In the Ebony interview, Michael says he hasn’t changed all that much since releasing his blockbuster album ‘Thriller’ nearly 25 years ago:

“That Michael is probably the same Michael here. I just wanted to get certain things accomplished first. But I always had this tug in the back of my head, the things I wanted to do, to raise children, have children. I’m enjoying it very much.”

What does he make of today’s music?

“I don’t think people are being as experimental and innovative enough. I know people can easily say, ‘Well, we don’t have the Michael Jackson budget.’ Wrong, you can be so creative with almost nothing. And that’s usually the best stuff, when you strip it down to the bare minimum and go inside yourself and invent.”

Producer Quincy Jones and Steven Spielberg nicknamed Michael ‘Smelly’ because he once used the word instead of swearing:

“I say a few swear words now - but especially then, you couldn’t get me to swear. So I would say, ‘That’s a smelly song.’ That would mean, ‘It’s so great.’”

Source: MJFC-USA