Walk on Water (ft. Beyoncé): A song that features Beyoncé providing some typically angelic vocals on the hook, I really liked this song when it was first released. I liked Em’s more spoken-word approach to it, and I was really intrigued by the lyrics that showed Eminem in a more vulnerable state, feeling like he has a lot of pressure to prove himself with the album. It’s also fitting that the song where Em is vulnerable is the album starter. Even after repeated listens, I still really like the track a lot, and it’s one of my favorites on the album.
Believe: This song frustrates me. I’m not opposed to Eminem trying a trap beat out, but it just feels so not Eminem, and the beat itself is not all that great. And even if his flow is still on point, the fact that he uses the “Soundcloud rapper ad-libs” at the end of certain verses, even though he’s trying to stick it to the “Soundcloud rappers,” kind of frustrates me. Also, I’m used to Eminem being kind of cheesy and silly sometimes, but his performance on the hook is borderline ridiculous. If he’s intentionally trying to “mimic” the “Soundcloud rappers” he’s not fond of, he’s not doing a great job of it with this track. It’s a shame because, as I said, Em’s flow is still strong, but the song itself is just not all that great.
Chloraseptic (ft. Phresher): You know what? I actually think this song is pretty solid, in that it’s a more strong attempt by Eminem to call out the “mumble rappers” by legitimately attempting to make fun of their flow and style. This song feels like a stronger track than the last, because he’s legitimately making fun of them, and he’s doing it far better than before. It’s really funny seeing him kind of just wave the middle-finger at them. I’m not all that crazy about Phresher’s hook, but I get what he’s trying to do. Not something I will listen to on loop, but I think it’s a good track overall.
Untouchable: I was pretty crazy about this when it first came out because I was really intrigued about the idea of Eminem writing a song about the Black Lives Matter movement, but after repeat listens, this is such a conflicting song to me. I like the different perspectives Eminem takes on this track, with the first half coming from the perspective of a white person and the final verse coming from the perspective of a black man, and as always, Em’s flow is on point, but I feel like it doesn’t really kick in until that perspective change. The instrumental is nothing special, the hook is boring (and the sampling of "Earache My Eye" by Cheech and Chong, not great). I don’t know, it’s got some good things going on, and it definitely had good ideas, but I’m conflicted about it.
River (ft. Ed Sheeran): You guys know I love Ed Sheeran, so seeing him featured on an Eminem track got me really hyped. Though I worried his voice and Eminem’s voice would clash, I think they both sound great together. I love Ed’s hook a lot, Eminem’s flow is strong, and his lyricism is really great. He tells a story on this track about how a girlfriend that used him is now pregnant with his child, and some of his lyrics are extremely clever. Definitely really liked this track.
Remind Me (Intro): You guys know I’m not crazy about 26-second tracks, and this didn’t change my mind, especially since it sounds so wildly different from the song it is supposed to be an intro to.
Remind Me: Another song that really conflicted me. Once again, Em’s flow is strong as is his lyricism, and I find it fascinating that he tells the story of when he first met Kim and was carefree with her, but there are other problems with the song that I noticed: it samples “I Love Rock & Roll” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and while that’s interesting (and admittedly, it got me excited because I felt like this could be a second-coming of “Berserk”), in this case, it just makes the song feel a bit lazy. Not only that but since the hook goes back and forth between Joan and Eminem, it just doesn’t feel as clean to me, for some reason. Not a terrible track, but not all that great, for sure.
Revival (Interlude): I like Skylar Grey’s vocals on this short interlude, but again, I’m not all that crazy about sub-1 minute interludes on albums, and this one just didn’t win me over.
Like Home (ft. Alicia Keys): Eminem spends this song talking about Donald Trump, but disclaimer, he says at the beginning that you don’t have to agree with him, so don’t burn him at the stake, Trump supporters! Thanks. Anyway, I really like this track, in that I like how it feels like it's more hopeful that we’ll power through the Trump era and make America better on our own. And while I wouldn’t say this is one of Alicia Keys’ stronger hooks, it’s still pretty good. I liked this track!
Bad Husband (ft. X Ambassadors): This apology to Kim kind of comes out of nowhere after “Like Home,” and while Em’s flow and lyrics are on point (especially since it seems like he’s trying to be a bit more mature on this song), I’m not all that crazy about the beat on this one, and the hook from X Ambassadors’ is pretty weak. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely not one of my favorites on the album.
Tragic Endings (ft. Skylar Grey): I really love Skylar Grey’s hook on this song, and her voice is amazing, but I’m not really crazy about Em’s part because, while his flow is solid as always, I feel like his lyricism is not as clever as some of his other tracks, and the song can’t help but feel like another attempt at making “Love The Way You Lie.” Not one of the worst songs on the album, but if not for Skylar Grey’s hook, it would have been.
Framed: The hook on this one is downright terrible, and while, again, his flow is solid and his lyricism is pretty clever, the song just feels like something from the “Relapse” era and considering that Eminem doesn’t seem to like that album, I’m shocked he would go back to anything like that. The beat on this is also nothing that special. One of the weaker tracks on this album.
Nowhere Fast (ft. Kehlani): While I like Kehlani’s vocals on this song, I’m not too fond of the trap-flavored beat on this one. Em’s flow and lyrics are once again very strong, but the hook is nothing that special, unfortunately. It’s a bright song and I don’t think it’s one of the worst on the album, but it’s not all that great, unfortunately.
Heat: An unapologetically sex-driven song, this song actually feels relatively like some of Em’s old stuff, and I like his flow on this beat. And unlike quite a few of the instrumentals on the album, I actually do like this one a bit. Not really all that crazy about the hook, and I probably wouldn’t listen to it on repeat or anything, but it’s a solid track overall.
Offended: Oh, but if you thought the last track sounded like one of Em’s old songs, this one definitely feels like one of the old ones! His flow is some of the best on the album, and lyrically, this song feels like the old-school, unapologetic Eminem that wasn’t afraid to say a damn word. His hook interpolates a classic children’s rhyme, and it’s pretty charming honestly. Definitely one of the better songs on the album.
Need Me (ft. P!nk): P!nk sings a lot throughout this track, and as always, her vocals are beautiful. The rather bright, epic instrumental is also really great and I like the beat a whole lot on this one. And, as always, Em’s flow is really strong on this one. Even if it’s another track about relationships, it handles the topic really well and stays interesting. I kind of think it feels a bit more like P!nk’s song at some point, which makes me wonder why it wasn’t on “Beautiful Trauma,” but all in all, I do like this song a lot.
In Your Head: Eminem reflects on his career in this track, and while I like his flow a lot, and the beat is not all that bad, I just don’t find either of Em’s verses to be all that memorable. The song also samples “Zombies” by The Cranberries on the hook, and not only does it feel lazy, but in this case, but it just feels at odds with the rest of the song. I’m just not all that crazy about it.
Castle: This song is about Em’s daughter, Hallie, which is strange because, in the last track, he mentions that he “didn’t mean to make her eighty percent of his songs.” I don’t know, it just feels strange to me. Either way, I do like the kind of subdued hook on this, and once again, his flow is really strong. It’s not one of my favorites on the album, but I do think it’s a pretty solid song.
Arose: This song actually hit me emotionally. The song is about Eminem in 2007, about to die as a result of a fatal drug overdose, and the song kind of serves as his thoughts on his dying moments. Eventually, the song turns into an extension of “Castle” where he thanks the nurses for helping him live, and establishing that he is back and ready to keep releasing projects. His performance and lyrics are really emotional on this one, and it’s definitely a strong end to the album.
Overall, though, I’m not really sure what to think about the album: Em’s flow and lyricism, for the most part, is really on point, but it’s definitely really problematic: instrumentally, this is not one of his stronger albums, and unfortunately, I think he tries to take a few new directions that just don’t quite work on this thing. Sometimes, he tries to do something brand new and it doesn’t work, and other times, he rests on his laurels and just tries to make not-as-strong sequels to some of his older tracks. The album is also filled with largely hit-or-miss features, some great, some not all bad but not realizing their potential. All things considered, I’m disappointed to inform that, while I found quite a few highlights on this thing, the album is just too inconsistent to really stand next to Eminem’s stronger projects, and I can see this being one of the most polarizing albums in Eminem’s discography.
Sorry, Em.
Favorite tracks: Walk on Water, River, Like Home, Offended, Need Me, Arose
Least favorite tracks: Believe, Bad Husband, Framed, In Your Head
Rating: Okay
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