Michael Jackson everywhere

SPEAKING OF MICHAEL JACKSON: Whatever the outcome of the ongoing trial, one thing has become increasingly obvious: the late megastar’s influence on pop culture is stronger than ever. The ONE Vegas show noted above is one obvious example; meanwhile, while we plead guilty to making our share of “Michael’s Ghost” jokes, only a fool would deny that the artist’s work fully haunts the charts right now: Justin Timberlake’s new “Take Back the Night” (to cite but one of many JT songs under MJ’s spell) plugs into Off the Wall’s disco ecstasy; Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” gooses its dance-floor appeal with a sample of Michael’s trademark “whoo”; Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” conjures, among other R&B smashes, the crystalline grooves and hooks of Thriller (enough to prompt an array of DP-MJ mashups); Bruno Mars’ vocals betray Jackson’s massive influence; Jay-Z drops several MJ references on Magna Carta Holy Grail. Meanwhile, just pop on one of Jackson’s hits at a party and watch kids start to moonwalk and zombie-shuffle—even though these records came out before they were born. (7/22a)