In the past 48 hours, Eminem has been on a tear. After his performance at the BET Cypher, Em was trending all day over his four minute lyrical roast of President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, rumors of an upcoming album release continue to swirl, and Em's increasing activity has only poured gasoline on that speculative fire. Now, a new collaboration between Eminem and Pink has dropped, and although it's not set to appear on Em's as of yet announced album, he still comes through with a verse that's sure to please fans of his poppier work.
Unfortunately, the intensity of Em's lyrical Trump onslaught is nowhere to be seen here, and in contrast, we get a more subdued performance from the veteran. Over a bouncy, radio friendly instrumental, Eminem revisits some of his favorite themes, which aren't exactly aging that well. In "Revenge," Em once again plays the part of a lover scorned, revisiting territory he once so ably crossed on classics like "Love You More" and Obie Trice's "Hey Lady." Here, however, it sounds like Marshall is simply going through the motions, and his impassioned cry of "SLUTTTTTT" almost feels like self parody at this point.
Still, his flow is solid, and his ear for crafting melodies remains tight, even when his subject matter is forgettable. As for Pink, well, she quarterbacks this one for the most part, alternating between singing and rapping with a playful demeanor. However, "Revenge" fails to live up to their previous collaboration "Won't Back Down," and unless you're a Stan for either artist, you'd probably be better off holding off until Em drops his official first single. It's somewhat disheartening to see Em, the man who once cause pop stars to hide beneath their covers in sheer terror, so frequently collaborating with the very people he once despised.
Despite that, Em's BET Cypher clearly proves that he still has a lot to say, so perhaps his upcoming album will pick up where that left off.
Quotable Lyrics
In the beginning we felt like we was meant to be
I fell for you and skinned my knee
But hell with any injury, eventually
You'll get up gingerly
Feels like it'll take a century to heal but just know that I will