Following the success of his two singles, “Houdini”and “Tobey,”which caused a stir in the US-UK music scene, renowned rapper Eminem made his official comeback with the release of his album “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce),”marking his return after a four-year hiatus since his 2020 album.
According to Billboard and data from Luminate, the most recent studio album by the 51-year-old rapper, titled “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)”, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Albums chart with 281,000 equivalent album units. As of now, this album has had the highest sales amongst all rap albums released in 2024, with a total of 164,500 albums sold, equivalent to 220 million on-demand official streams, 114,000 digital album downloads, and 2,500 physical album sales.
With the success of his 11th album, “The Death of Slim Shady,”Eminem has now joined the ranks of Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, and Kanye West, each with the fifth most number one albums to their name.
Despite facing tough competition from Eminem, the album’s success on the charts resulted in Taylor Swift’s album “The Tortured Poets Department”being dethroned after holding the top spot for 12 consecutive weeks. This was a monumental achievement for the 34-year-old pop singer, as her album maintained its number one position for three months. As a result of the album’s continued success, “The Tortured Poets Department”slipped to fourth place on this week’s chart.
To market the album, Eminem initiated a distinct campaign utilizing tombstone imagery and obituaries in the Detroit Free Press, urging listeners to adhere to the correct song sequence. The album, titled “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce),”is centered around Eminem’s career and the controversial moments that have defined his musical path. It is regarded as a final goodbye to the infamous persona of Slim Shady, a character deeply intertwined with Eminem’s persona.
Despite previous controversial topics and stunts, such as the song “Road Rage”which critiques the “body positivity”movement, and “Bad One”, a joke about Kanye West/Ye’s mental health, the album continues to push boundaries with its content.
Despite attempting to fill his comeback album with stunts and scandals, Eminem, who was on the verge of retirement after his 2020 release “Music to Be Murdered By,”only received modest attention when he mentioned the popular rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
Despite the incident, the rapper continued to struggle in gaining attention from the younger generation of music listeners, who make up the primary demographic in today’s music industry.
Differing Responses to the Quality of Music
Despite generating a lot of initial hype, Eminem continues to receive backlash and a string of unfavorable ratings from experts. The album has consistently received below-average scores from music critics, with Album of the Year even labeling it as a desperate effort by a 50-year-old rapper to provoke conflict with the younger generation. In fact, the website went as far as to suggest that the rapper should retire altogether.
Despite receiving a score of only 4.8/10 from music review site Pitchfork, Eminem’s new album was immediately targeted by Peppa Pig, a cartoon character whose album earned a higher score of 6.5 points from Pitchfork and has gained a reputation as a “nightmare”for any album scoring below 6.5.
Peppa Pig and her 6.5 mark have become a standard for serious artists. Those who cannot achieve a score higher than 6.5 are deemed inferior to a cartoon character. This was exemplified when even Taylor Swift’s album, “The Tortured Poets Department,”received a lower score of 6.0/10 by this character.
Pitchfork asserted that on Eminem’s album, “The Death of Slim Shady”simply evokes the familiar sensation of the rapper accusing the American public of having a thirst for blood, which is reflective of the current era’s mentality of censoring literature and having armed protestors.
Despite being aware of the possibility of becoming the stereotypical old white man afraid of a changing society, Eminem has been unable to avoid this fate, according to Pitchfork. They also noted that although he is one of the top-selling and most popular artists in the US, he is constantly on the defensive, trying to prove his worth to his critics like a wealthy outsider desperately trying to gain acceptance.
Meanwhile, Rolling Stone gave “The Death of Slim Shady”a two-star rating, accompanied by a sarcastic headline: “Well, He Tried”and a caption that described the once-great rapper as sounding like a nervous star trying to convince himself and others that he still has talent.
Based on the media site’s report, the driving force behind Eminem’s completion and release of his new album could not have been financial gain, fame, or a desire to express his opinions. This is because the rapper is known to be a sensitive individual who craves acknowledgement.
The paper also found it ironic that the rapper chose to revisit stories from 20 years ago, in which he continued to blame women for his problems, express fear towards trans people, and display anger towards queer individuals and their actions, while also continuing to complain about his mother.
Ever since 2001, Eminem has been unable to live up to the expectations set by his successful career at its peak. However, it has been acknowledged that he still has the potential to excel in both his music and personal life, if he chooses to make a comeback and embrace a more active lifestyle.
Despite being more lenient, Variety still offered neutral comments, acknowledging the importance of Slim Shady in Eminem’s career. The site also recognized the serenity and reflection in Eminem’s new album, “Revival,”released in 2017. However, it was noted that it would be unfortunate if Eminem were to rely too heavily on the chaotic and immature persona of Slim Shady, potentially overshadowing the legacy he has built throughout the years.
Despite the magazine’s criticism, it also acknowledged that the album has its highlights. These include Eminem’s introspective moments and the track “Temporary,”which features Skylar Grey. Additionally, the album contains a touching poem dedicated to his daughter Hailie, accompanied by a recording of her as a child. This is seen as a testament to his unwavering love for her, even after his passing.
Despite receiving a score of only 3.7, Sputnik Music, known for its focus on rap music, still gave the album some praise. The author acknowledged the inevitable reason for Eminem’s decision to bring back his alter ego, Slim Shady, in 2024. They commented that while Slim Shady was known for his sharp wit and honesty, he was ultimately a brash adolescent with a rebellious nature that couldn’t be sustained forever. However, the author also noted that this persona has been the standard by which Eminem’s work has been judged since he retired it in 1997.
According to the publication, Eminem’s latest album “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)”is his best work since “The Marshall Mathers LP2.”Recognizing the potential of reviving Slim Shady, Eminem seized the opportunity to once again unleash his storm against the world.
Despite differing opinions, there is a general consensus among netizens that this album only appeals to Eminem’s dedicated fan base or, at most, the rap community. Despite the resurgence of Slim Shady, his most controversial persona, this album has not made a significant impact on forums and the lack of singles has raised questions about what Eminem’s next move will be.
K14 is the source.
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