Who is It

THE STORY BEHIND ' Who is It '

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This is the dark horse of the Dangerous album, a brooding, cinematic masterpiece that critics often call the spiritual successor to "Billie Jean." The story below details its beatbox origins, the David Fincher short film, and the agonizing true story of betrayal woven into the lyrics.

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If "Billie Jean" was the sound of a man being accused of a sin he didn't commit, "Who Is It" is the sound of a man realizing he is the victim. Critics and musicologists often describe this track as the darker, more mature cousin of "Billie Jean." Both songs are built on a relentless, prowling bassline; both are written in a minor key; and both deal with deep-seated paranoia.

However, where "Billie Jean" is about external pressure (the world watching), "Who Is It" is about internal collapse. Michael isn't fighting a lawsuit here; he is fighting the silence of an empty house. The song captures the specific, icy feeling of discovering infidelity, the moment the heart stops beating and the mind starts racing.

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The most remarkable element of "Who Is It" is invisible to the casual listener: the drums. While the final track features polished drum machines programmed by Bill Bottrell, the groove was born entirely from Michael Jackson’s mouth.

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Michael famously composed songs by beatboxing them into a Dictaphone. For "Who Is It," he didn't just hum a melody; he beatboxed the entire rhythm track, including the kick drum, the snare, and the hi-hats, in a single take. The demo version (released years later) reveals that the heavy, syncopated rhythm that drives the song was fully formed in Michael’s head before a single instrument was touched. In the final mix, you can still hear layers of Michael’s aggressive beatboxing underneath the synthesizer, giving the track a wet, organic, and guttural texture that a machine alone couldn't produce.

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The haunting atmosphere of the song is created by the background vocals. In the chorus, there is a high-pitched, almost operatic voice singing a counter-melody. Many fans assumed this was a female session singer. It wasn't. It was Michael.

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Using his falsetto range, Michael layered his own voice dozens of times to create a "choir of one." He sang the soprano notes with such precision and purity that they sound like a ghostly wind blowing through the track. This technique using his voice as a synthesizer pad is a hallmark of the Dangerous album's dense production.

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Who is Alex? The lyrics tell a detective story. Michael sings about finding a "friend" (a lover) who has betrayed him. The betrayal is triggered by a specific object: a name card. "I found a note that she wrote to a friend... I found the words on a card."

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In the music video, this card bears the name "Alex." The genius of the song is the ambiguity. Michael never finds out "who it is." The chorus is a desperate, repetitive plea: "Is it a friend of mine? Is it my brother?" The paranoia spirals out of control until he suspects everyone he knows. It is a terrifying depiction of how jealousy dissolves trust.

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The music video for "Who Is It" is arguably the most sophisticated and cinematic in Michael’s entire videography. It was directed by David Fincher, the legendary filmmaker who would go on to direct Fight Club, Se7en, and The Social Network.

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Fincher brought his signature "neo-noir" style to the video. It doesn't look like a pop video; it looks like a high-budget thriller.

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• It tells the story of a high-class call girl (played by model Yasmin Le Bon) who leads a double life. She uses different names (Eve, Diana, Alex) for different clients. Michael plays the wealthy recluse who falls in love with her, only to discover her secret business cards.

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• The video is bathed in cold blues and sterile silvers. It features striking imagery of helicopters, minimalist mansions, and a heartbreaking scene where Michael packs a single suitcase to leave forever.

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• Unlike most MJ videos that end with a dance or a smile, this one ends in tragedy. Michael leaves, and the woman is forced to return to her "job," getting slapped by her handler as she prepares for the next client. It is a bleak critique of the transactional nature of love in the high-society world.

 

The song gained a massive boost in popularity thanks to the most-watched interview in television history: The Oprah Winfrey Interview (February 1993). During the broadcast, Michael agreed to demonstrate how he wrote songs. He started beatboxing the rhythm of "Who Is It" live on air. He then sang the bassline: "Hee-hee-hee-haw... hee-hee-hee-haw." Millions of viewers watched him construct the song in real-time. It was a revelation for the public, who often viewed him merely as a dancer, to see the raw musical genius behind the production.

 

Released on July 13, 1992 (in the UK) and later in the US, "Who Is It" reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the Billboard R&B charts.

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While it didn't have the cultural explosion of "Black or White," it has aged arguably better than any other track on the album. Its moodiness fits perfectly with modern R&B (like The Weeknd or Frank Ocean). It stands as Michael Jackson’s "midnight song", a track for the lonely, the suspicious, and the broken-hearted.