"Stranger in Moscow" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson from his ninth studio album, HIStory (1995). The song was released as the sixth and final single worldwide on November 4, 1996 by Epic Records. It was not released in the United States until much later on July 7, 1997. The track was written in September 1993, while on the Dangerous World Tour stop in Moscow. An early version of the track's chord structure appears in the video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3; according to conflicting accounts, Jackson and his team composed music for the game before leaving the project or, choosing to stay uncredited for his work. The song's music video depicts the lives of six individuals, including Jackson, who are left isolated and disconnected from the world around them. "Stranger in Moscow" charted highly in the top 10 of numerous countries music charts worldwide, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. However, it only peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Jackson's lowest peaking on the chart. The song was performed on the HIStory World Tour in 1996–1997. The song has been covered a few times by other artists. Background "Stranger in Moscow", like several other HIStory tracks, was Jackson's response to recent events in his personal life. In 1993, the relationship between Jackson and the press soured entirely when he was accused of child sexual abuse. Though not charged with a crime, Jackson was intensely scrutinized by the media during the criminal investigation. Complaints about the coverage and media included using sensational headlines and headlines that implied guilt, accepting stories of Jackson's alleged criminal activity and leaked police material in exchange for money, deliberately using unflattering pictures of Jackson, and a lack of objectivity. The coverage upset Jackson, and damaged his health; Jackson's health had deteriorated such that he canceled the remainder of his Dangerous World Tour and went into rehabilitation. The media showed him little sympathy. The Daily Mirror held a "Spot the Jacko" contest, offering readers a trip to Walt Disney World if they could correctly predict where the entertainer's next appearance would be. A Daily Express headline read, "Drug Treatment Star Faces Life on the Run", while a News of the World headline accused Jackson of being a fugitive. These tabloids also falsely alleged that Jackson had traveled to Europe to