Michael Jackson's hologram performed at the Billboard Music Awards and it was creepy

The CGI image performed "Slave to the Rhythm" from Jackson's recent posthumous album, "Xscape"

Published May 19, 2014 1:52PM (EDT)

 (AP)
(AP)

Five years after his death, Michael Jackson appeared onstage at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday as an eerily lifelike hologram to perform "Slave to the Rhythm" from his recent posthumous album, "Xscape." The hologram moonwalked across the stage, accompanied by a five-piece band and 16 live dancers. While Jackson's older brother Jackie teared up and called the performance "amazing," many fans with a less personal relationship with the singer found the performance to be unsettling. In an online poll on "Good Morning America," 61 percent of voters found the hologram to be "creepy" rather than "cool," while other media personalities expressed disapproval on Twitter:

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The image was also troubling to some in light of another disturbing sexual abuse allegation made against the late pop singer last week:

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The hologram took nearly a year and a half of planning according to the Hollywood Reporter, but almost didn't make it to the stage after two tech companies filed an emergency lawsuit alleging that their product had been used without permission.

MJ's Posthumous Performance


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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Aol_on Billboard Music Awards Hologram Michael Jackson Music Video Xscape