Michael Jackson’s biopic might have left some critics cold, but it’s a runaway success by every other measure. Antoine Fuqua’s “Michael” just passed $700 million at the global box office, while renewed interest in the late superstar’s catalog has sent classics like “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” back to the top of the streaming charts. Curiously, it also revived a song not featured in the film — or even released during Jackson’s lifetime.
“Chicago,” a deep cut from the King of Pop’s 2014 posthumous album “Xscape,” was never issued as an official single or pushed at radio. Yet the twisty R&B track has quietly become Jackson’s eighth most-played track on Spotify with more than 655 million streams. Since the release of “Michael,” “Chicago” has zoomed into the top 30 of US Spotify and the top 100 on YouTube’s US Top Songs.
For fans, the resurgence feels improbable. Originally recorded during the chaotic sessions for Jackson’s 2001 album “Invincible” under the title “She Was Loving Me,” the song never made the final cut and spent years in limbo before surfacing on “Xscape.” Even then, it remained largely overlooked until social media introduced it to a new generation.
