Michael Jackson and Akon song shelved

Akon has suggested that Hold My Hand, a track that he recorded with Michael Jackson, didn't appear on his new album because it leaked onto the internet.

It seems that the song, which found its way onto YouTube earlier this year, had been pencilled in for inclusion on Freedom, Akon's new album, but after the leak, the plan changed.

"Musically we were on the same level and we wanted it to be special," says Akon. "We wanted it so that when people got my album, it was something that was never heard. But the leak stopped those plans. We will be doing more things together in the future, though".

What these things are and when they'll happen remains to be seen, but Akon is clearly a big Jackson fan.

"I want them to be able to put focus on Mike. He is the greatest artist ever," he gushed. "So long as the focus is on him, people are going to ask him about the song he did with me, so then my name pops up in his interview. It works both ways".