In the list of releases this week, I’ve found a surprising release of a group, I thought, no longer were making music together: 3T.
In 1993 they debuted with a track, “Didn’t Mean To Hurt You”, on the “Free Willy” movie soundtrack and two years later the three brothers, Taj, Taryll and TJ, released their debut album “Brotherhood” with the help of their uncle, Michael Jackson. The three are Tito’s sons.
Even though they may have had the big guns helping them out with their album (Michael Jackson, Babyface and Max Martin), it was their self-written song “Anything’’ that gave them their breakthrough, in Europe anyway. At home, in the US, success was small, but in Europe they went on to become a teen sensation.
The success only lasted for one album. As timing is everything, in something as trend sensitive as music, 3T fell victim to problems between Michael Jackson and Sony. A follow up album, never saw the light of day on Michael’s label.
So, they attempted a comeback with the album “Identity”, much too late, in 2004. It contained their dance version of Lionel Richie’s “Stuck On You”, but didn’t bring back the success they had in the middle of 90s.
For me, 3T disappeared into thin air again after this. I picked up on the fact that most of them are married with kids now, and I’d noticed Taj name being credited for the music used for some TV shows, so I figured they had gone their own ways with music, life and careers.
However, it turns out they released an EP last year and just this week, they’ve release a new album called “Chapter III”, which features their current single “Power Of Love” with more matured vocals of the three.
I wish I could have written you a review of the album and give you an impression of what to expect, but 3T are independent artists now, who’ve decided not to release the album to streaming (yet?).
Alongside, in the promotion to launch the album, the group had a real life documentary made for Lifetime called “The Jackson’s Next Generation”, introducing their own families.
Musically, 3T are not the only ones from their generation of Jacksons to take to music. Austin Brown, also a nephew of Michael, has been trying to get things happening with his music for about 3 years now, even enlisting the help of top producer Darkchild to push him forward.
What all the Jacksons have in common is, that in one way or another, they’ll always remind you of Michael. 3T actually have the same type of vibrato and timbre in their vocals, and use harmonies in a similar way to Michael. Austin Brown points out the family legacy lyrically, in sound and in dance moves in his video ”85”, but in other tracks you hear he’s developing a sound of his own and attempts to appeal to a younger audience.
All of them show great pride to be part of such a musical family, although they all acknowledge the enormous pressure of it as well. Still, I think it’s just a matter of time before the next Jackson family member will be as widely popular as Michael or Janet.
