Reviewer Ratings Summary

• Hannah Sayeed: 8/10

• Stefan Richer: 1/10

• Ottilie Miller: 6/10

• Caio Cabral: 7/10

• Joe Heap: 6/10

• Louisa Dixey: 7/10

• Mohammed Hussain: 8/10

Average Rating: 6.1/10

Track Reception

Most Popular Tracks:

• Beat It

  (5 mentions as favorite)

• Billie Jean

  (4 mentions as favorite)

• Thriller

  (3 mentions as favorite)

Most Criticized Track:

• Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

  (4 mentions as worst track)

Other Notable:

• Human Nature

  praised for reflexivity and thought-provoking lyrics

• The Girl Is Mine

  divisive (one favorite, one worst)

Key Themes

Musical Praise

• Recognized as influential and containing "hit after hit"

• Crisp production and consistent theming

• "Thriller"

  acknowledged as one of the greatest Halloween songs

• "Beat It"

  noted for addressing resistance to racist America

• Catchy, groovy songwriting throughout

Criticisms

• Song length

  - several tracks considered too long

• Moral concerns

  about lyrics (particularly "Billie Jean")

• Personal controversies

  significantly impact several reviewers' ratings

Controversial Impact

Multiple reviewers acknowledged the album's musical quality while expressing discomfort with personal allegations against the artist. This created a notable split between purely musical appreciation and ethical considerations, resulting in ratings ranging from 1/10 to 8/10 despite general agreement on the album's technical and cultural significance.

Overall Assessment

While recognized as a musically influential pop/R&B masterpiece with exceptional production and memorable hits, the album's legacy remains complicated by external factors that significantly influenced reviewer scores and overall reception.