It’s 1993 and Michael Jackson is on top of the world: receiving lifetime achievement awards, appearing at Bill Clinton’s inaugural gala, performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. More popular and powerful than he’s ever been, he uses that caché to create a music video that stands among his most personal and prescient works. Then everything falls apart.

You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ

As news breaks of the first sexual abuse allegations against Michael, reporters scramble to dig up any information they can while Michael Jackson’s PR machine battles to control the narrative. Meanwhile, a by-the-book LAPD detective struggles to investigate the case in the midst of the frenzy.

You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ

Michael Jackson’s childhood, or lack thereof, is cited constantly in the conversation around his relationships with children. In this episode, we go back to Michael’s earliest days in Gary, Indiana, where he grows up under the domineering hand of his father while he and his brothers take the local music scene by storm in search of a better life.

You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ

The Jackson family signs with the Motown Record Corporation and moves out to California. As Black artists across the country are achieving new levels of visibility, the Jackson 5 become an overnight sensation and a young Michael must navigate growing up in the spotlight as the front man of America’s hottest boy band.

You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ

As the Jackson family tries to stay relevant as former teenyboppers, Michael Jackson breaks away in New York City and stars in a movie based on The Wizard of Oz that sets the course for the rest of his life.

You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ

Michael Jackson climbs to new heights with the success of his Thriller album and the groundbreaking music videos that follow. But he finds that his fame and faith are on a collision course, and he's forced to make a choice.

You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ

Michael’s eccentric behavior and ever-changing appearance pique the curiosity of the public and the press. But was Michael a tabloid victim or a genius public relations ringmaster?

You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ

In the aftermath of the 1993 sexual abuse allegations, Michael Jackson marries into musical royalty and attempts to rebuild his legacy with the most audacious project of his career.

You can find a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used in our research at bit.ly/ThinkTwiceMJ