 " Stranger in Moscow " is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson from his ninth studio album HIStory : Past , Present and Future , Book I. The song was released worldwide in November 1996 , but was not released in the United States until August 1997 by Epic Records . The track was written by Jackson in September 1993 , at the height of the Russian crisis , and was inspired by his experiences in Russia.
" Stranger in Moscow " was a top 20 hit in the United Kingdom , and was a top 40 hit in the United States , where it peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 10