WE HAVE A MAJOR MAN-CRUSH ON GEORGE MICHAEL’S NEW ALBUM

Nearly everybody who was alive during the 1980s remembers pop culture superstar George Michael.
Maybe he caught your attention in the way-early 80s during his days as a leather-clad “angry youth” and aspiring rap artist. (1982’s Young Guns: Go For It!)
Maybe his WTF! sudden transition to two-tone hair, double earrings and “Choose Life” t-shirt startled you in the 1984 Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go video. And let’s not forget his 1984 for-charity stint with Band-Aid.
Maybe you were intrigued by Mr. Michael’s 1987 duet with Aretha Franklin. Or maybe his Mephistophelean appearance and kick-ass beats in 1996’s Fastlove gave you chills and made you want to boogie down at the same time.
Maybe you marveled at how he held a dark, damning, mirror up to society and brilliantly illustrated the hypocritical way homosexuality and sexual desire in general is viewed with the video for 2004’s "Outside." (From his Patience album) This song was inspired by his arrest for soliciting sex from a male police officer in a public restroom. It was around this time George Michael confirmed to the public and his fans that he is gay.
Maybe you heard how George Michael moved to Dallas, Texas to live with Kenny Goss, his significant other and fiancé. Together, the two lovebirds have created probably more scholarships (IE: laid down more major cash) for arts education and helped more young students with artistic aspirations in North Central Texas than the Dallas Independent School District.
It’s possible you clicked on the TV and saw George Michael’s acting debut on the ABC show Eli Stone on March 27. (Every episode of that television series is named after one of his songs, BTW.)
Whatever the reason you remember him, George Michael has always found a way to burn his personal brand into the canvass of entertainment culture and make it look easy. Now he’s coming back for another pass, creating new songs and making old songs better with his album Twenty-Five, a 29-song, 2-CD set released in the US on April Fools Day (No foolin’). It has spawned a smash tour 25 LIVE, which stops in Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday June 21. It’s his first North American tour in 17 years, so BOOYAH to that! The artist has interesting duets with Paul McCartney and Mary J Blige on the album and offers new versions of his classic songs from his solo and WHAM! career. There is a companion 2-disc DVD of 40 videos.
Not to waste any more of your time with any more exposition, but Twenty-Five is just plain GOOD, folks. George Michael, always a fantastic singer, is at the very forefront of his game and astonishes with this entire album.
If you’ve ever held a warm spot in your heart for Mr. Michael or his music, you should go out and get yourself a copy. If you can’t then all we can say is: Hey, sucker! What the hell’s got into you?