Wait A Minute, Did Yuji Naka Confirm That Michael Jackson Worked On 'Sonic 3' Music Or Didn't He?

The video game world appeared to get its own version of "He just… tweeted it out…" when Yuji Naka, the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, seemed to casually confirm that Michael Jackson worked on the music for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, confirming one of gaming's most enduring urban legends.

… or maybe he didn't.

Here's how today has shaken out thus far. Earlier today, Yuji Naka tweeted, "… the music for Sonic 3 has changed, even though SEGA Official uses Michael Jackson's music."

Oh my god, the music for Sonic 3 has changed, even though SEGA Official uses Michael Jackson's music.

— Yuji Naka / 中　裕司 (@nakayuji) June 23, 2022

The rumor that Michael Jackson worked on the music of Sonic 3 but the collaboration was ultimately scrapped has long fascinated video game historians. Video essays investigating the rumor have appeared since literally the dawn of YouTube, with one of the earliest examples being over 16 years old.

In 2009, Jackson's composer Brad Buxer said that Jackson was unhappy with the way his music translated on the Genesis and did not want his name associated with the final result, but some contended that that couldn't be taken as an official confirmation, since Buxer's statement contradicted the statements of some of Sega's employees.

The rumor continued to go unconfirmed over the following decade, giving plenty of fodder for the video game urban legend YouTuber economy during that time.

Fast-forward to now: The recent release of Sonic Origins, a port of some classic Sonic titles, uses different songs on key levels – Carnival Night, Ice Cap and Launch Base – in Sonic 3. Instead of the funky, Jackson-esque tunes that defined those levels, the stages now feature remasters of the songs used in the game's prototype.

One potential reason for the change could be that the rights to the original songs were tied up in legal tape. This led Naka to tweet his apparent surprise at the change by saying, "… the music for Sonic 3 has changed, even though SEGA Official uses Michael Jackson's music."

This looked to many like a plain confirmation that Jackson had worked on Sonic 3, and the articles stating as much came out almost immediately.

However, after the "confirmation" ball got rolling, so to speak, Naka clarified what he meant: SEGA Official had recently used Jackson's music in a TikTok.

SEGA Official uses Michael Jackson's music. means this. https://t.co/cJ4kFMFB4C

— Yuji Naka / 中　裕司 (@nakayuji) June 23, 2022

He then stated he felt as though he was being misunderstood because he does not speak English and was tweeting by using a translation tool.

I feel like I'm being misunderstood a lot, probably because I don't speak English and I'm using a translation tool. Sorry.

— Yuji Naka / 中　裕司 (@nakayuji) June 23, 2022

So basically, Naka expressed surprise that SEGA was using Jackson's music in a TikTok, calling it a potential "sign" of something. He then expressed surprise that the Sonic 3 music was changed since SEGA had just used Jackson's music in that TikTok, but as that specific tweet did not mention the TikTok he was referring to, his remark was taken out of context as confirmation Jackson did work on Sonic 3. He then backtracked and fears he was misunderstood.

One way to interpret this developing mess is that Naka is not outright confirming that Jackson worked on Sonic 3. However, even in context, it looks like Naka is very much hinting at it. For now, the "Jackson/Sonic 3" rumor remains unconfirmed, but it now looks like a potentially open secret.