“The Monster” is a song by American rapper Eminem, featuring guest vocals from Barbadian singer Rihanna, taken from Eminem’s eighth studio album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013). Eminem isn’t one for holding back. Throughout his career, Slim Shady has used a rhyme book as a canvas to draw out his deep-rooted feelings, inner demons and wildest fantasies. “The Monster” was released on October 29, 2013, as the fourth single from the album. The song’s lyrics present Rihanna coming to grips with her inner demons, while Eminem ponders the negative effects of his fame.
Actually, this is a love story between Eminem and Rihanna. First, I want to share the background of this song to you. “The Monster” did not begin its life as a direct rewrite, though. The main melodic hook was written by young recording artist Bebe Rexha while working on her own album, before she pitched it to Eminem. (The main writer of “Love the Way You Lie,” pop singer-songwriter Skylar Grey, wasn’t involved.) Em then took Rexha’s composition into the studio with producer Bryan “Frequency” Fryzel, wrote his rhymes on top and invited Rihanna to sing the hook; Rexha’s original background vocals were left intact, deep in the mix. “The Monster” may well improve on its predecessor in catchiness, but it can’t match Eminem’s and Rihanna’s previous smash for soul-baring revelation and the sense of the new. It’s hard to imagine “Monster” having the legacy that “Lie” had. But as pastiche, it’s an apt 2013-closing smash—it will likely rule the Hot 100 long enough to last through the holidays, bringing one of the more frustrating, patchworky years on the pop charts to a close.
Furthermore, the words of the song is very beautiful. For example:
I wanted the fame, but not the cover of Newsweek
Oh, well, guess beggars can’t be choosey
Wanted to receive attention for my music
Wanted to be left alone in public. Excuse me
For wanting my cake and eat it too, and wanting it both ways
Fame made me a balloon ’cause my ego inflated
When I blew; see, but it was confusing
“The Monster” may well improve on its predecessor in catchiness, but it can’t match Eminem’s and Rihanna’s previous smash for soul-baring revelation and the sense of the new. It’s hard to imagine “Monster” having the legacy that “Lie” had. The song focuses on Eminem’s ongoing struggles with fame, and his desire to live a normal life. In conclusion, when I listened to this song, I really appreciate it not only because of the background love story, but also the melody is really attractive.
work cited
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=31249
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monster_(song)
This is one of my favorite songs from Eminem!
I think what makes this song ambigorous is the lyrics “I’m friends with the monster that under my bed, go along with the voices inside my head.” Well, my interpretation for the “moster” is the fame he has. Although he has millions of fans, he just wants to be left alone sometimes and be himself. This song shows his struggle about it.
Good Post, Stella! And thanks for visiting my site!
Thanks Stella! It’s a wonderful song in many ways. At one level it is classic Eminem singing about his life and feelings and just being Slim Shady or Marshall Mathers or whoever. On another level there’s the whole question of the Monster, the madness and what it means to be friends with that construct.
Personally, I like this one a lot more than Love the Way You Lie, which also tells a story but with a very different musical theme. For me the Monster has a lot more drive and verve and even if there were no lyrics would be well worth listening to.
I love the meaning to this song and the background. Whenever eminem and rihanna share a single together, they never fail to make it great. I personally prefer Love the Way You Lie more. It felt i guess, “stronger” and more feeling then The Monster but none the less, it was a good song still