A snippet of the new Michael Jackson song, “This Is It,” was apparently leaked online before its planned release on the late singer’s Web site early Monday.
About 45 seconds of the song made the rounds online Sunday. Jackson’s song was released on Michaeljackson.com about midnight Monday. It will be followed by a two-disc album on October 26. One of the albums is named after the song. The album “This Is It” features music that inspired the film “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” which is scheduled for release October 28. The album’s first disc features some of Jackson’s biggest hits, arranged in sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with “This Is It,” which includes backup vocals by The Jacksons. Disc two offers previously unreleased versions of some of the artist’s classic tracks. The song will play at the close of the film, which will feature Jackson’s career highlights and last rehearsals, his publicists said. The singer died on June 25.
