Why Michael Jackson Could See Through the Darkness of Russia [Music Review]

I was wandering in the rain
Masking my face, feeling like I was going crazy
One day, in an instant, I lost the grace of the Lord
The sunny days seem like a distant memory
I flinch at the shadow cast by the Kremlin
My heart is driven to the wall by Stalin's tomb
Oh, the rain that just keeps falling
Let me be myself

How does it feel?
How does it feel?
If you were left all alone
And your heart had frozen over

Betrayed by your own fame
It's as if my mind has reached Armageddon
Being persistently followed by the KGB
I don't need fame, just leave me alone
Even a beggar boy calls my name
Just remembering the happy days to numb the pain
Just the rain falling
Oh, the rain that just keeps falling
I don't need fame, let me be myself

Like a stranger in Moscow
Like a stranger in Moscow
It's a dangerous thing
It's a dangerous thing
Like a stranger in Moscow
It's a dangerous thing
It's a dangerous thing
Like a stranger in Moscow
I am left all alone
I am left all alone
Like a stranger in Moscow

A not necessarily accurate depiction of Moscow

What a beautiful melody, and what melancholic lyrics. I know of no better song about Moscow. When this song begins to play, the rain, fog, darkness, and scent of that city at the end of the twentieth century appear. Through a single pop song? That's right. This is magic.
A unique heaviness not found in other European cities. The raw texture of stone, concrete, and metal. The rugged feel of political power. The large scale of architecture that seems designed for something other than humans. That feeling that the moment you pass through the arrival gate at Sheremetyevo Airport, you are being changed into someone other than yourself...

Michael Jackson wrote this song in 1993 while staying in Moscow as part of his world tour. At the Hotel Metropol, near Red Square. When Michael looked out from his room window, the outside was a sea of people as far as the eye could see. Faced with a massive number of screaming fans, he reportedly felt a loneliness as if he were the only person left in the world. It was in that very moment that this song was born.

The lyrics of "Stranger in Moscow" feature Soviet-era icons like the KGB and Stalin. Also, at the end of the song, an interrogation-style phrase is inserted in Russian: "Why did you come from the West? Confess! You're here to steal the fruits of the people's labor, aren't you?"
By 1993, the Soviet Union had already collapsed, and Moscow was in the midst of chaos. The KGB (Committee for State Security) had been dissolved and taken over by several successor organizations. Although the remnants of the old Soviet Union remained strong in the city, there was some criticism that it was a bit off-target for a song released in the mid-90s.

A dystopia in the heart

Disregard for the historical context? Indifference to the local social situation? You could say that. But on the other hand, this song is not necessarily a depiction of the real Moscow.

The music video for this work is entirely in monochrome, and the rain never stops falling. The cityscape in the background looks like Moscow, but it's somehow different. In fact, it seems the whole thing was filmed on location in Los Angeles.
The camera captures people who have lost their place in urban life and are grieving. A woman sitting by a cafe window, staring blankly outside. A man who appears to be homeless, crouching on the sidewalk to avoid the rain. A boy standing in the backyard of an apartment, just blankly watching other children play baseball.
Michael walks through the streets while singing those gloomy lyrics. He never encounters the characters mentioned above. While pleading his own pain, he simultaneously draws out our empathy for the other "strangers" as well.

At the time, Michael was reportedly devastated both mentally and physically after being sued for child sexual abuse. Tabloids wrote sensational stories mixing truth and falsehood. The public seemed determined to find him guilty even before the trial began.

"One day, in an instant, I lost the grace of the Lord, the sunny days seem like a distant memory"
"Being persistently followed by the KGB. I don't need fame, just leave me alone"

The rare pop star superimposed his painful circumstances onto the oppressive image that Moscow evokes. For example, by using standard props like secret police following foreigners.
In short, the Moscow in the work can be said to represent the critical situation surrounding Michael himself, his inner hell.

The connection between self and others that only artists can find

Looking at it this way, it almost feels like this is no longer a song about Moscow. Nevertheless, as I mentioned before, I feel it sings about that city better than any other song. Why is that?

At first glance, Michael seems to lack interest in others and is completely immersed in narcissism. Yes, when taking up Moscow during the collapse of socialism, he did not sympathize with the local people or offer words of encouragement. He faced that city by doing the exact opposite of such superficiality: by exposing the darkness in his own heart. Just like the role he played in the video.
Going beyond superficial involvement to discover a hidden connection between oneself and the subject. Could it be said that he pulled this off quite naturally?
And that is exactly where a surprising effect is produced. Lyrics that show Michael's inner thoughts, such as "Betrayed by your own fame, it's as if my mind has reached Armageddon" or "Just remembering the happy days to numb the pain." These, in turn, sound like the voices of the people who lived in Moscow at the time. Like the endless anger and lament of people who had lost their way on a civilizational level.

Confined to his hotel room under heavy security, Michael had no opportunity to walk freely around the city or talk with people. Instead, by telling of his own collapse/mental crisis that occurred that day, he was able to capture the nuances of the mysterious Russian capital and get closer to its unknown true face.

Michael Jackson's intuitive and artistic approach, as a result, foresaw the subsequent changes in Moscow. The dystopia he depicted within his unstable heart is no longer a metaphor or an exaggeration after thirty years. The dark shadow cast by the Kremlin, the ghost of Stalin that never fails to disturb the heart, and the successor agencies of the KGB that stalk foreigners. All of these are now undeniable realities.
"Stranger in Moscow." I think this song was wonderful at the time of its release, but hasn't its relevance increased even more across the century? The word "dangerous" that Michael shouted at the end of the song, a warning of the approaching crisis, strikes my heart.