Eminem just released his first single in two years, and it features Beyoncé.
No, you didn’t read that incorrectly.
Eminem and Beyoncé formed an unlikely alliance on the rapper’s new single, “Walk On Water,” from his upcoming album that is rumored to be titled Revival.
While it’s difficult to list many similarities between the two artists, the content of “Walk On Water” showcases one way the artists can relate to one another: Their challenge to rise to wildly high expectations set by their fans.
Throughout the song, Eminem raps around Beyoncé’s haunting chorus, “I walk on water, but I ain’t no Jesus.”
Coming off as a little cheesy at times, Eminem talks about the struggle to live up to the hype created by his last album—perhaps explaining why it’s been two years since Eminem released any music—with lines like, “Kids look to me like as a god, this is retarded / If only they knew, it’s a facade and it’s exhaustive / And I try to not listen to nonsense / But if you bitches are trying to strip me of my confidence.”
Well, it looks like they didn’t let any fans down with this particular single. Lovers of both artists reacted pretty favorably when the track went live on Friday.
https://twitter.com/JeffreeStar/status/929038048880463872
https://twitter.com/arianatorhill/status/929036389949366272
https://twitter.com/louisa/status/929035942295457793
https://twitter.com/pricisionart/status/929035648438358016
There were a few Beyoncé fans out there, however, who remain mystified as to why she agreed to collaborate with Slim Shady.
https://twitter.com/Fergyonce/status/929037027445805056
Listen, we are going to pretend this Eminem and Beyoncé song did not happen. It does not exist. Everyone makes mistakes. Beyoncé just made her first. We are giving her the benefit of the doubt. pic.twitter.com/rOeHT94qrc
— jon (@prasejeebus) November 10, 2017
https://twitter.com/clearlyiconic/status/929038296512155648
https://twitter.com/YoungBossquiat/status/929035771960545280
https://twitter.com/_hoemo/status/929036584300802048
Of course, there were also the individuals out there who were just relieved to get a news break from talking about Taylor Swift’s Reputation, which was released on the same day, and were more than pleased to see her spotlight taken away for a little while.
https://twitter.com/RealLifeKaz/status/929035397199552513
https://twitter.com/xitschristina/status/929039942440779777
https://twitter.com/imyahitchiker/status/929037891791196160
Eminem first hinted about the forthcoming album on Nov. 8, when he shared a “revival” prescription pad that said, “‘Walk on Water.’ Take as need.”
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) November 8, 2017
While the release date hasn’t been announced yet, fans suspect the rapper has new music planned for his Saturday Night Live performance scheduled for Nov. 18.
Listen to the full track below:
