[2][4] Three days later the full length version of the song appeared on Jackson's website[5] and was subsequently played on some radio stations.

Terri Thomas, program director of radio station KJLH said, although "people miss Jackson", the song is "hard to compete with his classics and legacy".

[6] Skip Dillard of WBLS mentioned, "listeners overall seemed to think that 'Breaking News' sounds 'unfinished' and is not a representation of the level of perfection that Michael sought in his music.

'"[8] Darryl Sterdan from QMI Agency said, "the vocals on the verses of the self-referential "Breaking News" seem artificial, as if they were recorded for a different song and heavily manipulated to readjust their pitch and tempo, then buried under layers of overdubs.

"[9] A review by The Christian Science Monitor said, "[the] new Michael Jackson song prompts more controversy, fans were divided, with many loving the new single and others expressing scepticism.

"[12] The authenticity of "Breaking News", as with other songs allegedly written with Cascio and Porte (including "All I Need", "All Right", "Black Widow", "Burn Tonight", "Let Me Fall in Love", "Ready 2 Win", "Soldier Boy", "Stay" and "Water"), all leaked online, was questioned by Jackson's mother Katherine[13] as well as his sister La Toya,[14] and his nephews T.J., Taj, and Taryll,[15] in addition to many of his fans.

[19] In a statement, Sony Music Group countered that it had "complete confidence in the results of our extensive research, as well as the accounts of those who were in the studio with Michael, that the vocals on the new album are his own.

Sony claim two forensic musicologists were hired by the Estate and Epic to perform a waveform analysis, suggesting the vocals were indeed Jackson's.

[25] However, the next day, Zia Modabber of Sony Music's law firm, Katten Muchin Rosenman, recanted these reports, stating that "no one has conceded that Michael Jackson did not sing on the songs".