"Scream" is a song by American singers and siblings Michael and Janet Jackson. It was released as the lead single of Michael Jackson's ninth studio album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995). It was released as a double A-side with "Childhood", a solo song by Michael. The single was released on May 29, 1995.
"Scream" is an aggressive, retaliatory song directed at the tabloid media and their coverage of the child sexual abuse accusations made against Michael Jackson in 1993. It was written, composed and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Michael Jackson, and Janet Jackson; Michael played many of the instruments. It incorporates elements of dance-pop, electronic, electronic rock, funk, and R&B. Recording for "Scream" took place at the Hit Factory in New York City in October 1994 and at Flyte Tyme Studios in Edina, Minnesota in December 1994. The song was leaked to radio stations early, despite Epic Records' attempt to keep it off air until the release date.
Generally well received amongst critics, it has been compared favorably to other songs by Michael Jackson. The corresponding music video remains one of his most critically acclaimed; it won three MTV Video Music Awards and the Grammy Award for Best Music Video. At a cost of $7 million, it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made; however, director Mark Romanek has refuted the claim, saying that there were two other music videos from the same era which cost "millions more" than the video for "Scream".
"Scream" would become the first single in the 37-year history of Billboard to debut in the top five on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number five. Elsewhere, it topped the charts in Italy, New Zealand, and Spain while reaching the top five in Australia, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Michael performed "Scream" on his 1996–1997 HIStory World Tour. Following his death in 2009, Janet performed the song at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and on her 2011 Number Ones, Up Close and Personal as a tribute to him, the 2015–2016 Unbreakable World Tour, and on several dates of her 2017–2018 State of the World Tour. It was also included on her 2023–2024 Together Again Tour, and subsequent Las Vegas residency.
Background
"Scream" is a song primarily directed at the tabloid press. As far back as the late 1980s, Jackson and the press had a difficult relationship. In 1986, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying down in a glass box. When Jackson bought a pet chimpanzee called Bubbles, it was reported as evidence of increasing detachment from reality. It was reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "elephant man"). However, Jackson stated the story is untrue in both an interview with Oprah and an interview with Martin Bashir in Take Two – The Footage You Were Never Meant to See. Still, these stories inspired the pejorative nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson acquired the following year and would come to despise. He stopped leaking untruths to the press, so the media began making up their own stories.Taraborrelli, p. 370–373
In 1989, Jackson released the song and music video "Leave Me Alone", a song about his perceived victimization at the hands of the press.Taraborrelli, p. 365 The video shows Jackson poking fun not only at the press but also the situation he was in. In the video, there are images of shrines to his friend Elizabeth Taylor, newspapers with bizarre headlines, Jackson dancing with the bones of Merrick, and an animated nose with a scalpel chasing it across the screen.Taraborrelli, p. 413
In 1993, the relationship between Jackson and the press came to a head when he was accused of child sexual abuse. Although never charged with a crime, Jackson was subject to intense media scrutiny while the criminal investigation took place. Complaints about the coverage and media included using sensational headlines to draw in readers and viewers when the content itself did not support the headline,Campbell (1995), p. 42–45 accepting stories of Jackson's alleged criminal activity in return for money,Campbell (1995), p. 77–80 accepting confidential, leaked material from the police investigation in return for money paid,Campbell (1995), p. 47–50 deliberately using pictures of Jackson's appearance at its worst,Taraborrelli, p. 500–507 a lack of objectivity and using headlines that strongly implied Jackson's guilt. At the time, Jackson said of the media reaction, "I will say I am particularly upset by the handling of the matter by the incredible, terrible mass media. At every opportunity, the media has dissected and manipulated these allegations to reach their own conclusions."
Jackson began taking Valium, Xanax, and Ativan to deal with the stress of the allegations made against him.Taraborrelli, 514-516">Taraborrelli, p. 514–516 Jackson's health had deteriorated to the extent that he canceled the remainder of his tour and went into rehabilitation. Jackson booked the whole fourth floor of a clinic and was put on Valium IV to wean him from painkillers. A few months after the allegations became news, Jackson had lost approximately 10 lb (4.5 kg) in weight and had stopped eating. The singer's spokesperson told reporters that Jackson was "barely able to function adequately on an intellectual level". While in the clinic, Jackson took part in group and one-on-one therapy sessions.Campbell (1995), p. 89–93Taraborrelli, p. 524–528
When Jackson left the U.S. to go into rehabilitation, the media showed him little sympathy. The Daily Mirror held a "Spot the Jacko" contest, offering readers a trip to Disney World if they could correctly predict where the entertainer would appear next. A Daily Express headline read, "Drug Treatment Star Faces Life on the Run", while a News of the World headline accused Jackson of being a fugitive. These tabloids also falsely alleged that Jackson had traveled to Europe to have cosmetic surgery that would make him unrecognizable on his return. Geraldo Rivera set up a mock trial, with a jury made up of audience members, even though Jackson had not been charged with a crime.Campbell (1995), p. 104–106
"Scream" / "Childhood" and HIStory were Jackson's first releases since the allegations, and the press was waiting to see if the album would sell well. One analyst for SoundScan expressed the opinion that the press were out of touch with the public when it came to Jackson; the public liked him, while the press did not. He believed that "naysayers" in the media would be left surprised with the commercial reception to the HIStory campaign.
The David Morales remix of "Scream" was released as a single in the United Kingdom on June 24, 1995, peaking at number 43 and dropping to number 57 a week later. It remained on the charts for only two weeks.
In 1997, "Scream" was remixed for Jackson's remix album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. Entitled "Scream Louder" (Flyte Tyme remix), the remix used elements from the Sly and the Family Stone song "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)". Another official remix was produced by Naughty by Nature, called the "Naughty" remix, having a new urban R&B instrumental beat and a rap verse by Treach.
Album booklet In the HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I album booklet, there's an image of Gottfried Helnwein's 1981 watercolor "Das Lied / The Song", which is an image of a distressed child huddled in the corner of a room, screaming up at the ceiling. Jackson's handwritten lyrics to "Scream" were scrawled on the wall beside the child. Towards the end of the booklet is a copy of a child's letter to the President of the United States, Bill Clinton, asking him to end war, pollution, and to stop the negative press reports about Jackson.
Production
Janet Jackson wanted to be involved with the project as a show of sibling support. It was the first time they had worked together since 1984, when Michael provided backing vocals on "Don't Stand Another Chance". Janet said that it was "very fun" working with her brother again and that seeing her brother's work was "interesting". "Scream" was written, composed and produced by the Jackson siblings, with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.Jackson, Michael. HIStory booklet. Sony BMG. p 32
It was the first time Michael Jackson had worked with Jam and Lewis, although Janet had worked with them successfully on numerous occasions. The album was created with the intention of following half R&B and half pop/rock themes, the same themes that brought Jackson success on his prior album, Dangerous. Jackson was credited for playing instruments such as keyboard, synthesizer, guitar, drums and percussion on the single and album.Lewis, p. 59
In the song, Jackson tells the media to stop pressuring him and to stop misrepresenting the truth. Jon Pareles of The New York Times observed, "fear has turned to aggression. The music has polarized; it's either clipped, choppy and electronic or glossy and sumptuous, only occasionally trying to combine the two. Most of the time, Jackson sounds as if he's singing through clenched teeth, spitting out words in defiance of any and all persecutors". He believed that "Scream" had a similar sound to the music of Janet's acclaimed Rhythm Nation. The media noted that "Scream" and other songs from the album contained vulgar words absent from previous albums. "Scream" incorporates elements of pop, R&B, hip-hop, funk and rock.
Leaking of "Scream" Two weeks before the official release of "Scream", Jackson happened to hear it on a Los Angeles radio station. The station was playing "Scream" once an hour until served with a cease and desist order from Epic Records. Two other stations in Philadelphia also received similar orders. All involved denied that Epic leaked them the song early. The song had been a closely guarded secret by the label and most staff members were not allowed access to a copy.
Though they potentially faced legal action, the Los Angeles radio station programmer noted that, "some things are more important... The record company was furious, lawyers were involved and the situation got hairy... But on a release as big as Michael Jackson's, there's no way we're going to wait if we receive a leak. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because his security is really insane."
Reception
Critical reaction
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic retrospectively expressed the opinion that the song "improved on the slamming beats of his earlier single 'Jam,'" a song that received critical acclaim in its own right, as the recipient of two Grammy nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.George, p. 45–46 Deepika Reddy of The Daily Collegian wrote, "The lyrics to the album's debut single and video 'Scream' are for the first time in Jackson's convoluted career, painfully direct. He sings Stop pressuring me/Stop pressuring me/It makes me want to scream with a force and resentment that's new and surpassing." "'Scream' and 'Tabloid Junkie' have a raw aspect that Jackson hasn't approached since a near-miss with 'Billie Jean.'"