Just when you thought Eminem couldn’t get any darker, he drops The Relapse.
Eminem’s latest album is a harrowing tale of murder, rape, pill addiction and rehab. His evil alter-ego Slim Shady takes us on a guided tour of the fantasy horrorland inside Eminem’s head, musing about everything from murdering Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears to accusing his stepfather of molestation.
The album is the rap artist’s first album release since Encore in 2004, which led fans and the media to highly anticipate his return. But for a comeback, the content is a little tedious at times, with shock-value lyrics similar to previous albums such as The Slim Shady EP. In “3 a.m.,” Eminem raps about a nightmarish serial killing spree that Shady executes while he is under the influence of drugs.
Underneath the usual pop-star bashing and ghoulish horror images, however, lies insight into what Eminem has really been struggling with over the past five years: the death of a close friend, addiction to prescription medication,anxiety and disappointment that it took so long to release another album.
In “Déjà Vu,” Eminem raps, “So I take a Vicodin, splash, it hits my stomach and ahh / A couple weeks go by, it ain’t even like I’m getting high / Now I need it just not to feel sick, yeah, I’m getting by / Wouldn’t even be taking this shit if Deshaun didn’t die.”
The lyrics in most of Eminem’s songs slip effortlessly off his tongue. The tracks on The
Relapse are more succinct than previous albums, demonstrating a maturity in Eminem’s capability
as a rap artist. He has also branched out and showcased a few pop songs on the album such as the singles “We Made You” and “Same Song & Dance,” as well as the inspirational track with a rock instrumental “Beautiful.”
For most of this album, we just get pure, raw and uncut Eminem, with only a few guest appearances by 50 Cent and album producer Dr. Dre. Dre’s beats are what makes The Relapse unique from Eminem’s other albums. The orchestral background music is coupled with crisp beats and loud bass, matching the haunting themes of Eminem’s lyrics and making for an eerie,
gut-wrenching and powerful final production.
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