The Avalanches: "Because I'm Me" star Reminiscent of a Young Michael Jackson

It has been over half a decade since the music world lost a legend.

Since the unexpected death of Michael Jackson, his contributions to music has profoundly influenced professional and amateur artists alike. Artists have not just paid homage to the legend by imitating his dance moves, but also imitating beats to some of his songs and his signature singing style. This is especially evident in the new music video to “Because I’m Me” by The Avalanches.

The Avalanches - Because I'm Me

The “Because I’m Me” music video contains some Easter eggs alluding to the late legend. For one, the beats have an unmistakable semblance to the beats used in many of the hit Jackson 5 songs. Even the main character (Wallace, I believe his name is), oddly resembles a little Michael Jackson. Just in case you still don’t see it, The Avalanches made sure to add the sound bite of what sounds like a young Michael Jackson pouring his heart out.

And why not? What’s the problem with mimicking some aspects of the great musicians and artists of old? Some of the best music is nothing more than a combination of other songs performed by past professional singers and rappers, both foreign and domestic. Very few songs are considered original anymore. Even Michael took some pointers from greats like Elvis Presley, James Brown and Manu Dibango. If the last name does not quite ring a bell, you are not a minority. He is an artist most prominent in the Cameroonian community. You can read more about him here. Just keep in mind that inspiration can come from anywhere. As long as permission and credit is given to the artist/artists responsible, most people usually don’t have an issue.

That said, just regurgitating an old song with no unique additions is like saying the song is great the way it is. So why bother recreating it? Might as well leave it alone.

Special thanks to The Avalanches for sharing this wonderful music video. Please show this group love by liking the video on the video's official YouTube page and leaving a comment. Also, I’m interested to know whether you think Wallace should be chasing an older woman.