Jackson treated his vocals as a complex percussive and melodic layer rather than just a delivery system for lyrics.
: Unlike standard practices of the time, Swedien recorded almost every sound source—from vocals to synthesizers—on pairs of tracks to maintain a natural, wide stereo field. Micheal Jackson Audio
: Swedien famously avoided over-compressing Jackson's music, believing it "sucked out the excitement". He preferred using automation and subtle gain adjustments to maintain the dynamic life of the audio. The Voice as an Instrument Jackson treated his vocals as a complex percussive