“This Is It” is the titular song of the This Is It album and also the last song on it. In it he describes a blossoming relationship with a woman that he had previously spent a lot of his time with but had never before seen as a person to fall in love with. The song can also be interpreted as a retrospect on his legendary career as “the King of Pop” and as a final message to the millions of fans he had made over the decades.

Originally co-written and recorded in 1983 with Paul Anka to serve as a duet for the two singers (not unlike Jackson’s 1981 collaboration with Paul McCartney for “The Girl Is Mine”) and then to be included on Anka’s album Walk A Fine Line under the name “I Never Heard,” Jackson took the master tapes of the song after their collaboration plans fell through and they remained relatively untouched in his vault until the announcement of the This Is It tour, at which this song was reportedly planned to be played^1. After Jackson’s death and without Anka’s express permission, Jackson’s family had the vocals remixed to feature only Jackson’s voice as well as backing vocals from his siblings and an orchestral accompaniment^2.

Alongside “Best of Joy,” “Breathe,” and “River Ripple,” “This Is It” was one of the last known songs Michael Jackson had been working on prior to his death on June 25, 2009.