Michael Jackson, You Are Not Alone | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 102^nd edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “You Are Not Alone” by Michael Jackson.  

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 102^nd edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2025), we recollect and reflect on “You Are Not Alone” performed by Michael Jackson.

“That you are not alone, I am here with you / Though you’re far away, I am here to stay.” The late, great Michael Jackson sang those lyrics, which hail from his 1995 song, “You Are Not Alone”. “You Are Not Alone” appears on the second disc of HIStory – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE – BOOK I, also released in 1995 (the ninth track).  Another rare song not written or co-written by Jackson, the songwriter might blow your mind: R. Kelly.  Yes, Kelly proved to be an awful, deplorable human being, but, lest you forget, he has written and produced lots of hits for himself and others, including the King of Pop.  “You Are Not Alone” not only peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week, but it was the first song in history to debut at number one. Notably, it became the final number one hit of Jackson’s illustrious career.

“You Are Not Alone” showcases the sheer beauty of Jackson’s voice.  Michael excelled at up-tempo pop records, but this smooth pop/R&B ballad reminds us how stellar he was with fewer BPMs.  His tone is celestial as he brings Kelly’s melodies to life effortlessly.  In the first verse, loneliness saddens the King of Pop, or the perspective of the person he sings from.  “You never said goodbye, someone tell me why / Did you have to go and leave my world so cold?” In the second verse, he thinks he hears his lover cry, and affirms, “I can hear your prayers, your burdens, I will bear / But first, I need your hand, then forever can begin.” In the pre-chorus, the question is, what happened to the love? Where did it go? In the chorus, excerpted earlier, he and his lover are together, despite being separated physically and by distance: “Though we’re far apart, you’re always in my heart / For you are not alone.” Aww 🥰!  Beyond the elite vocals, memorable melodies, and love-centric lyrics, the musical backdrop sounds fresh and smooth, ushering in the new era of R&B mid-90s.  The sound is a contrast compared to MJ’s other songs, yet it works seamlessly. “You Are Not Alone” earned Jackson one of his 38 Grammy nominations, of which he won 13. In the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 38^th Annual Grammy Awards, he lost to an even bigger, unbeatable song: “Kiss From A Rose” by Seal.  Still, this fabulous mid-90s ballad, with its key changes and those once-in-a-lifetime MJ vocals, deserves its flowers.