Michael Jackson Songs Made Even More Awesome by Cirque du Soleil

by Zach Seemayer  March 11, 2015

When Cirque du Soleil turned their psychedelic sights on the music of Michael Jackson for the Immortal World Tour, they found themselves with a treasure trove of classic tunes to turn into mind-bending displays of acrobatic brilliance, jaw-dropping costumes and insane set design.

Adding Cirque du Soleil's trademark style to the King of Pop's beloved classics, they were able to make a slew amazing songs even more amazing, in a performance that tells the story of the music icon's rise to fame.

VIDEO: Exclusive Clip: Go Backstage with Cirque du Soleil

To really get of sense of what makes the show so great, here are nine of MJ's songs that were made even more awesome by Cirque du Soleil.

1. "Thriller"

It's hard to improve on one of the greatest music videos ever made, but a bunch of flying mummies dancing around in a trippy (and creepy) cemetery manages to give the original video a run for its money.

2. "They Don't Care About Us"

For a song about racism, discrimination, subjugation and persecution, it's brilliantly fitting to put all the dancers into identical robot suits. And, aside from the symbolism, it looks awesome.

3. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"

You can't ever get enough dancing tree women. That's just a Cirque du Soleil fact.

4. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"

The truth of the matter is, you can never get enough brightly colored tracksuits.

5. "This Place Hotel"

Does this performance feature a flapper girl flying through the air while standing on a guy dressed up like a 1920s gangster? Yes it does. That's all any song needs to be ten times more awesome.

6. "Dancing Machine"

They literally bring out a woman who is a dancing machine. It's a great visual representation of song lyrics that makes everything feel even more surreal and wonderful.

7. "Is It Scary"

Even better than the visual representation in Dancing Machine, Cirque du Soleil's interpretation of Is It Scary features a creepy insect lady performing contortionist tricks on top of a giant book. So yes, it's scary. Everyone has had that nightmare no less than five time -- whether they remember it or not...

8. "Smooth Criminal"

The only thing that can make Michael Jackson's legendary, gravity-defying dance moves look even cooler is by having the dancers shoot pyrotechnics out of their hands. Come on!

9. "Dangerous"

Nothing says "dangerous" like hanging off a metal pole twenty feet in the air wearing only a small two-piece bikini. And she's not even holding onto the pole with her hands!

Get a look at even more of these great moments in the Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil documentary below!