Who Is It

Album: Dangerous (1991)
Charted: 10 14
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the fourth single taken from Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous.
  • The song was written, arranged and composed by Michael Jackson and produced by Jackson and Bill Bottrell.
  • R&B and hip-hop producer Teddy Riley worked on many of the Dangerous tracks. He recalled to Musicradar.com: "This reminds me so much of Dirty Diana. I think he recaptured that sound on this song. You know, I think he went back to his roots of recording with this song to record an incredible track. I thought it would take someone like Quincy Jones [who produced Dirty Diana] to really put an incredible track like that together. I thought it would take someone like Quincy to get that sound, but Michael came up with it."
  • Filmmaker David Fincher, now known for acclaimed movies like Fight Club and The Social Network, directed the music video. In the clip, Jackson discovers his girlfriend is a high-class call girl.

Comments: 4

  • Luke Lee from London, UkWhenever my parents were out I was able to play this on the front room stereo... Big, powerful speakers, and this track made the room vibrate.
  • Betty from EthiopiaWhat is he whispering in the background.. I am so curious
  • Chris from Germany Dangerous was like Thriller and Bad an album full of awesome songs and many songs were released as singles.
    This song is very dark and good.
    The video directed by David Fincher was on heavy rotation on MTV.
  • Cassidy from Manitou Springs, Cowho is this song about?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Church Lyrics

Church LyricsMusic Quiz

Here is the church, here is the steeple - see if you can identify these lyrics that reference church.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.