Back in late August of this year, Eminem released "Berzerk", the lead-off single off of his new album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. With a title like that, you have to wonder if the sequel will be as good as the original. Are we talking Home Alone 2 or Evan Almighty?
Well, "Berzerk" is a definite change from Eminem's persona as of late, which seemed to be broody and angry. And while that was certainly better than most of the shitfest that was Encore, there was still a spark missing. Eminem wasn't any fun anymore. Where were the likes of "The Real Slim Shady" and "My Name Is"? It was almost like Eminem was trying to cash in on his "Lose Yourself" side, and while that is an excellent song, too much of that can really depress a guy.
That's what Eminem used to be good at: balancing silliness and seriousness. When Encore came around, it went from being silly to being stupid. In songs like "My Name Is", yeah, Eminem had lines about not knowing which Spice Girl he wanted to impregnate, but God dammit, his flow and his rhymes made it all work. In "Just Lose It"... well, he just lost it.
I can barely post the video without cringing. How does one go from this
"We ain't nothing but mammals..." Well, some of us cannibals
Who cut other people open like cantaloupes
But if we can hump dead animals and antelopes
Then there's no reason that a man and another man can't elope
But if you feel like I feel, I got the antidote
Women wave your pantyhose, sing the chorus and it goes
to this?
Chubba chubba chubba chubba chubba chubbie
I don't have any lines to go right here so chubba teletubbie!
Regardless, after Encore, Eminem rightfully took a musical hiatus until 2009's Relapse, which I think was even worse than Encore, but anyway, after that came Recovery, which was a noticeable step up, but as I said, there was still something missing. What happened to the fun yet clever Eminem?
So now we come to 2013, and Eminem's got a new album out. We've got 3 charting singles in the Top 20 from that album, the highest of which is his second song featuring Rihanna, "The Monster". Being that I'm always hip on the new trends (uh, do people still say "hip"?), let's go with that one to review.
Unfortunately, there's no video out yet. The third song in a row where I don't post a video. I hope you guys can handle it.
The song starts off with Rihanna's chorus, which really helps to set the mood for the song. Then we get into Eminem's first verse. Slay me, Eminem!
I wanted the fame, but not the cover of Newsweek
Oh well, guess beggars can't be choosy
Wanted to receive attention for my music
Wanted to be left alone in public excuse me
Been wanting my cake, and eat it too
And wanting it both ways
Fame made me a balloon cause my ego inflated
When I blew seep and it was confusing
Cause all I wanted to do is be the Bruce Lee of loose leaf
Hey, I dig it. There are a couple lyrics in the first verse that are a little off...
It was like winning a huge meet
A huge meet? Kind of weak. But overall, it's a great start to the song. Rihanna blows me away with the extended chorus as we get into the next verse, which has a few more problems than the first. For one, there's an impromptu yodeling. No rhyme or reason, just yodeling. I'm having "Just Lose It" flashbacks (although at least it's yodeling and not farting/Peewee Herman).
But despite these minor moments of WTF, Eminem's second verse does stack up to his first. You really feel for Eminem as he relates the many things he struggles with in life, even in his fame. What I'm trying to say is, this is how you do it, Jay and Justin. (I really should have put "Cry Me a River" in that review somewhere.)
The third verse stacks up as well, with much of the same greatness that the previous two verse had. So overall, this song is fantastic. I'd put it above "Love The Way You Lie" in terms of Eminem/Rihanna collaborations. While "Love The Way You Lie" did have shining moments, I didn't believe the drama in that song as much as I do here. And I guess that was really my problem with "Recovery"-era Eminem: it all seemed like he was phoning it in and trying to play off his previous success of "Lose Yourself". But here, I believe that what he's saying is important and relevant in his life. MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE HE'S NOT YELLING EVERY LINE IN THIS SONG, TOO.
It's safe for me to say that between "Berzerk" and this song, Eminem's almost back at his peak. It's not embarrassing for me to call myself an Eminem fan again. Whatever monster came out in this song, it sure devoured the monster of atrocious songwriting and boring slog.
Agree? Disagree? Comment below!
No comments:
Post a Comment