New, Unheard Michael Jackson Songs to Be Released - Where to Listen?

Sony Music Entertainment's Epic Records has just announced that eight previously recorded but unreleased songs by the late king of Pop, Michael Jackson, will be part of "Xscape," a new album to be released on May 13.

L.A. Reid, Chairman and chief executive of Epic Records, has teamed up with top producers to "contemporize" the songs after being granted unlimited access to four decades of Jackson's materials, reports Daily Mail.

Hip hop and pop producer Timbaland has signed on as lead/ executive producer of the album. Several other producers have collaborated as well, including the likes of Jerome "Jroc" Harmon, Norwegian duo Tor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen, Rodney Jerkin and John McClain, who have added contemporary music stylings to re-produce the tracks making them more modern.

Reid further explains that the track called "Xscape," taken for the album title, seeks to continue Jackson's tradition of using a one-word song title on the album for its name. The details as to the age of the material and names and details on the other songs have yet to be disclosed.

"Michael left behind some musical performances that we take great pride in presenting through the vision of music producers that he either worked directly with or expressed strong desire to work with," says Reid, according to CNN.

"Michael was always on the cutting edge and was constantly reaching out to new producers, looking for new sounds. He was always relevant and current. These tracks, in many ways, capture that spirit. We thank L.A. Reid for his vision," said Jackson's estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain.

For those who want to be the first to listen and grab a copy of the album of the "Heal the World" singer, "Xscape" can be pre-ordered on iTunes starting Tuesday, with store sales of the album available around the world on May 13.

Jackson died back in 2009 at the age of 50 in Los Angeles from an overdose of propofol, an anesthetic provided by his then physician Dr. Conrad Murray. The pop icon died while preparing for his "This Is it" comeback tour.