Paris Hilton’s music was King of Pop-approved, according to her mom, Kathy Hilton.
The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum, 65, revealed in an exclusive interview with Page Six that her late pal Michael Jackson was a fan of her daughter’s 2006 self-titled debut album — and even had a favorite song from the iconic LP.
“He loved ‘Heartbeat’ the most, which is also my favorite Paris song,” Kathy told us Wednesday night during a party celebrating her Smirnoff Ice Smash Tea campaign in Los Angeles.
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“He thought it was so beautiful,” she added, recalling Jackson’s reaction to the shimmering, synth-laden ballad. “It was love at first listen.”
Notably, the track was co-written by Scott Storch, Billy Steinberg and Josh Alexander — a talented trio of men who’ve penned hits for the likes of Beyoncé, Madonna and Leona Lewis, respectively.
Kathy often wonders what the song would have sounded like with Jackson’s vocals, noting that it may have been a “perfect” fit for his robust discography.
“It actually would’ve been a great song for him to have sang,” she said.
Kathy and Jackson developed a friendship in their early teens as classmates at Southern California’s Montclair Preparatory School.
They remained close until his 2009 death and are said to have made a pact to each name their firstborn daughters Paris. (The legendary singer welcomed Paris Jackson in 1998.)
Michael — one of the most celebrated entertainers of all time — took a keen interest in Paris Hilton’s foray into the music industry, Kathy told Page Six.
“I played the entire album for Michael Jackson. He wanted to go up and see Paris’ recording studio. I said, ‘She’s not there.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, I just want to go up and see the recording studio, see her house,’” she recalled.
“So we listened to the album the whole way there for 20 minutes driving through LA, and then we listened to the rest of it the whole way back. And he loved it. As a mom, that made me really proud.”
“Heartbeat” also seems to be a cherished gem for Paris, as she released its official music video in 2021 — 15 years after recording it.
Paris has consistently released music since “Paris,” which featured her era-defining hit “Stars Are Blind.” Her most recent single, “Lighter,” a pulsating dance collaboration with Steve Aoki, dropped in October 2023.
The “It” girl-turned-business mogul and DJ is currently working on her sophomore album, slated for a 2024 release. The anticipated follow-up to “Paris” is executive-produced by Sia, with whom a duet titled “Fame Won’t Leave You” was recorded for the latter artist’s new LP, “Reasonable Woman.”
Kathy said Paris has only played “a little bit” of her next album “here and there,” but she’s excited to hear more.
“Paris is doing so many things that when we are together we don’t talk shop. We did a TV show [‘Paris in Love’] for two years, but when we’re not filming, we try not to talk about work,” she said of spending time with the mom of two, who shares son Phoenix, 1, and daughter London, 5 months, with husband Carter Reum.
“We’re so focused on family right now. So, the music is a bit of a mystery to me at the moment,” Kathy shared, “but that kind of makes it more fun.”
