Kadir Nelson's cover art for new Michael Jackson album

The new, posthumous Michael Jackson album -- titled "Michael" -- officially hits stores Tuesday, just in time for the holiday season. The buzz around the album has been steadily building for weeks. In particular, the cover art has been virtually unavoidable in the days leading up to the album's debut. (Here is The Times' review.)

Created by Kadir Nelson, the cover art for "Michael" depicts various incarnations of the late pop star from different phases and projects of his career. The main image that takes up most of the cover is a depiction of a gloved Jackson wearing Medici-esque royal garb with a crown floating above his head.

MTV recently spoke with Nelson about creating the cover art. In the interview, Nelson revealed that the collaboration began in 2003 when Jackson saw a pair of paintings that the artist had made chronicling Marvin Gaye's life, and wanted a portrait of himself.

The project languished for years, but after Jackson's death, Nelson was contacted in 2009 by John McClain, co-executor of the the singer's estate, who revived the commission.

The final portrait, on which the album cover is based, stands more than 9 feet wide by 4.5 feet tall, Nelson told MTV.

Nelson's cover art features renderings of Jackson from such memorable projects as "Thriller," "Captain EO" and "We Are the World." The San Diego-based artist has worked as an illustrator for numerous publications and books, and has exhibited his work around the world.

-- David Ng

Upper photo: Kadir Nelson's cover art for "Michael." Credit: Epic

Lower photo: Michael Jackson at a 1996 concert. Credit: Simon Kwong / Reuters

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Comments

[AndreaU8]

It's UGLY.

[Louis Gonzales]

God bless Michael's spirit, it's a beautiful art work! :D

[DozerLA]

If you look carefully, notice how the CD cover art painting only depicts MJ in his various earlier-career incarnations from OTW (1979) through Dangerous (1991), featuring no images from his later period from the late 90s through this past decade - it's as if they want to preserve "the old MJ" that the world loves & seek to erase/deny the hard truth that MJ the handsome young man/global pop star gradually morphed into an increasingly freakish, bewigged plastic surgery victim that emerged as a transgender, distorted visage of his former self. Sony wants to seal MJ off in a jeweled box circa '79-'87 (his peak years) - the lone visual reference to "Dangerous"-era is a fragment from the ilustrated album cover, NOT MJ's actual rapidly transforming, extreme image, not far off from Pete Burns' own transformation, i.e. plastic surgery as art object. Just as well, I'm sure the CD will move more units that way - just as Sony has planned. Long live "the King of Pop" (?)

[nellieo231]

I didn't appreciate it when it first appeared online several weeks ago but have since changed my mind. When seen in it's entirety on the CD insert (it folds out) there is a lot going on. It is rich in detail, chronicling Jackson's life & career (and even some of his tribulations, ie. golden gavel in a bubble, signifying all of the endless, pointless litigation he endured). Nicely done. (although I am truly hoping that the black woman appearing on the right side is NOT Oprah Winfrey since she was notoriously cruel to Jackson, caused him much pain and helped in the media-lynching and public backlash against Jackson during the baseless allegations & trial)

[Tom]

It's beautiful.

[sc441]

Kadir Nelson is a great AA artist, he recently designed a U.S. Postage stamp for African American Baseball (Negro Leagues). Fabulous artist! and I love the MJ Cover art, MJ is at the height of his beauty!

[sc441]

I love the cover art. Great artist!

[hairy carrion]

Make. It. Stop. ((shudder))