Tabloid Junkie

Similarly to "Leave Me Alone" (1987), "Why You Wanna Trip on Me" (1991) and numerous fellow HIStory tracks, "Tabloid Junkie", co-written by Jackson, shows Jackson's dissatisfaction with the media, particularly the tabloids, because of the bias and negative media coverage of false rumors and the 1993 child sexual abuse accusations made against him. It was reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick ("the Elephant Man"); Jackson stated that the story was false. These stories inspired the derogatory nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson acquired the following year, and would come to despise. Jackson stopped leaking untrue stories to the press, so the media began making up their own. In 1989, Jackson released the song and music video "Leave Me Alone", a song about his victimization at the hands of the press. The video shows Jackson poking fun at both the press and himself. In August 1993, the relationship between Jackson and the press reached a boiling point 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 included the media using sensational headlines to draw in readers and viewers when the content itself did not support the headline, accepting leaked material from the police investigation and of Jackson's alleged criminal activity in return for money, a lack of objectivity and using headlines that strongly implied Jackson's guilt. Jackson began taking painkillers, Valium, Xanax and Ativan to deal with the stress of the allegations made against him. When he left the United States to go into rehabilitation, the media showed him little sympathy. ==Composition==

"Tabloid Junkie" is a funk rock song. "Tabloid Junkie" is played in the key of E♭ minor and in common time signature. It has heavy beats throughout with Jackson beatboxing throughout. Jackson's voice range is from C♭4 to D♭5. The songs tempo is moderate and its metronome is 111 beats per minute. ==Critical reception==

"Tabloid Junkie" received primarily positive reviews from contemporary music critics. James Hunter, a writer for Rolling Stone, described "Tabloid Junkie", as well as "Scream", another track from the album, as being "two adventurous Jam and Lewis thumpers" that "work completely", commenting that "Jackson's slippery voice is caught in mammoth funk-rock constructions". Robert Christgau, a music critic who gave the album ** Honorable Mention (), listed "Tabloid Junkie" as being one out of two of the album's highlights. Jim Farber, of the New York Daily News, commented that "Tabloid Junkie" sounded "like virtual satires" of the "beat-heavy sound devised" by Jam and Lewis in the 1980s. David Browne, of Entertainment Weekly, noted that "Tabloid Junkie" comes as "close to transcendence as anywhere on the album" and described the chorus, "Just because you read it in the magazine or see it on the TV screen don't make it factual", as Jackson's "grabbiest, most driven refrain in years." Deepika Reedy, of The Daily Collegian, described the "rust in songs" like "Tabloid Junkie" as having a "raw aspect" that Jackson "hasn't approached since a near-miss with 'Billie Jean'." Patrick Macdonald, of The Seattle Times, noted that "Tabloid Junkie" was a "disingenuous attack on sensational news stories" about Jackson, remarked that most of stories were "planted" by Jackson himself. ==Personnel==

• Produced by Michael Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis • Recorded and mixed by Bruce Swedien • Michael Jackson – lead and backing vocals, vocal and rhythmic arrangements • Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – synthesizers and keyboards ==References==