There's a lot of confusion and debate around Michael Jackson and his music right now, and for good reason.
Whenever a public figure is accused of crimes, it forces them to be recontextualized within popular culture, and that can be really hard to do.
While it may seem like a big wave of opinions cause the shift, it's actually the result of everyone making their own decisions over time until a consensus is sort of reached.
Allegations of sexual abuse reach all the way back to 1993, raising questions about how long the benefit of the doubt can be granted to a person.
For some, alleged crimes of this magnitude mean that the art of the accused is now off-limits. That any money spent or enjoyment had is a way of supporting the crime and dismissing the victims.
For example, many people argue that you should still be able to enjoy the book (and movie) Ender's Game, even though author Orson Scott Card is very vocal about his racist and anti-LGBTQIA+ beliefs.
Ultimately, it's a personal decision and it varies from person to person.
So it doesn't really surprise me to learn that Michael Jackson's music is appearing back on the music charts.
Maybe you're steadfast in your belief of his innocence and want to show that support, regardless of radio station bans.
Maybe you do think he did horrible things, but also believe that art should be separate for the artist.
Sometimes you just need to try it out. It could be that you turn on "Billy Jean" and immediately start bopping your head and singing along, all worries forgotten, or you may find that you can no longer listen without picturing abused boys.
According to the Evening Standard, as of March 8 the album Number Ones jumped 44 places on the iTunes charts within a matter of hours. Other albums have risen too, many ending up in the Top 200.
It's only been a week or so since Leaving Neverland aired, so I'm sure we'll see more of this sort of thing as the culture catches up with people's feelings.
