Just a week before his ninth album, Revival, is set to be released, Eminem is finally giving us a preview of his first solo effort in four years. Produced by Rick Rubin, “Walk on Water” features a sparse arrangement of keyboards and strings and a gospel-influenced hook courtesy of Beyoncé. The single is both contemplative and combative, with Em offering a glimpse into his creative process: “The rhyme has to be perfect, the delivery flawless/And it always feels like I’m hittin’ the mark/’Til I go sit in the car and pick it apart.” The rapper chronicles his battles with success, drug addition, and inevitable “sales decline,” growing more bellicose as he declares he’ll be the one to decide when he takes his final bow. Even at 45, Eminem admits he’s still “at times juvenile,” eschewing political correctness with epithets like “retarded” and boasts about his writing credits (“Bitch, I wrote ‘Stan’!”).
Listen below:
Revival drops November 17th.
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