Level 3: The Emerging Enthusiasts
The Emerging Enthusiasts once played the “This is Michael Jackson” playlist on Spotify for their aunt’s 40th birthday as an act of rebellion against the lousy Level 1 fans who call themselves their “parents”. Their family’s horrified reaction (being exposed to 30 MJ tracks in a row will convert even the most Unbothered Listener to a very much Bothered Protester) turned this otherwise peaceful event into a core memory for the Emerging Enthusiasts.
Since that day, they have found a new appreciation and curiosity for this The Weeknd soundalike that everyone in the physiotherapist’s waiting room is raving about.
These inquisitive detectives explore the world reel by reel. They have encountered the Severus Snape lookalike many times in their TikTok feeds, mostly in the form of memes of old interview statements that can now be ironically applied to work or school situations. But for the Emerging Enthusiasts, it’s time to get acquainted with the art behind this Internet wizard.
Equipped with an attention span comparable to the mass media covering women’s rights in Iran, it may take them a few starts, but they will eventually get through listening to what they consider to be Michael Jackson’s only six solo albums. Their opinions of his songs are more refined, and with a constant ambition to stand out from the Level 2 fans, these delicate spirits will pick a track from the Dangerous or HIStory albums as their favorite, like They Don’t Care About Us or Remember The Time.
Eventually, they will seek out the “This is The Jackson 5” playlist on Spotify, but will be distracted by the fleeting thought of the inevitable apocalypse, caused by either AI-driven robots, the collapse of the intricate system of ocean currents due to climate change, the nuclear fantasies of 70-plus-year-old war-mongering “politicians”, or all of the above. This has taken a dark turn, but it’s a sinister world in which the Emerging Enthusiasts are growing up. They’ll watch the Thriller video as a cheerful reminder that life goes on (for now).
Are Level 3 fans only young people? There may be exceptions, but I cannot imagine a realistic scenario in which a middle-aged person missed their last chance to become an Emerging Enthusiast (Michael’s death and the related resurgence of his music in the wake of that tragic news), waited for the Leaving Neverland documentary to come out, and only then decided to give his music a chance.
So, yeah, this level is reserved for the generations Z and Alpha, the ones who will have to work 60 hours a week to maintain a lifestyle that can afford the paraphernalia for a hobby, if they’re lucky. So exploring what’s from their point of view “vintage” music might just be an escape.
There is something magical about this level. No one stays there for long. It’s a fork in the road, the blue pill or the red pill, the gateway between Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough and Leave Me Alone. Once they have examined MJ’s music catalog between 1969 and 2001, they may let all those impressions of rhythmic mastery, captivating soundscapes, and soulful vocals over the span of 32 years marinate in their cognitive storage for a while. But eventually they will have to make a fateful decision: Go back to Level 2 of mild appreciation with no moral implications or move up (or down? or on?) to Level 4.