On June 25th 2009, the world lost the greatest entertainer of all time, the king of pop Michael Jackson. His legacy, especially that of which he built in the 80s, still resonates in modern pop to this day. 

Road Trip, the newest single by Brandon Coleman, is no exception to Michael’s impact on music. The tune is an honest homage to the late king of pop in the most fun way possible. It immediately starts in this super fun up-beat groove that’s far more reminiscent of a light-hearted The Weeknd. However, when the chorus comes around, Michael’s footprint is all the more evident, and in doing so makes the song shine all the much more.

The opening lyric, “Girlfriend/ I’m gonna tell your boyfriend” is a direct reference to MJ’s song “Girlfriend” off the 1979 album Off The Wall. There’s even at one point in the background vocals, at about 1:26 where Brandon does a “vocal hiccup” exactly like Michael would, and truth be told, a huge smile sprung on my face when I first caught that. I’ve been listening to Michael’s music for longer than I can remember, and his music will always hold a special place in my heart. So already, I’m biased on this song, it being so reminiscent of the king of pop’s music, but this song is absolutely beautiful even if you don’t hold the same nostalgia for the greatest entertainer of all time.

Brandon’s delivery is silky smooth and alluring, as he traverses beautiful melodies sung in chest voice and falsetto. The consistent groove has made me tap my foot the entire time absorbing the song and writing this review – the rhythm is real and catchy as can be. The groove will surely get stuck in your head for days to come, and the product as a whole is a wonderful look back on retro dance-pop and modern-day R&B all combined into one. It’s a product of the love for the music that inspired Brandon Coleman, mixed with his artistic take on the genres he tackles in this wonderful track. It’s an irresistible tune that truly deserves the spotlight of a classic dance-pop song.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.