'Xscape,' a posthumous new Michael Jackson album, is due out May 13. Wait, what? How is this possible? Well, L.A. Reid and Epic Records have "contemporized" songs from the Jackson vault, with complete permission and support from the late King of Pop's estate.

Epic, in conjunction with Jackson's estate, will release 'Xscape,' featuring eight new songs which the world will hear for the first time, according to a statement on the singer's website. Reid, the Epic Records Chairman and CEO, and former 'X Factor' judge, was granted unlimited access to audio treasures and four decades of material on which Jackson had completed vocals.

Reid personally curated the final list of recordings to deliver to the producers, including Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate and more, who retooled the production to add a fresh, contemporary sound, all the while retaining Jackson's integrity and sound.

It's a revolutionary and genius way to bring Jackson's music to the people and to his fans once more, all the while respecting the artist, his history and his reputation.

Reid calls this process "contemporizing," saying, "Modern music and artistry would look and sound completely different if not for the groundbreaking contributions Michael Jackson gifted to the world. Michael left behind some musical performances that we take great pride in presenting through the vision of music producers that he either worked directly with or expressed strong desire to work with. We are extremely proud and honored to present this music to the world."

'Xscape' keeps Jackson's tradition of naming his albums with one-word titles, and naming them after a song that lives on the album. The title track was both penned and produced by Jackson and Jerkins, and it is special since it is the one track on the album contemporized by the original producer who recorded it with Jackson himself.

The release will be available in a standard and deluxe edition, the latter of which will include all of the sourced Michael Jackson recordings in original form.

John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson said, “Michael was always on the cutting edge and was constantly reaching out to new producers, looking for new sounds. He was always relevant and current. These tracks, in many ways, capture that spirit. We thank L.A. Reid for his vision.”

Pre-order here.

More information will be made available here.

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