( CNN ) -- The King of Pop is back in the spotlight -- and not everybody is happy about it . Despite the well of affection for the late Michael Jackson , his `` return '' in the form of a hologram at Sunday night 's Billboard Music Awards did n't meet with unanimous approval . The spectral Jackson performed `` Slave to the Rhythm , '' one of the singles from `` Xscape , '' a new album of posthumously released Jackson music . He was accompanied by actual , physically present dancers . Billboard Music Awards : MJ hologram and Kendall 's flub get buzz . It was either the most amazing thing ever -- or super creepy , depending on which side of the fence you were viewing it from . Recording artist Trevor Morgan tweeted `` MICHAEL JACKSON HOLOGRAM IS RAD . '' New York magazine 's Vulture assistant editor Lindsey Weber tweeted `` turns out this michael jackson hologram is just as confusing and uncomfortable as we imagined . '' Twitter user Assata H. seemed to fall in the middle , tweeting `` That Michael Jackson hologram kind of scared me ... it was cool . But it was weird . '' Buzzfeed deemed it `` scarier than the 'Thriller ' video '' while Mashable called it `` stunning . '' 'Digital formaldehyde ' Though the Jackson hologram was new , the debate over whether or not deceased celebs should be brought back is not . The Billboard `` performance '' also resurrected the discussion on whether fans even want to see their favorite artists as holograms . In 2012 a hologram of the late rapper Tupac Shakur stunned audiences at the Coachella music festival . Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley have also been reanimated , after a fashion . The technology bringing Tupac , Sinatra back to life . At the time , National Post writer Matt Gurney argued that dead stars should be allowed to rest in peace . `` The technology is undeniably impressive , '' Gurney wrote in 2012 . `` But Shakur is not a fictional character , owned by a studio , but a real-life human being . His work may be owned and licensed , but not his entire being . It is impossible to know how he 'd have felt about being on that stage . '' Soraya Nadia McDonald with The Washington Post wondered if this latest venture into digitally bringing artists back is the mark of more to come . `` The Jackson hologram raises some questions : Is this where we 're headed ? '' she wrote . `` Long after Madonna is gone ( or perhaps , as with Jackson 's hologram , not that long ) , can we expect to see the Material Girl performing 'Holiday ' in a Grammys tribute , suspended in digital formaldehyde , just the way she was in 1983 ? And if so , what good are music videos ? '' The technology seems to have gotten even better . As one person tweeted ( we hope jokingly ) , `` I am very scared why is Michael Jackson alive . '' The performance had the full support of the Jackson family estate . According to Billboard , brother `` Jackie Jackson started to tear up as he recalled watching 'Slave to Rhythm ' in the audience at the MGM Grand Arena . '' `` When he started walking and dancing , I was teary-eyed , '' Billboard reported him as saying . `` It 's hard to please Michael 's fans and Michael ... I 'm telling you it 's amazing . '' Weathering criticism . The performance was supposed to be a tightly held secret for the annual awards show , but that fell apart thanks to a lawsuit meant to stop it . According to the Los Angeles Times , companies Hologram USA Inc. and Musion Das Hologram Ltd. had filed suit against the show to stop the bit , claiming the show was using their technology without permission . Hologram USA acquired patent rights from Musion Das Hologram for projection/staging technology after Digital Domain , the company which created the Shakur hologram , filed for bankruptcy . Oscar-winning Digital Domain had produced special effects for several films , including `` X-Men : First Class '' and `` The Curious Case of Benjamin Button . '' A judge ruled that Billboard could use the Jackson hologram . The Washington Post 's McDonald did n't find the technology to be all that precise . `` The effect was quite realistic , though at times just jerky enough that Jackson 's hologram more closely resembled his representation in the Nintendo Wii game 'Michael Jackson : The Experience ' than the man himself . In fact , it was actually slightly less realistic than the Tupac hologram that appeared at Coachella in 2012 ( which was actually a projection , not a hologram ) , but the response was a little different . '' Complaints in social media ranged from points about the hologram 's youthful appearance ( Jackson was 50 at the time of his death in 2009 ) to the thought that the digital representation 's mouth appeared to be `` lip-syncing . '' One fan was forgiving , however . `` It 's okay , '' sloth queen tweeted . `` I forgive everyone for not making a perfect hologram i understand and accept Michael Jackson was too perfect to recreate . ''
A hologram of Michael Jackson gets mixed reaction . Some fans found it too realistic . Others thought the image was a bit creepy and disturbing.