The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)

Did You Know?

• The track "Habits" contains excerpts from the South Park episode "Safe Space," spoken by Alex Ruiz.
• "Lucifer" samples "Land of Milk and Honey" by Mouth and MacNeal.
• "Houdini" samples "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller Band and interpolates "Without Me" by Eminem.

Background

Eminem referenced his Slim Shady alter ego in earlier songs such as "My Name Is" (1999) and "The Real Slim Shady" (2000). The persona, associated with his bleached blonde hair and provocative stage presence, was described by Time in 2002 as a "nightmare projection" and "raging fantasy id." On March 19, 2024, Dr. Dre announced on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that Eminem was working on a new album due that year. During the NFL draft in Detroit on April 26, Eminem shared a video styled after the crime show Unsolved Mysteries, posing the question "Who killed Slim Shady?" The teaser featured a reporter listing Shady's enemies, with commentary from 50 Cent, and included clips of "My Name Is," "The Real Slim Shady," and "Without Me." The album and its release date were revealed at the end of the 56-second video. A fake obituary for Slim Shady appeared in the May 13 issue of the Detroit Free Press, showing Eminem in overalls and a hockey mask, with text describing the character's "complex and tortured existence." On May 21, Eminem posted a cryptic video of an iMessage to "All Contacts" reading "...and for my last trick!" and changed his social media profile pictures to a rabbit-in-a-top-hat emoji, sparking retirement speculation. He revealed the album cover on July 9 and released the album three days later. On July 11, Eminem posted a public service announcement that the album is "conceptual" and advised listening to songs in order.

Singles

The lead single "Houdini" was previewed on May 28, 2024, via a video with magician David Blaine, and released on May 31 with a music video. It reached number one in twelve countries and on the Global 200. The second single "Tobey," a collaboration with Big Sean and BabyTron, was teased on June 28 and released on July 2; a Lyrical Lemonade music video followed on July 8 after a three-day delay. The third single "Somebody Save Me," featuring Jelly Roll, was released on July 19, with a music video on August 21.

Critical reception

The album received generally mixed reviews. The Detroit Free Press praised its "tight" production and "dependably clever" wordplay, comparing it to The Eminem Show and Encore. Complex called it "just vintage Slim Shady shit." Billboard highlighted "Somebody Save Me" as the best track, calling it a "teary-eyed end to the Slim Shady journey." Clash noted it "doesn't quite feel like an ending" but features some of Eminem's best rapping in decades. The Independent gave two out of five stars, arguing the album indulges offensive wordplay under the guise of struggling against the Shady persona. Cult MTL's Mr. Wavvy called it Eminem's "strongest album in over a decade." The Daily Telegraph's Neil McCormick described it as "funny, shocking, contradictory, utterly outrageous." Rolling Stone criticized Eminem for clinging to outdated opinions. Billboard's Damien Scott ranked it sixth among Eminem's albums, calling it "the most Slim Shady album since Relapse."

Commercial performance

In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 281,000 album-equivalent units, including 114,000 downloads and 164,500 streaming-equivalent units. It became Eminem's eleventh number-one album, tying him with Barbra Streisand, Kanye West, and Bruce Springsteen. It was the fastest-selling rap album of 2024 and had the second-highest digital sales week behind Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department, which it unseated after twelve weeks. After physical and deluxe editions, it rebounded from number forty-two to number seven, then to number six after vinyl release, selling over 49,000 units. By end of 2024, it moved 999,000 album-equivalent units. In the UK, it opened at number one with 45,000 units and stayed for three weeks, also topping charts in fourteen other countries including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.