The album kicks off in grand style with “Can You Feel It,” a stirring anthem of racial unity, equality, and global peace. Written and arranged by Michael and Jackie Jackson, the song features a dynamic bass line and fiery beat. It’s superbly arranged with magnificent strings, powerful horns, funky guitar riffs, and sensational synth work. Michael and his younger brother Randy share lead vocals. As usual, MJ brings the fire vocally, and Randy does a solid job on his vocals. The Jacksons created an epic video to accompany the song. It features spectacular visuals and presents the brothers as cosmic superhero-like saviors of humanity, spreading goodwill and positivity through their music. The video was highly groundbreaking for its time; its eye-popping visuals and tremendous scale blew people away.
“This Place Hotel” really highlights Michael Jackson’s considerable gifts as a songwriter and arranger. This sonic masterpiece is a precursor to later MJ-penned hits like “Billie Jean” and “Dirty Diana,” as it touches on similar themes of betrayal, paranoia, and deception. And sonically, it has that same ominous atmosphere of dread and impending doom as those songs. The narrator recounts a visit he and his girlfriend made to a mysterious hotel ten years ago for a romantic evening. To his dismay, he finds out that the hotel was designed to break up couples. The song boasts a haunting funk/post-disco groove that’s brilliantly arranged and performed. It features an exquisite horn arrangement, dramatic guitars, smooth piano, and an indelible chorus. MJ’s superb vocal performance is filled with great tension and fear. And big bro Tito serves up a fantastic guitar solo. Like many of MJ’s best tracks, This Place Hotel has a heightened cinematic feel.
The Jacksons plunge deep into the funk on their exciting dance track “Lovely One.” This high-velocity groove is sort of the sequel to their 1979 dance smash “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground).” It has a similar energy and flow. Nathan Watts’ explosive bass line powers this fast-paced funk groove. The track features some wicked guitar licks, a blazing beat, soulful piano, and an incredible horn arrangement, performed by a combo of real horns and synth-horn overdubs. The track also boasts an infectious chorus. Michael delivers a killer vocal performance, replete with his signature vocal tics–hiccups, yips, grunts, and all. Michael and Randy wrote and arranged the song.
“Your Ways” is a smooth R&B track with a mysterious pre-Thriller vibe, featuring spooky sound effects. Michael delivers a strong vocal performance. His rich, soulful falsetto significantly elevates the song. It features a terrific horn arrangement, a cool bass line, and a sterling chorus. Jackie wrote the track.
Michael, Tito, and bassist Mike McKinney wrote the breezy, upbeat “Everybody.” The song features a groovin’ slap bass line and sweet guitar licks. It’s immaculately arranged and produced, with soaring strings and majestic horn charts. The song creates a feel-good vibe with MJ delivering a spirited vocal performance that’s complemented by his brothers' flawless background vocals.
“Time Waits For No One” is a beautiful mid-tempo ballad about lost love, regret, and loneliness. The song’s narrator reflects on the breakup with his partner. He wishes he had a second chance to make things right and demonstrate his love and appreciation, things that he failed to do when they were together. However, sadly, he realizes it’s probably too late, and time has moved on. The song features a tender, heartfelt vocal performance from Michael. His vocals are filled with great longing, regret, and heartbreak. And the song closes out with an absolutely breathtaking chorus. Jackie and Randy wrote and arranged this sorely underappreciated gem.
“Give It Up” is a vibrant, sunny groove that boasts a superb arrangement. The musicianship and production on this track are impeccable, featuring swirling strings, luminous piano, and soaring guitar lines. Marlon delivers a pleasing vocal performance on the verses, and Michael brings his shimmering falsetto to the chorus and pre-chorus sections. The track was written by Randy and Michael.
Jackie ably handles lead vocals on “Wondering Who,” a bumpin’, high-energy groove. The musicianship on this hot cut is top-flight, with Michael Boddicker serving up some nasty funk on the synths and vocoder. MJ adds some extra spice to the background vocals with his signature “hee hees.” Jackie and Randy wrote this song.
Nathan Watts’ furious slap bass line propels “Walk Right Now” into pure sonic bliss. This cut is an absolute banger from start to finish. Watts and the other talented players keep the funk at maximum level throughout. The song boasts a sensational horn arrangement, a scorching beat, sweeping strings, and sick guitar licks. Michael brings tons of energy and soul to his lead vocals. The song is about a man who’s fed up with his partner’s constant infidelity and calls an end to the relationship once and for all. It was written by Jackie, Randy, and Michael, who also arranged it.
Triumph stands as one of the Jackson brothers’ greatest efforts. It’s consistently strong with zero filler, featuring some of their best songwriting. The album has sold more than three million copies worldwide. It topped Billboard’s R&B Albums chart and peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200. It also performed well on the charts internationally: the UK (#13), New Zealand (#8), Australia (#13), Sweden (#46), and Canada (#7). The collection earned the Jacksons a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals in 1981.
“Lovely One” topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. It reached #29 on the UK singles chart and #14 on the Irish singles chart. “This Place Hotel” peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. It rose to #44 on the UK singles chart. “Can You Feel It” reached the summit of the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at #30 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and #77 on the Billboard Hot 100. It performed well on the charts in the UK (#6), Ireland (#12), and Australia (#10). “Walk Right Now” topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #50 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. It enjoyed significant chart action across the pond, the UK (#7), and Ireland (#16).
Here’s the full personnel for Triumph: Michael (lead and backing vocals, percussion), Tito (guitar, backing vocals), Marlon (backing vocals, co-lead vocals on track 8, timpani track 5), Randy (percussion, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on track 1), Jackie (backing vocals, lead vocals on track 9); bass (Clay Drayton, Mike McKinney, and Nathan Watts); guitar (David Williams, Greg Poree, Michael Sembello, Paul Jackson Jr. and Phil Upchurch); keyboards (Greg Phillinganes, Ronnie Foster); drums (Ollie E. Brown); synthesizers (Webster Lewis, Greg Phillinganes and Michael Boddicker); percussion (Lenny Castro and Paulinho da Costa); horns (Bill Reichenbach, Kim Hutchcroft, Jerry Hey and Larry Hall); vibraphone (Gary Coleman); flute (Gary Herbig); background vocals (Julia Tillman Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, and Stephanie Spruill, who directed the adult choir on “Can You Feel It”).
Thomas “Tom Tom 84” Washington helped with the arrangements on “Lovely One” and arranged “Your Ways.” Additionally, he did the string arrangement on “Can You Feel It” and the horn arrangement on “This Place Hotel.” Jerry Peters did the string arrangements on “Time Waits For No One” and “Give It Up.” Jerry Hey did the horn arrangement on “Everybody” and arranged the prelude on “This Place Hotel.” Greg Phillinganes was the album’s associate producer.
Full Triumph album
Official video for "Can You Feel It."