Oh I absolutely relate with not having that deep connection until later on. I’m probably a little younger than you so by the time I discovered Michael at the age of 4 or so his legacy had already been established, I had vol 1 and 2 of the HIStory music videos and would watch them obsessively trying to dance and sing along, as a child I loved the performance aspect of it but even then felt some sort of emotional resonance… now as an adult when I dip back into Michael I can’t help but think about just how formative his art was in my life.

Yeah it’s the same shout used in many other performances, some of which that have very different messages and intentions. From a viewer’s perspective I agree that it can be easily misinterpreted; from a performer’s perspective, I don’t think the sound was specifically chosen or planned, when you’re zoned in on your performance you’re channeling a lot of energy and some things just find their way out. That’s what makes it so powerful to me, the dance doesn’t even feel specifically choreographed, the sound and dance are just expressions of raw emotion.

The man can literally make me want to cry by moving around and shouting. It’s so incredible.