An album re-release, a new song and a documentary mark the singer's legacy this year.
It has now been a week since we heard the incredible reworking of George Michael's song 'Fantasy' featuring Nile Rodgers on the radio, but that's certainly not the last we'll hear of him as the year approaches the first anniversary of his tragic Christmas Day death.
George Michael's album 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1 / MTV Unplugged' comes this Fall
Sony Music will drop George Michael's first posthumous album 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1 / MTV Unplugged' - a re-release of his 1990 second album - this October. The original release won Best British Album at the 1991 BRIT Awards and became his second UK chart-topper, even out-selling his debut solo album 'Faith'.
We heard out first snippet of the forthcoming release with 'Fantasy' on Radio 2 on September 7th ; an old song of George's which was meant to go on the original album, but in the end just became a b-side to 'Freedom! '90' and 'Waiting For That Day'. He performed it on his 1991 Cover To Cover tour and his 25 Live Tour, but only last year contacted Nile Rodgers to arrange this sensational new re-working for the 'MTV Unplugged' record.
Many fans criticised the release, but Nile Rodgers insisted that is all part of the listening experience. 'You SHOULD have mixed feelings. No one's heart was dragged through emotional ambiguity more than mine. Tears, uncertainty, happiness and LOVE', he wrote on Twitter. 'This process was extremely emotional for me. We were such massive fans of each other's work. #Christmas2016 was very sad.'
Meanwhile, a new documentary about the late star's life entitled 'Freedom' is set to air on Channel 4. It has been narrated by the singer himself and features the likes of singers Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Liam Gallagher, Nile Rodgers, Mary J. Blige, Tony Bennett and Mark Ronson; models Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz, Linda Evangelista and Kate Moss; artist Tracey Emin; fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier; and comedians Ricky Gervais and James Corden. It's the second film about George Michael, following 2005's 'A Different Story'.
More: 'Fantasy' featuring Nile Rodgers gets played for the first time
'Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1 / MTV Unplugged' will be released on October 20th 2017.