Dec 8, 2017 Based on @Michael Myers' request, i am back with some unadulterated, honest thoughts on the new Eminem. feel free to tag the sxn, they need to read this. ::in b4 eminem starts rapping as the ghost of stokely carmichael:: So... in hindsight what "Walk on Water" - the whiny, limp but intriguing first single -- is really about is... permission; whether he’s asking or telling, the fact it’s the album opener should, I believe, be an indication that the rest of the album is a pivot to the kind of tracks he wants to make, hence forth. Hence releasing...... "Untouchable" as the follow up single..... a treatise/civics lesson on race that essentially forgets it’s supposed to be a catchy single half way through. What a contrast seeing it listed in the Spotify New Music section this morning. It couldn't be further from what's en vogue, currently...... at least on a music-level. Is that good? welll..... In the Malcolm Gladwell interview, Rick Rubin mentions encouraging eminem to listen to Frank Zappa while preparing for the recording. You def hear that "Trouble Every Day"-lite perspective in "Untouchable" -- attempting to tackle social ills with a removed and sometimes caustic POV. As Zappa says at one point: "I'm not black/But there's a whole lots a times/I wish I could say I'm not white" Kind of sums of "Untouchable" no? Speaking of Zappa, this song desperately needed the virtuosity of something like --wait for it-- "Andy" for the guitar production during the first half. Why does modern rock s--- so much now? It sounds like washed off Kid Rock. Then again, given the death of Malcolm Young from AC/DC, I've been thinking about the decline of metal ,like, as popular music, not just a niche genre or whatever. Almost by default "Untouchable" has got one of the most hard rock pop singles at least I’ve heard, almost of default. [edit: keep in mind my contention its better to think of eminem as less a hip hop artist like he's some dude on soundcloud..... and more a rock star in the vein of Jagger, Springsteen, Dylan, a point recently underscored by Elton John in the interview he did with Em. that's the tradition hes apart of now, not this current mumble r&b iteration of rap] Few other criticisms: the opening moments - where he is singing quietly - should arguably be the chorus. It amazes me Eminem sometimes stumbles onto musicianship by accident than reverses course, inexplicable. Black boy chorus is very jarring. Is it catchy? Will people like it? idk. Like..... the “lions tigers and bears oh my” line is def reminiscent of the moments that first got me into Eminem. It's a one-off, a flicker. Then gone. Anyways: The second beat is easily one of the best and most perfectly "Eminem" beats I've heard him on in a long time. Sounds like vintage em production and he flows well over it. I almost wish they discarded the crappy guitars if they weren't going to make them sound 100.... and just used this beat. Though I get the conceit Em was going for, or whatever. He doesn't quite pull it off. And the role playing as a BLM foot soldier/black person is....... troubling. Also, dunno why you guys are slamming his flow (again.... be original). thought it was fine And in terms of the content......... it's certainly well-intentioned. In a sense eminem is playing catch up even within the universe of big name rap stars and pop megastars going political. Kanye has built his career around it. Jay and bey had their dual treatises on infidelity and blackness. But in the world of trump this feels equally necessary, doesnt it....maybe just for a diff segment of the populous. (Some of you may rightfully slap the less musical Macklemore vibes here..... but i think it’s harder and more pointed then at least the songs I’ve heard by the Seattle rapper. And eminem is capable of landing more blows anyhow.......... in part given his position as a product of midwestern, working class poverty.) So again, like WOW, like the cover..... I'm intrigued, if not a fan of "Untouchable" (he couldve played with this song title a little more btw). I really think, if Shady Records hired a few of us, maybe a committee/focus group including myself, @Swizz etc...... there's a really great, important song buried inside here. It just needs some fine tuning. This is NOT a Relapse-style disaster. And it's way more interesting than MMLP 2.
Dec 8, 2017 Nice write up again Andy! Also this focusses more on the actual song than the one u did for, WoW, I like it. And yeah except for the last minute -why does he do that- the flow is fine. We got 2 'interesting' songs now with lots of potential, but definitely flawed. Very curious for the album tbh
Dec 8, 2017 Track is good, but boring. I don't see why it was released as a single though? I was expecting a solo Em song to be released, but something more catchy. Agree on the flow also, wasn't as bad as everyone is saying. This is going to be a weird sounding album
Dec 8, 2017 I agree with you Andy about the start of the song sounding better. But the hook makes since. Why? The theme song for the tv show cops went “bad boy bad boy” eminems hook is a knock off of that. Intro sounds waaay better. But the hook does make since.
Dec 8, 2017 shut up just do it this needs to happen ily @Koolo Fair enough, actually. It IS strange we've gotten WOW and Untouchable -- both two very unlikely choices for commercial singles -- released. Could be, this is the best he has lol. Or it's again....... eminem feels like he's at a place where this is what he wants to put out, especially post-Trump BET rant.... then that's what he's going to do. he's always chafed at the traditional pop single format as we know. and like..... feels like he thought this was important to get out to people. There's few examples of a (white) star of his magnitude being this explicit, especially in a song. not boring in that sense.
Dec 8, 2017 I would agree if he didn't have a bunch of Pop features. I can't see those songs sounding like this
Dec 8, 2017 kind of wild he didnt go that route here, releasing the ed sheeran song or something lol. guess he felt the moment was right for this. to me, i want a track thats more like Stan....... but about the dimwits whose rage and low brain cells turned them into Trump supporters. call it "Space Monkey" meanwhile ur frightened to tag a group of ppl on a message board. hasnt Em taught you anything ??
Dec 8, 2017 the second half of the song was fire af . the flow was on point but the first half was ok. good content matter but I didn't really care for it
Dec 8, 2017 You never know. Ed sheeran song might surprise people. When talking about the song he said eminem was one of the reasons he started writing music. That being said he might have a savage side to him when he gets on a singe with shady. Who knows.
Dec 8, 2017 im not sure its a single just a track released along with the pre order , i think we will get a single tuesday
Dec 8, 2017 i agree , if somehow he can make the songs with the pop singers be good we will have a really great album
Dec 8, 2017 Honestly, having a 'pop' artist doesn't have to mean anything. Its possible to have a singer featured but still stay 'true' to hiphop. Look at Empire State Of Mind. It was catchy, had Alicia, was huge.. but it was a true rap/hiphop song mainly because of the beat. Its not impossible to make a rap song featuring Ed Sheran or Alicia Keys (already gave an example). But yeah this is eminem @Worm and I doubt he can pull it off, make an interesting song that isn't generic featuring a pop song Monster Wont back down Revenge Love the way u lie Lighters Etc etc. My guess is that the solo songs will be kinda experimental which means most of it is very hit or miss. Edit: about empire state I would like to add that it was also interesting and very good
Dec 8, 2017 I liked the scrapped song "Cocaïne" with Jazzmin Sullivan. Hope we get something like that with the Alicia Keys feature. Untouchable is not that catchy, but Eminem does not seem bored, which is a good point. Mr Porter said that every song will be very different so that everybody gets a little bit of what they want to hear. Eminem has so many fans, from children to grownups, that the notion of fan servicing (which is obviously the purpose on Revival) is really difficult to define ...
