Report: Jackson's 'This Is It' Not So New

With the midnight release of Michael Jackson's single "This Is It," some are now claiming this song is not so new.

That stems from reports that a similar song was written by Jackson and Paul Anka back in the 1990s under the title "I Never Heard" for the female Latin singer SaFire. A version of "I Never Heard" has been posted to YouTube .

When Sony was asked by The New York Times about the origin of the song, Rob Stringer, chairman of the Columbia/Epic Label Group, a Sony division, said that until this was pointed out by fans, he had not known about the connection.

"I really have no idea what the origins of the song are," Stringer told The New York Times .

On SaFire's official MySpace blog , the singer referenced the song after Jackson's death.

"Michael touched my heart and soul in so many different ways I feel blessed that I had the chance of recording an original song he wrote for me with Paul Anka titled "I Never Heard" . Michael was someone who I admired and who's career I followed. I drew inspiration from Michael as I watched his talents take flight on so many levels ... R.I.P. Michael you will truly be missed but you will live on in every song. -- Love Always SAFIRE."

SaFire was not a huge commercial success, but she is well-known in the genre of Latin Freestyle music. Her most commercially successful hit was the ballad "Thinking of You" in 1989.