ebetty

trigger warning(?)

eminem collaborated with rihanna. do you see where this is going?

“love the way you lie” off of eminems upcoming album, recovery, was recently leaked.

the song is about an abusive relationship mostly from the man’s vantage point. it describes incredible highs (Cause when it’s going good//It’s going great//I’m Superman) and lows so crushing it jeopardizes identity (But when it’s bad//It’s awful//I feel so ashamed//…//Who’s that dude//I don’t even know his name.) the attraction and repulsion of this relationship ends in the woman’s death. (If she ever tries to f—g leave again//I’ma tie her to the bed//And set the house on fire.) in this narrative, the consequences of a woman leaving an abusive relationship is burning to death in her own home.

rihanna sings the heartrending hook.

six going on seven albums, it is almost expected that eminem abuse women in his songs. we’ve seen it before (see: “stan” feat. dido music video .) but it is my hope that most will agree his recruiting rihanna for this track is a particularly sinister continuation of her very public history of abuse.

i’m finding it very hard to see anything redeeming about this. it perpetuates a very twisted understanding of love & relationship. and the track is catchy. i wouldn’t be surprised if it is the first single of the album. i ask myself, what is the message? can we truly dismiss this as two artists singing about their experience? what was rihanna’s ...