A Retrospective Look: The Relapse Era

[Devil'sAdvocate]

Even if Relapse was ehhhh, I find myself missing the Relapse era more than anything right now.

At the time the album leaked and the first couple of weeks after the album was officially made available, whether or not we thought the album sucked...it was still new material for the fans (the real fans who literally waited 5 years). Yes, the accents were horrible and the entire album was centered around rape and serial killing.. BUT, you still felt like the album was made for his fans. His real fans.

This album had the least commercial appeal to it compared to previous albums, which I can highly appreciate. This is Eminem, who put's out what he wants to put out and doesn't follow any bullshit trends. We Made You received less airplay than any of his previous first singles, 3 am was just way too dark for any station to bump, and Beautiful had okay air time. Other than that, the whole album had an underground feel to it. Eminem as an artist became a little more underground, too.

Now that we're well into the Recovery era, while I think it's a good album and better than Relapse....this is just not the album I wanted EMINEM to put out. Too mainstream, a complete lack of any kind of aggression and just way too girl/radio friendly. I can't even tell you how many girls I'm seeing now in love with Love The Way You Lie.

It's like EVERYONE is an Eminem fan now because he pushed himself back into the mainstream. Yes, he was huge in the mainstream and everybody loved him when he came up from 99 to 03, but he didn't water down his music. It was music for his real fans, first of all.. and because he was so good, everybody else had to love it too. Now it just feels like he's going entirely for the mainstream, completely forced.

[Devil'sAdvocate]

EmBase murked this thread.

[GenePeer]

WTF do you mean by mainstream? mass appeal? if so, i don't think it's mainstream. This album has got so many curses and his angry delivery makes it hard to listen to most of it close to my parents. I put on Eminem Show almost every single day with no worries. How can you say this is more mainstream that TES? And just to get things clear... you're mad at Eminem for making songs many girls like? selfish bitch

[luquew]

i hope his next album is more of a i dont give a fuck

yh i hate seeing girls and fake eminem fans listening to the soft songs and singles, e.g not afriad love the way you lie!
its all about songs like Kill You and just don't give a fuck!

[classthe_king]

class, what do you think of On Fire/Going Through Changes/Love The Way You Lie?

All very well-written songs.

I think Love The Way You Lie is the best song on the album. It's one of the only songs I've listened to more then once

[Scrubz]

^ Total nonsense. You have no idea what you're talking about.

Themes of this album of complex and well done. It's metaphors, similes, purposeful contradictions / complexities throughout. It's pure lyricism.

As for Pink / Rhianna on there - Pink has roots in punk and Em sees her as a rebel, he likes her. So just because you don't doesn't mean he has to adhere to that too. As for Rhianna - the track is about domestic abuse and what happened to Rhianna lately? Exactly that. Using her on that track was a brilliant choice. He's perceived as a fucked up psycho wife beater in his music and she was recently beat up by a man herself. The fact that she's a huge name simply intensifies the situation, the paradox here is a wonderful idea.

Just because there's a few songs on there about love doesn't make them or the album mainstream. Mainstream doesn't own love. Mean people feel love to you know lmao, he is a human being. But he in no way dumbed down his execution, he complicated it. "Space Bound"... Mainstream? Get real.

At the end of the track he strangles the woman then blows his brains out. Yeah, how pop.

Him not on all the hooks was a creative choice. You can only take choruses so far with rapping, he's quite clearly trying to reach higher artistic strides with his music and isn't the best singer. It's also a way of adding in spice at this point and changing it up. He normally does everything, he needs to try new things. And he is not AT ALL trying to do what other rappers do. Trying to say this album or Eminem as an artist is mainstream in his intent or execution is just ridiculous. And with that said, me even arguing with somebody who thinks that is pointless. You're 100% wrong. Done.

I completely agree, i dont think the guy knows what hes talking about, the album is fine.

[Scrubz]

class, what do you think of On Fire/Going Through Changes/Love The Way You Lie?

All very well-written songs.

I think Love The Way You Lie is the best song on the album. It's one of the only songs I've listened to more then once

Why do you even come on the board? if you didnt like it then you should have peaced after it leaked.

[Scrubz]

i hope his next album is more of a i dont give a fuck

yh i hate seeing girls and fake eminem fans listening to the soft songs and singles, e.g not afriad love the way you lie!
its all about songs like Kill You and just don't give a fuck!

I hate fans like this, you think its only okay if hardcore em fans listen. wtf? Who gives a fuck who listens to the album, the more the merrier. I was 10 when the sslp came out, did you hate me for listening to that back then?

[MikeNUFC]

class, what do you think of On Fire/Going Through Changes/Love The Way You Lie?

All very well-written songs.

I think Love The Way You Lie is the best song on the album. It's one of the only songs I've listened to more then once

Why do you even come on the board? if you didnt like it then you should have peaced after it leaked.

So it's okay for people to leave millions of posts saying why the love it, but not why people don't? It's a DISCUSSION board - without negative opinion this place would be boring as fuck.

Unfortunately all these new members just seem to jump on anyone who doesnt like something Eminem-related. Not Afraid and Recovery will be the death of this place.

[classthe_king]

Word to Mike. I came because of old Em. He sucks not and I'm goona voice my opinion lmao. I stay because of basically every section besides the eminem section, expecially audio+CW