More than just a musician, he was a phenomenon—all heart, rebellious, pushing his limits and brazenly being himself

Michael who died yesterday at the age of 53 was supposed to be doing a tour, and an album, both slotted for 2017. He was a childhood staple, perhaps the most enduring musicians of the 1980s generations, a singer, songwriter and a music producer, best known for his breakout songs such as Wake me up before you go-go, Last Christmas with Wham, Careless Whisper, Faith and Father Figure. But he was also known as much for his scandals, battles with depression and struggles of living life in the public eye. All his life he struggled to be taken seriously as a musician and a producer, adapting his style with time to suit a more diverse audience. More than just a musician, he was a phenomenon—all heart, rebellious, pushing his limits and brazenly being himself at a time when the world was rigidly against the idea of non-conformity.

He was the first pop star to write so openly about lust. When his song, I Want Your Sex was released in the summer of 1987, some radio stations in the US refused to play it. He was risqué before it became fashionable to be risqué, he put hedonistic desire on the map and made it okay to talk about it. When he covered Queen’s Somebody to Love at the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, he made it a point to drive home the visceral point that it was alright to accept love in all its forms.  To truly celebrate Michael, one has to celebrate his irreverent spirit, a spirit that pushed boundaries and encouraged the idea that everything in life, include base desire, should be celebrated.