The lead-off single from the new 'Dangerous' album, there's a lot to like about 'Black Or White' at first blush. For a start, the fake metal false opening has a smart wit that appeals, and the inherent anti-racist angle of the lyric has a socio-political edge not readily associated with Jackson. Dig deeper too and the bridge to the chorus ("Now I believe in miracles, and a miracle has happened tonight") has the jovial pop bounce call-back to early Jackson 5 recordings. That's the good stuff anyway, but this coin is top heavy and to flip it over reveals rather more that's....not so good.For a song seemingly created with one eye and two feet on the dancefloor, 'Black Or White' is carried there by a guitar cranking out the limpest funk riff this side of Duran Duran. Instead of a gutsy strut, its looped crackle pervades the melody like a broadcast from a de-tuned radio - there but only barely and certainly not enough. And after a strong opening in general, there's a palpable feeling of deflation by about the two minute mark when you realise that this is all there is to it and its going to repeat it right to the end. Jackson throws in a rap to try and flavour the pot, but it's token and sounds it; 'Black Or White' borrows nothing from the genre nor attempts to meet it half way. In fact, 'Black Or White' is an apt title - in straddling straight white rock with black music styling, Jackson sounds like a man lost who would rather hedge his bets than follow any particular muse. The guiding hand of producer Quincy Jones would be sorely missed throughout the nineties and replacement Bill Bottrell's attempt here to turn Jackson into something approaching AOR was an early indication of how quality control would go walkies in his absence.
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