New Michael Jackson's Song and Album Planned for October Release

A new song by the late King of Pop will be released as a single titled 'This Is It' on October 12 later this year, Sony Music Entertainment has announced.

Sony Music Entertainment announced on Wednesday, September 23 that a new song by late Michael Jackson, titled "This Is It", will be released as a single on October 12 later this year, two weeks before the concert documentary of the same name "This Is It" makes its limited run in theaters. "This song only defines, once again, what the world already knows - that Michael is one of God's greatest gifts," said Michael's estate co-executor and longtime music exec John McClain.

"This Is It" single, according to Sony's press release, will appear on a two-disc album. "Disc one will feature the original album masters of some of Michael's biggest hits arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of the never-released 'This Is It.' This song is featured in the film's closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael's brothers, the Jacksons," the press release revealed further.

The second disc, meanwhile, will offer "previously unreleased versions" of some of Michael's classic songs, plus "a touching spoken word poem from Michael Jackson entitled 'Planet Earth' that has never been heard before," and a 36-page commemorative booklet featuring "exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal."

The double album will be released worldwide on October 26 and in North America the following day.