Relapse (Eminem album)

Relapse
The cover image features a pill filled face of Eminem. At bottom-left title: RELAPSE, appears in bold and capitalised format.
Studio album by
Eminem
ReleasedMay 15, 2009 (2009-05-15)
Recorded2005–2009
Studio
Genre
Length76:05
Label
Producer
Eminem chronology
Curtain Call: The Hits
(2005) 		Relapse
(2009) 		Relapse: Refill
(2009)
Singles from Relapse
  1. "Crack a Bottle"
    Released: February 2, 2009
  2. "We Made You"
    Released: April 7, 2009
  3. "3 a.m."
    Released: April 23, 2009
  4. "Old Time's Sake"
    Released: June 2, 2009
  5. "Beautiful"
    Released: August 11, 2009

Relapse is the sixth studio album by American rapper Eminem, released in Germany and a few other countries on May 15, 2009, and in the US on May 19, 2009, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album marks Eminem's return after a four-year hiatus due to writer's block and an addiction to prescription sleeping medication. The album features the most production work by Dr. Dre on any Eminem album, with Dre producing all but one song, which was produced by Eminem. Mark Batson collaborated with Dre on several songs, while Eminem, Dawaun Parker, and Trevor Lawrence Jr. collaborated with Dre on one song each.

Relapse is a concept album that revolves around horror, drug rehabilitation and relapse. A return of his Slim Shady alter ego, Eminem stated that the album's theme was more reminiscent of The Slim Shady LP (1999) and The Marshall Mathers LP (2000).[4] In September 2007, Dr. Dre stated his intention to dedicate two months to the production of the album.[5] Working with Dr. Dre allowed Eminem to pick the beats from Dr. Dre's catalog that challenged his rhythm to experiment with different flows.[6] During the recording period, a handful of songs intended for Relapse were leaked on the Internet.[7]

One of the most anticipated albums of 2009, Relapse debuted atop the Billboard 200, selling 608,000 copies in its first week.[8] It also reached number one in 12 other countries. It spawned five singles: "Crack a Bottle", "We Made You", "3 a.m.", "Old Time's Sake", and "Beautiful". The first of which peaked the Billboard Hot 100, while others also entered the chart. Relapse was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Critically, the album received mixed responses upon release. Reviewers generally praised its production, but were divided in their responses towards the writing and overuse of accents throughout the album. Nonetheless, it won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, while "Crack a Bottle" won for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Despite the lukewarm reception upon its initial release, Relapse has been the subject of re-evaluation from both fans and critics over the years. This has resulted in the album developing a strong cult following, while also being viewed more positively as occupying a unique position within Eminem's wider discography.[9][10][11][12][13]

  1. ^ Christgau, Robert (May 20, 2009). "Eminem: A "Relapse" of Horror?". NPR. Archived from the original on May 26, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  2. ^ Ketchum III, William (October 31, 2016). "In Defense Of Eminem's Horrorcore Masterpiece: "Relapse"". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference rsreview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Eminem Full Interview on MTV Germany (2009, Part I)". YouTube. May 2009. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference nme was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference rs3am was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference DecBillboard was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Caulfield, Keith (May 27, 2009). "Eminem's "Relapse" Tops Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  9. ^ Bierut, Patrick (May 15, 2022). "'Relapse': The True Marvel Of Eminem's Sinister Return To Hip-Hop". Udiscovermusic.com. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  10. ^ Thomas Hobbs (October 15, 2018). "Why Eminem Needs to Stop Dismissing "Relapse"". Highsnobiety.com. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  11. ^ Landry, Drew (May 15, 2019). "Eminem 'Relapse': 5 Most Disgusting Songs, Ranked". DJBooth. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  12. ^ "Revisiting Eminem's "Relapse" 10 years later - The Diamondback". Dbknews.com. May 16, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  13. ^ "Fantano on Album's He's Never Reviewed". NFR Podcast. August 21, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2024.