Heaven Can Wait (Michael Jackson song)

2001 song by Michael Jackson

"Heaven Can Wait"
Song by Michael Jackson
from the album Invincible
Written	1999
Released	October 30, 2001 (2001-10-30)
Recorded	2001
Genre	R&B quiet storm soul
Length	4:49
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Michael Jackson Teddy Riley Andreao "Fanatic" Heard
Producer(s)	Michael Jackson Teddy Riley Andreao Heard (co.) Nate Smith (co.)

Licensed audio
"Heaven Can Wait" on YouTube
Audio sample
"Heaven Can Wait" file help

"Heaven Can Wait" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson, originally released on his 2001 studio album Invincible. The song was written by Jackson, Teddy Riley, Andreao "Fanatic" Heard, Nate Smith, Teron Beal, Eritza Laues and Kenny Quiller.

Background

The song was originally written by Teddy Riley for BLACKstreet's 1999 album Finally. However, while writing the song with Jackson, the singer asked Riley to give the song to him because he wanted to record it himself. Riley agreed and the song was included on Michael's 2001 album Invincible. In an interview with Hip-Hop Wired, Riley talked about the recording sessions of the song: "What I did with Michael doing strings on 'Heaven Can Wait', was like, we did the track first, that all took one day, and then the string section and then we did the guitar session and that's about three days. So the modern day is a little quick." After receiving a digital release on October 30, 2001, "Heaven Can Wait" was scheduled for release to radio stations across the United States, but was cancelled due to unspecified reasons. At a tempo of 59 beats per minute, it is one of Jackson's slowest songs.

In an interview with SoulCulture on December 22, 2010, Riley stated that the upcoming album from BLACKstreet would feature a cover version of "Heaven Can Wait". He said BLACKstreet is going to do "something incredible with that song". Neither the album nor the cover were ever released.

Reception

The song received mixed reviews from most music critics. Mark Anthony Neal of SeeingBlack.com praised the song, saying, " features arguably one of Jackson's best vocal performance since Thriller's 'The Lady in My Life'." Milena Brown of PRessure PR thought the song was "breathless", and "clearly did not get the same recognition it deserved". Bill Johnson from The Urban Daily listed "Heaven Can Wait" as one of several songs that kept Invincible "simple and smooth that excel the most". Robert Hilburn of Los Angeles Times said the song was "a tale about turning away an angel who comes to take him to heaven because he wants to stay with his darling, seem aimed at the lower end of 'N Sync's fan base—a difficult stretch for a man of 43." NME gave a mixed review to the song, saying "around this point you realise that Jackson is no longer pioneering—this would be a good Usher ballad. It has classic 'if I should die tonight' love lyrics and swelling chords, but doesn't add up to all that much." The song charted for 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 72 on April 27, 2002.

Charts

Chart (2002)	Peak position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	72

Personnel

Written and composed by Michael Jackson, Teddy Riley, Andreao Heard, Nate Smith, Teron Beal, Eritza Laues and Kenny Quiller
Produced by Michael Jackson and Teddy Riley
Co-produced by Andreao Heard and Nate Smith
Lead and background vocals by Michael Jackson
Additional background vocals by Dr. Freeze and "Que"
Orchestra arranged and conducted by Jeremy Lubbock
Recorded and mixed by Teddy Riley, Bruce Swedien and George Mayers
Digital editing by Teddy Riley and George Mayers

References

^ Halstead, Craig; Cadman, Chris (2007). Michael Jackson: For The Record. Bedfordshire: Authors OnLine Ltd. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-7552-0267-6.
Lecocq, Richard; Allard, François (2018). "Invincible". Michael Jackson All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London, England: Cassell. p. 672. ISBN 9781788400572.
^ Dusun Allah (July 8, 2007). "When "Heaven Can Wait": Teddy Riley Remembers Michael Jackson". Hip-Hop Wired. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
"Amazon.com: Heaven Can Wait: Michael Jackson: MP3 Downloads". Epic. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
Oakes, Gosho (December 22, 2010). "Teddy Riley on new Blackstreet LP, MJ cover, 'No Diggity' backstory & failed Guy reform". SoulCulture. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
"Teddy Riley Says No Guy Reunion, New Blackstreet Album To Feature MJ Cover". The Urban Daily. December 22, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
Neal, Mark Anthony (December 21, 2010). "The Return of the Scarecrow: Michael Jackson's 'Invincible'". SeeingBlack.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
Johnson, Bill (July 25, 2010). "The Urban Daily's Guide To Michael Jackson's Albums". theurbandaily.com. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
Hilburn, Robert (October 28, 2011). "Michael Jackson's 'Invincible'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
"Michael Jackson : 'Invincible'". NME. October 17, 2001. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
^ "Michael Jackson Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2016.

v t e Michael Jackson songs
Singles Songs Unreleased songs
1970s	"Got to Be There" "Ain't No Sunshine" "I Wanna Be Where You Are" "Rockin' Robin" "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" "You've Got a Friend" "Ben" "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" "My Girl" "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" "We've Got a Good Thing Going" "With a Child's Heart" "Morning Glow" "All the Things You Are" "Happy" "Too Young" "Music and Me" "We're Almost There" "Just a Little Bit of You" "You Can't Win" "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" "Rock with You" "Working Day and Night" "It's the Falling in Love"
1980s	"Off the Wall" "Girlfriend" "She's Out of My Life" "One Day in Your Life" "The Girl Is Mine" "Billie Jean" "Beat It" "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" "Human Nature" "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" "Thriller" "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" "Lonely Teardrops" "That's What Love Is Made Of" "Farewell My Summer Love" "Girl You're So Together" "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" "Bad" "The Way You Make Me Feel" "Speed Demon" "Liberian Girl" "Just Good Friends" "Another Part of Me" "Man in the Mirror" "Dirty Diana" "Smooth Criminal" "Leave Me Alone" "Twenty-Five Miles"
1990s	"Black or White" "Jam" "In the Closet" "Remember the Time" "Heal the World" "Who Is It" "Give In to Me" "Will You Be There" "Gone Too Soon" "Dangerous" "Come Together" "Scream" "Childhood" "They Don't Care About Us" "Stranger in Moscow" "This Time Around" "Earth Song" "D.S." "You Are Not Alone" "Tabloid Junkie" "HIStory" "Smile" "Mind Is the Magic" "Blood on the Dance Floor" "Ghosts" "Is It Scary" "On the Line"
2000s	"Speechless" "You Rock My World" "Heaven Can Wait" "Butterflies" "Cry" "One More Chance" "Cheater" "(I Like) The Way You Love Me" "Fall Again" "This Is It"
2010s	"Hold My Hand" "Hollywood Tonight" "(I Can't Make It) Another Day" "Behind the Mask" "Don't Be Messin' 'Round" "I'm So Blue" "Price of Fame" "Love Never Felt So Good" "Chicago" "Loving You" "A Place with No Name" "Slave to the Rhythm" "Do You Know Where Your Children Are" "Blue Gangsta"
2020s	"She's Trouble"
Other	"We Are the World" "What More Can I Give" "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" "Blood on the Dance Floor x Dangerous" "Diamonds Are Invincible"
Featured	"A Brand New Day" "Ease on Down the Road" "Who's Right, Who's Wrong" "Night Time Lover" "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" "State of Independence" "Muscles" "Say Say Say" "Somebody's Watching Me" "Don't Stand Another Chance" "Centipede" "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)" "Eaten Alive" "Get It" "2300 Jackson Street" "Do the Bartman" "Whatzupwitu" "Why" "I Need You" "We Be Ballin'" "Girls, Girls, Girls" "All in Your Name" "There Must Be More to Life Than This" "Low" "Don't Matter to Me"
Category

v t e Blackstreet
Teddy Riley Dave Hollister
Studio albums	Blackstreet Another Level Finally Level II
Other albums	No Diggity: The Very Best of Blackstreet
Singles	"Baby Be Mine" "Booti Call" "Before I Let You Go" "Joy" "Tonight's the Night" "No Diggity" "Don't Leave Me" "Fix" "(Money Can't) Buy Me Love" "Take Me There" "Girlfriend/Boyfriend"
Featured artist	"Get Me Home" "The City Is Mine" "Get Ready"
Related articles	Discography "Heaven Can Wait"

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