more substantial music or staying as loyal followers. I was a faithful Backstreet Girl at the time, although, with the rising popularity of rap metal/nü rock, I was drifting away from the pop genre and trying my ears on "darker" material. But even then, I was still consuming the last full blast of the boy band era. Then, that year's MTV Video Music Awards happened.

'N Sync at the time was the top boy band. Being the Backstreet Girl that I was, I only got pissed that they were flashier than the Backstreet Boys. It was obvious with their performance of "Pop." Still, I was pretty much entertained; I was actually impressed, especially with the opening sequence (how did they make the stage and everything in it black and white?!) and the props and costumes and the choreography. Then, the performance gradually came to an end with the members of 'N Sync repeating the chorus while moving from one area of the stage to another, eventually stopping at the middle, with a giant Etch A Sketch behind them, which drew the words "Kings of Pop," as they ended the song. The music seemed to fade and break when the letter "S" was erased, leaving the phrase "King of Pop."

I got the drift, and at that very moment, I screamed in an excitement incomparable to that which I would feel when watching a Backstreet Boy video. I couldn't believe it. He was back! Michael Jackson was back, and he was performing with the hottest boy band who, like myself, grew up with his music. Michael Jackson was no longer as handsome as I remembered him to be, but he was the King of Pop, and will always be.

That was eight years ago. At the wake of Michael Jackson's death five days ago, I was craving for videos of him that struck my memory. The first one I thought of was 'N Sync's performance of Pop, and I watched it on YouTube. When the finale showed, I just started crying. I remembered how happy I was to see Michael Jackson performing again, and now I would never experience that same excitement ever again.

Michael Jackson may have influenced many pop and hip-hop stars today such as Britney Spears, Usher, Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown, but none of them compare to what he exhibits in his performance. The King of Pop, indeed--he made such a great impact to this world with his unforgettable music. He had his ups and downs and endured ridicule because of his seeming lapse in sanity and deformed visage, but nobody could really deny what he had contributed to popular culture.

He may no longer be in this world, but his legacy would live on. Be it in music, dance or film, he had made his mark. For this, the world will never forget him.