MUSIC
Eminem, it’s getting embarrassing
You know that awkward moment when, after a sweaty trek through the desert, you arrive to find that Ozymandias has feet of clay? To be honest you had an inkling this may be the case but hope, that mother of undiscovered disappointment, convinced you that things may be different. That feeling of being expectably underwhelmed sums up one’s experience of Eminem’s latest album, Revival.
The writing has been on the wall since somewhere between Relapse and Recovery his six and seventh albums respectively. The problem was not so much the quality of his work as it was the proclivities of the hip-hop audience. In the late ’90s and early 2000s Eminem was fresh, Ozymandias newly wrought. The idea of a white rapper who could go toe to toe with a Blueprint
(arguably his best album) era Jay-Z was rare in hip-hop. That combined with his controversial lyrical content made him the bestselling artist in America for the 2000s. That, however, was back when the world was addicted to battle rap ciphers, durags and FUBU. The listening public was tickled by stories of graphic violence and rappers who could spit verses rhyming the word orange and freestyle from the top of their heads. By the time Marshall Bruce Mathers III returned in 2009, the climate had begun to change. He would still go on to have massive hits but his non-combative, lyrical attitude towards societal norms were beginning to wear thin and his dalliance with being inspirational (see I’m not Afraid) did not help. Basically Eminem was too old to still be rapping about raping or slapping his wife or mother. He would later release songs about mending those relationships but by then it was too late.
All of this meant that the runup to the release of his new album Revival was filled
150 million
The number of albums he has sold globally, making him one of the bestselling artists of all time.
2
Albums that went diamond i.e. sold more than 10 million copies (2000’s The Marshall Mathers LP and 2002’s The Eminem Show).
8
Consecutive number one debuts on the Billboard 200 charts. The first artist to do so.
10
Number 1 albums, including his greatest hits album and the 8 Mile soundtrack.
1.7 million
The first week sales of Marshall Mathers LP, the fastest-selling solo album in US history then.
15
Grammy wins. He is the first artist to win best rap album Grammy for three consecutive LPs
1st
Rapper to win an Oscar for best original song, with Lose Yourself from the soundtrack of 8 Mile. with tense anticipation. The track list reads more like a pop album than a project from one of the most lyrically proficient rappers of a generation. The lead single Walk on Water featuring Beyoncé only dug that hole deeper. At best the song could be described as a tepid attempt to come to grips with the level of expectation that comes with being Eminem. Given the bravado he has built his career on, one cannot imagine that too many people want to hear Eminem sulking about the fact that some teenagers with dreadlocks who were born after Y2K don’t like his music. It’s like The Rock complaining that he’s looking a little skinny.
Lukewarm is the general theme of the album and one cannot help but wonder if the pressure he alludes to in Walk on Water may have gotten to him, especially because he shows glimpses of lyrical genius every now and then. Tracks like Chloraseptic, Offended and Heat show that he can weave words like a drunk on a slalom (that’s a skiing reference, for those who don’t know). Arguably the best introspective song on the album is Bad Husband, on which Eminem delves into the toxicity of his abusive relationship with exwife Kim Scott.
In all fairness, Revival is not an awful album or even a bad album. Mediocre suits it best. It shows that Marshall Mathers can still rap and the production is good enough but it suffers from what I feared it would suffer from. More often than not it comes off as a little anachronistic and more importantly it seems suspiciously like there is no longer a fire lit beneath his ass. It almost feels like he didn’t really need to make this album but did so because “why not?” The end result is exactly why.
● Troye Sivan — My My My!
He was Spud, he’s a massive YouTube star and he’s also a (surprisingly) good pop-electro singer. This track is a tad reminiscent of Nick Jonas’ solo stuff and Joe Jonas’ DNCE group. Chilled and catchy vibes. It will definitely be a music radio favourite, if it isn’t already.
Anatii — Thixo Onofefe
Following his collaborative album with AKA, one of the most exciting rappers on the scene returns with a track that will keep the cool kids happy. He’s done better (his 2016 debut album Artiifact was pretty good), but this will do for now.
Langa Mavuso — Sunday Blues
If you like crooners with honey-smooth voices, you’ll love this. After signing to Black Coffee’s label, Mavuso releases a beautiful ballad sure to charm you. His debut album is due for release some time this year.