The album is the third collaboration between Jackson and Riley, the other two being Dangerous and Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix. Freeze Bill Gray and writing credits from Kelly, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Nora Payne and Robert Smith. Aside from Jackson, the album features productions by Jerkins, Teddy Riley, Andre Harris, Andraeo "Fanatic" Heard, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, R.
Jackson received credit for both writing and producing a majority of the songs on Invincible. Rodney Jerkins stated that Jackson was looking to record material in a different musical direction than his previous work, describing the new direction as "edgier". Jackson's spokesperson suggested New Jersey rapper named Fats after Jackson heard the finished product of the song, the two agreed to record another song together for the album. Jackson had shown interest in including a rapper on at least one song, and had noted that he did not want a 'known rapper'. The tracks with Rodney Jerkins were recorded at the Hit Factory in Miami, Florida. Jackson began recording new material in October 1997, and finished with "You Are My Life" being recorded only eight weeks before the album's release in October 2001 – the most extensive recording of Jackson's career. Invincible was thus looked at as Jackson's "career comeback". His last studio album was HIStory (1995). Prior to the release of Invincible, Jackson had not released any new material since Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix in 1997. In 2009, it was voted by online readers of Billboard as the best album of the decade. Retrospective reviews have been more positive, and the album has been credited as featuring early examples of dubstep. Invincible received mixed reviews from music critics, and became his most critically derided album. The album spawned two more singles, " Cry" and " Butterflies", as well as the promotional single " Speechless". The album's lead single, "You Rock My World", peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2002 Grammy Awards. The album was certified double platinum in January 2002 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold over 8 million copies worldwide. Invincible debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and in ten other countries worldwide. Following Sony's decision to abruptly end promotion for the album, Jackson made allegations in July 2002 that Tommy Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists but used them for personal gain. There was no concert tour to promote Invincible Jackson refused to tour adding to the already growing rift between him and Sony Music Entertainment. It was reported that it cost $30 million to make the album, making it the most expensive album ever made. Jackson started the multi-genre production in 1997 and did not finish until eight weeks before the album's October 2001 release. The album's creation was expensive and laborious. It incorporates R&B, pop and soul, and, similarly to Jackson's previous material, the album explores themes such as love, romance, isolation, media criticism, and social issues. The album features appearances from Carlos Santana, The Notorious B.I.G. It was Jackson's sixth studio album released through Epic, and his last released before his death in 2009. Invincible is the tenth and final studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on October 30, 2001, by Epic Records.