He told BBC Radio 1 on 10 March 2004 that music he put out in the future would be available for download with fans encouraged to make a donation to charity. Cet album contient des pétites, comme les géniaux : Amazing, Précious Box, Shoot the dog et Flawless.

It became one of the fastest-selling albums in the UK, selling over 275,000 copies in the first week.It was not released as a single in Canada or the US over sensitivity to the 11 September 2001 attacks, and was not included on the Patience album in those countries. There always seems to have been something preventing him from releasing a new album--from arrests for lewd behaviour, protracted battles with record companies or prolonged periods of grieving for departed family and friends. I'd like to have something on the Internet which is a charitable download site where anyone can download my music for free. An alternative version of "Please Send Me Someone", the B-side to "Flawless (Go to the City)", appears only on Japanese pressings of the album.

The much delayed follow-up to Older, at the time of its release it was considered Michael's comeback album since it was his first album composed of original material since 1996, and his first for Sony Music since 1990's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. He's perfectly happy staying up to watch the World Cup and enjoying the Jubilee, all things I'm perfectly guilty of, but there's a serious discussion about Iraq, which hasn't taken place. It debuted in the US at number 29 but after TV appearances, such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, the following week, it reached its chart peak of number 12. Patience was Michael's final studio album of original material before his death on 25 December 2016.Shoot the Dog" samples " Love Action (I Believe in Love)" by The Human League, written by Philip Oakey and Ian Burden. People are looking at the song in context of an attack on America, as opposed to an attack on Tony Blair.