| "Darkness" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Eminem | ||||
| from the album Music to Be Murdered By | ||||
| Released | January 17, 2020 | |||
| Genre | Political hip hop | |||
| Length | 5:38 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Eminem singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Darkness" on YouTube | ||||
"Darkness" is a song by American rapper Eminem that was included in his eleventh studio album, Music to Be Murdered By (2020). The track's related music video was the first visual clip released on behalf of the album. "Darkness" came out as a lead single simultaneously with the rest of the album on January 17, 2020, with no prior announcement having been made. In terms of its lyrics, the song recounts the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas.[1][2][3]
In contrast to multiple previous songs commercially released by the artist during his career, "Darkness" is an explicitly socio-political protest song that condemns gun violence in the United States while additionally invoking the related cultural issues in America of psychological anxiety and substance abuse. Eminem also directly encourages his fans' efforts to register to vote. The song and its related video have been described as "bleak",[1] "chilling",[2] "dark",[3] and "stark",[1] given its emotional tone. Eminem takes on multiple perspectives within the production and prominently includes the point-of-view of the shooter himself in his rapping.[1][2][3]
"Darkness" has received mixed critical responses given its explicit content. U.S. news service The Atlantic stated in an article that it can be alternately assessed as glorifying gun violence and also as fighting against it, with journalist Spencer Kornhaber arguing that Eminem's deliberate embodying of the mass shooter's point-of-view throughout "Darkness" made it ethically flawed overall.[4] Commentary on Billboard.com described the release as "powerful" and also labeled Eminem with the title of a "Rap God".[3] CNN.com published an article regarding the song as "a poignant call for expanded gun control", noting the broader context of the artist's "outspoken" past ventures into U.S. politics such as criticizing the invasion of Iraq and other violent actions undertaken by then President George W. Bush in the 2000s.[1]
- ^ a b c d e Andrew, Scottie (January 17, 2020). "Eminem's new video for 'Darkness' recreates the 2017 Las Vegas shooting in a stark call for gun control". CNN.com. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
Fuwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c d Brandle, Lars (January 17, 2020). "Eminem's New 'Darkness' Music Video Is Darker Than It First Appears". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Kornhaberwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).