Michael Jackson's "A Place With No Name" Music Video To Premiere Worldwide Exclusively On Twitter @MichaelJackson August 13

NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Epic Records and The Estate of Michael Jackson, announced today that "A Place With No Name," the next single from this year's critically acclaimed, chart-topping Michael Jackson album XSCAPE [MJJ Music/Epic Records], will make history when it premieres on Twitter (twitter.com). At 10:00 p.m. on Wednesday August 13, 2014 the short film will be tweeted through @MichaelJackson allowing the Twitter universe to be able to view the video within a tweet. And for those fans in New York City, "A Place With No Name" will be shown on the massive Sony screen in Times Square at the very same moment.

Throughout his entire career, Michael has always stood on the cutting edge of groundbreaking technological advancements. With "A Place With No Name" as the very first music video to launch through Twitter, he continues to set the pace of pop culture and music yet again. Follow @MichaelJackson to watch the historical moment from the "King of Pop" unfold.

Increasing anticipation, a preview of the video is set to make its network television debut on the special Michael Jackson themed episode of FOX's So You Think You Can Dance broadcast that same evening beginning at 8PM ET. The show will open with a Top Eight group performance featuring "A Place With No Name" choreographed by the Emmy award-winning Travis Payne, who worked as both back-up dancer and choreographer for Michael Jackson. During the program, all of the Top Eight remaining contestants will compete with new all-star partners and each performance will feature a different Michael Jackson song, including songs from XSCAPE.

Michael re-envisioned America's 1972 classic "A Horse With No Name" to convey a narrative following a man whose car breaks down and is led by a mysterious woman to a utopian place where "no one is in fear" and "no people have pain". It was a collaboration with Elliott Straite [Dr. Freeze] done in 1998 at Record Plant Recording Studio.

The beautifully shot short film, directed by iconic award-winning director Samuel Bayer, whose credits include seminal videos from Nirvana and The Rolling Stones, has been created by following Michael's overall vision for short films which tell the song's story, in this case, of a man enticed into a magical "place" by a mysterious woman. The short film also includes outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage of Michael shot during the production for "In The Closet" short film, which have been kept in the vault since 1992.  

Upon its May release, XSCAPE reached #1 in 52 countries and went Top 5 in 87 more territories. Stateside, it debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, simultaneously landing at #1 on Amazon and Spotify. The album's first single, "Love Never Felt So Good," a duet by Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake soared to the Top in the U.S. and achieved 17 #1 and 67 Top 5 positions around the world. The single also made for Michael's highest Billboard chart debut since 1995 and fourth highest ever at #20 as his 49^th smash hit. The album also generated his 50^th top 10 Billboard chart with "Slave To The Rhythm" making Michael the first artist to ever have a Top Ten hit in each of six consecutive decades.

ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON:

Michael Jackson is one of the most beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all-time.  He was also a dedicated philanthropist and an astute business professional.   To date Jackson has sold 1 billion records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and "Thriller" as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Jackson won 17 Grammy Awards including 8 in one year, a record in itself, and received 26 American Music Awards, including the Artist of the Century Award.   Jackson defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking short films as "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and the classic "Thriller," which in 2009 became the first and only music video inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. In his short films "Black or White", "They Don't Care About Us", "Bad and "Smooth Criminal" and others, Jackson set an aesthetic standard for video production that remains unsurpassed even today. The Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil have produced two top shows:  Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour is one of the top grossing tours of all time; and MICHAEL JACKSON ONE, a permanent show at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, which is breaking box office records and receiving critical raves.     Jackson's sound, style and dance moves continue to inspire today's performers and new generations of fans worldwide continue to discover his artistry.   

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SOURCE Epic Records