Michael Jackson's nephew is not happy at Harry Styles being called the new King of Pop

Michael Jackson’s nephew is not happy about Harry Styles’ being hailed as the ‘King of Pop’ - a title that has previously been used to describe his late uncle. 

The former One Direction star fronted Rolling Stone magazine this month where he was branded the 'King of Pop'.

However, Taj Jackson, who has also had a pop career, was less than impressed and took to Twitter to vent.

In a post, he wrote: "There is no new King of Pop. You don’t own the title @RollingStone, and you didn’t earn it, my uncle did. Decades of dedication and sacrifice. The title has been retired."

But he did go on to praise 28-year-old Styles and said that the popstar should be given his own title. 

"No disrespect to @Harry_Styles, he’s mega talented,” he added. “Give him his own unique title."

The post has had more than 70,000 likes and has had an influx of replies from both sides of the argument. 

One fan wrote: “100% agree. When Michael Jackson departed this world, the title of 'King of Pop' left with him. It's an insult to give that label to anyone considering the struggles the Jackson family went through back in the day to get to where they are. it's retired.”

Another commented: “This title belongs to the black man who worked his a** off since the age of 5, who was a veteran by the age of 15, broke racial barriers and revolutionised the music industry. Michael Jackson is THE King of Pop of EVERY generation.”

However, not everyone agreed, with someone else posting: “That's not how kings or monarchs work. MJ may have been the greatest king of all time, he may be the best king ever, but new kings can and will exist after him (even if they do pale in comparison). No new songs in over a decade, no #1 hits in nearly 2, his reign as king is over."

And a fourth adding: "I mean… let’s use context clues… The NEW king of pop… which means their was/is a FIRST king of pop… which is your uncle . We all know this. Let people also shine, js."

The late singer’s estate has previously been protective over the title - once suing a popcorn company for its Kingofpop.com website.

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Topics: Harry Styles, Michael Jackson, Music

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at UNILAD who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.