After a month-long breadcrumb trail teasing a comeback, Eminem has finally put to rest the guessing game as to whether or not a Revival is in the works. And it is nothing like the antics we’ve come to expect. In fact, it’s deep as fuck.
Enlisting the world's biggest pop star Beyoncé might seem like a curious choice for rap’s most enigmatic figure, but maybe it isn’t totally off-base. Despite stylistic differences, they are closer to being contemporaries with similar timelines and trajectories than they are opposing forces. “Walk on Water” reintroduces Beyoncé as a subdued singer instead of her than her larger-than-life Lemonade persona, which ignites a whole lot of feels.
“Walk on Water” finds self-proclaimed “Rap God” Eminem flirting with existential self-awareness. Legacy and mortality have overwritten shaming fellow celebs or praising his own skills behind the mic. Against a gentle wave of piano and violin strings, Em’s voice takes center stage and embraces the cadence of a theatrical aside or internal monologue to what feels like a final act. In order to be revived, something has to have died, right? Or was this humble, soul-searching, Eminem there all along?
As we struggle to find answers within ourselves (because yeah, the song challenges us to take a deep dive into our own shit) Eminem summons a familiar fire during final moments of the track (a total digression from the consistent orchestral church-vibes): “As long as I’ve got a mic I’m Godlike/so you and me are not alike/ Bitch, I wrote ‘Stan’.”
Grab a life vest and call your life coach, because Queen Bey and Slim Shady's anti-ballad is about to mess you up.
Listen below:
