An almost 94-second video has been uploaded in which Halle Bailey sings an “acoustic cover” of Michael Jackson’s iconic “Human Nature” song. This video has gone viral on social media, with fans of both artists praising the performance, while others compare the singer to the late King of Pop.
Bailey appears in the video standing in front of the microphone, where she performs this ballad by her idol from the Thriller era, with her powerful voice, four-octave range, and slow pace, making the song even more personal as she moves her hands and keeps a gentle smile throughout her performance.
Fans and critics of both the singer and Michael Jackson went wild over the video and shared their opinions on the cover. While many were amazed by Bailey’s tone and skill, there was also criticism stating how no cover could ever match the original artist’s.
There was quite a difference of opinion between generations in the comments section as a person stated, “old people get so annoying when someone covers their old fav talking bout ‘no one outdoing Michael.’ She’s not trying to, granny, it’s a cover.”
It seems some people saw an element of professionalism in Bailey’s cover, as rumors circulated that she was being cast in a Janet Jackson biopic alongside a proposed second Michael Jackson film. “Soft launching the Janet casting for the second Michael movie, oh, she’s smart,” was one such comment by an avid fan.
However, not everybody contained themselves to express their feelings as one commenter expressed his love for Bailey by writing, “okay, nobody else is allowed to cover this song besides Halle Bailey, I don’t care what you say… it just works for her. Only two people should cover this: Halle Bailey, & unfortunately, the other one is no longer with us. I suppose Coko & Joe R&B vocalists would also be able to cover if they please.”
While Bailey is known for her role in The Little Mermaid, fans made jokes about her performance in relation to her acting career.
