MUMBAI: On 12 October, the first new Michael Jackson song to emerge since the world mourned the loss of this musical icon will be released – a brand new single entitled This Is It.

Soon after, Sony Music Entertainment’s Columbia/Epic Label Group will release the two-disc album This Is It featuring the music that inspired Sony Pictures’ forthcoming film Michael Jackson’s This Is It. This two-disc album will be available internationally on 26 October and North America on 27 October to coincide with the worldwide release of the motion picture, which arrives in theaters on 28 October and runs for a limited two-week engagement.

"This song only defines, once again, what the world already knows – that Michael is one of God’s greatest gifts," comments John McClain, co-producer of the album.

Disc one will feature the original album masters of some of Michael’s biggest hits arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of the never-released This Is It. This song is featured in the film’s closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael’s brothers, the Jacksons.

Disc two offers previously unreleased versions of some of the artist’s classic tracks. This disc also features a touching spoken word poem from Michael Jackson entitled Planet Earth that has never been heard before. The two-disc This is It is a stand-alone companion to the motion picture and includes a 36-page, commemorative booklet featuring exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal.