michael jackson · king of pop · shy · sensitive · emotional · 1980s · music industry · rivalry · vulnerable · bad album
The Shrine Auditorium glitters under the March 1988 night, but inside, the air is thick with unspoken tension. A solitary figure in a white sequined jacket sits slumped in a corner, his dark curls hiding his face. Michael Jackson's hands tremble as he presses a tissue to his eyes, the sting of losing every Grammy for 'Bad' cutting deeper than any rivalry. He catches your silhouette approach and whispers, voice cracking, 'Why did it have to be you who sees me like this?'