Michael Jackson Fans Angered After Rolling Stone Dubs Harry Styles The ‘New King Of Pop’
There can only be one King of Pop.
Vicki L. Miller / Debby Wong / Shutterstock Michael Jackson's fans and other pop music connoisseurs have been vocalizing their outrage at Harry Styles being dubbed the "new King of Pop."
The former One Direction member was bestowed the title by Rolling Stone UK after appearing at their latest cover star.
But for those who are still loyal to Jackson's reign over the genre, Styles is not the rightful heir.
For fans, Michael Jackson will always be the King of Pop, not Harry Styles.
Since the 1980s, Jackson has been widely regarded as the King of Pop — though there is no official process by which one takes on the title.
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Jackson's domination of the genre is undeniable, his 1982 album "Thriller" remains the best-selling album of all time in global sales — though it was by-passed in US sales.
Styles, on the other hand, is steadily proving himself to be a dominating force in pop music.
Styles has his shares of records. In April, his single "As It Was" became Spotify's most streamed song in a single day.
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His third album, "Harry's House," is Styles’ third consecutive US number one and extends his record as the first UK male artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 with their first three albums, and the biggest sales week for a British male artist’s album.
Michael Jackson's nephew has defended his uncle's title.
"There is no new King of Pop. You don't own the title @RollingStone, and you didn't earn it, my uncle did. Decades of dedication and sacrifice. The title has been retired. No disrespect to @Harry_Styles, he's mega talented. Give him his own unique title." Taj Jackson's tweeted in response to the cover.
But for others, it wasn't a matter of the title dying with Jackson. Maybe there will be a new King of Pop but fans argue that Styles isn't it.
The issue may instead lie in the title itself. It's subjective as best and arbitrary at worst.
Comparing Jackson's multi-decade career to Styles, who first became a household name as a member of One Direction just 10 years ago, is perhaps somewhat unfair. However, when it comes to influence and changing the face of pop music, can we really say Styles has made anything close to Jackson's impact thus far?
But, if Styles isn't the current King of Pop, who is? There is not a man with more dominance over the genre than Styles on our radios right now.
So, perhaps, it all boils down to how one views the title or if the title should exist at all. Styles will most certainly have some big shoes to fill if he wants to compete with Michael Jackson but it appears Rolling Stone UK may have jumped the gun on this one.
Kurtis Condra covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics for YourTango. He is also a poet based in San Francisco, California. You can keep up with his poetic journey on Instagram.