Invincible (Michael Jackson album)

Invincible is the tenth and final studio album by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on October 30, 2001, by Epic Records. It was Jackson's last album before his death in 2009. The creation of Invincible was expensive and laborious, featuring the work of ten record producers and over 100 musicians. Jackson started the multi-genre production in 1997 and did not finish until eight weeks before the album's release. It was reported that it cost $30 million to record, it remains the most expensive album ever made. The album features appearances from Carlos Santana, the Notorious B.I.G., Fats, and Slash. It incorporates R&B, pop, electronic and soul, and similarly to Jackson's previous material, the album explores themes such as love, romance, isolation, media criticism, and social issues.

Invincible debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and also reached number one in thirteen other countries worldwide. The lead single, "You Rock My World", was Jackson's final hit single during his career, as it reached number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2002 Grammy Awards. "Cry" was also released as a single, and "Speechless" and "Butterflies" were released as promotional singles. The album received mixed reviews and became Jackson's most critically derided album. Retrospective reviews of the album have been more positive, being praised for its musicality and production in particular. It has been credited as featuring early examples of dubstep.

In July 2002, following Sony's decision to abruptly end promotion for Invincible, Jackson alleged that the CEO of Sony Music, Tommy Mottola, was a "devil" and a racist who used his Black American artists only for personal gain. Jackson refused to tour to support it, adding to the growing rift between him and Sony Music. Despite this, it was certified double platinum in the US; global sales of the album reached over 8 million copies. In 2009, the year of Jackson's death, Invincible was voted by online readers of Billboard as the best album of the 2000s decade.