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At Long Last, 'Justice' for Michael Jackson

A French DJ duo, Justice operates on the leading edge of heavy electronic music. The pair's primitive, mutated fusion of pop, rock, and dance sounds practically pushes listeners' fists into the air with its heavy beats and unforgettable hooks. "D.A.N.C.E." exemplifies that sound perfectly, functioning as one of the most insistently catchy songs to surface in years.

With the assistance of a London-based youth choir chanting, "Do the D-A-N-C-E / 1-2-3-4-5," Justice has an enormous amount of fun paying sincere homage to Michael Jackson. Incorporating elements of several of his songs — including "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," "Black or White," and The Jackson 5's "ABC" — it offers a new take on Jackson's ingeniously infectious early days. Playing off Jackson's lyrics while paying tribute to his legacy, "D.A.N.C.E." does a wonderful job of stripping away the pop icon's recent history (musically and otherwise), in the process rediscovering the joy inherent in his best music.

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John Richards
John Richards is the host and producer of The Morning Show with John on 90.3 FM KEXP Seattle, and online at . He is also KEXP's assistant program director.