The Way You Make Me Feel

When Michael Jackson set out to create the album Bad, he already had a considerable amount of material in mind, over sixty songs. The initial idea was a triple release, but Quincy Jones's vision led him to condense everything into a single disc. From that selection process, "The Way You Make Me Feel" emerged as a key piece, representing a particular facet of the artist: that of flirtation. Unlike other tracks on the album that explored introspection or declarations of intent, this song focuses on seduction and conquest, a dynamic reflected in its infectious rhythm and playful energy. The recording took place in 1987 at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles, and the result was a pop and R&B track with blues harmonies that captured Jackson's essence, allowing him to explore a vocal range spanning from B3 to A5.

"The Way You Make Me Feel" was released as the third single from Bad on October 31, 1987, and quickly climbed to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, adding to the album's previous successes. Its impact extended internationally, reaching prominent positions on the charts. The music video, directed by Joe Pytka, complemented the song's narrative, showing Jackson chasing and dancing with model Tatiana Thumbtzen, with a brief appearance by his sister La Toya Jackson. This track not only became a staple of Jackson's live performances throughout all his tours but was also included in various subsequent compilations, such as HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I in 1995 and Number Ones in 2003, demonstrating its enduring presence in the artist's catalog.