I planned on writing about Marshall Mathers' ninth album next week, you know after it came out. But after just one song, I don't think I can keep my mouth shut.

Holy shit, I think this man has officially lost it.

I feel like I grew up listening to Eminem. When I was in my single digits he was the hottest rapper getting radio play. He was writing his own crazy success story against all of the odds. He was a white boy from Detroit doing something that only African Americans did. It's been well documented that he had to deal with so much crap while trying to do this. But he did it. He made it. When rappers make it they either become sellouts or they run the game. There's no denying that Eminem ran the game in the late 90s and early 2000s. It wasn't because he was white. Being white had nothing to do with the words he wrote (other than the words where he talked about being white). He ran the game because he was amazing.

In 2004 he started to fall off. The drugs really began to take their toll on him. By 2007, he was near death because of them. After getting himself clean and getting himself right he returned to music in 2009 with a subpar album called Relapse. He was clearly different from before the drug overdoses but he was showing promise that this essentially reborn Eminem could still do it. In 2010, he proved to everyone that he could still do it. He released two number one singles that year and took home multiple Grammys for his efforts.

But after that, he just became kind of...bleh. And it pains me to say that because of how much I love Eminem, but it's true. He was mediocre on his 2011 collab with Royce da 5'9" and he was odd on his 2013 album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. There were a few bright spots on the album but it wasn't nearly as good as Recovery had been three years prior.

After a few years off, and a couple of random releases that were essentially recycled versions of "Not Afraid," Eminem stormed back by dissing the shit out of Donald Trump and subsequently announced the future release of Revival, which will drop on November 17th. Since I ultimately believe that Eminem has been a shadow of himself for the last seven years, I don't know what to think of the album. I can't help but be excited about it but at the same time, I'm scared for it.

The lead single, "Walk on Water," featuring Queen Beyoncé Knowles-Carter dropped on Friday and it was...interesting. For one, this is not the type of song you release as a lead single on an album. This is a slow, awkwardly mixed track featuring an icon singing the hook. This kind of song is more third or fourth single material. The lead single is supposed to get everyone hyped for the album. I am definitely not that hyped about the album after this. When I heard songs like Kendrick's "The Heart Part IV" or Kesha's "Praying" I got genuinely excited for their albums. I was already scared for Em's new album. That feeling of being scared has doubled.

Aside from being an awkward lead single, the song is just weird. He's basically talking about all of the same shit he's talked about since "Not Afraid." I understand that it's a huge deal. He made it through two really difficult challenges: growing up as an aspiring rapper in Detroit and getting through serious drug addiction. But for God's sake man, it's time to get some fresh material. So much crap has happened since 2010. He already dissed the crap out of Trump, he could have done it again! Plus, the mix of the song features crumpling up of paper during the chorus...Like what? Let Beyoncé sing! Eminem was lucky she was even on the track. Apparently Jay-Z had to seriously talk her into collaborating with Eminem, which is pathetic.

Eminem featured on P!nk's song, "Revenge," off of her new album. His verse was sick! That song is dope! I was pleasantly surprised. That was a month ago. Things have changed drastically. This song has left me genuinely concerned for Eminem's new album. 2017 has been so great to me, and well, everyone else with music. This would be extremely disappointing for me if this album is trash and that is how the year ended for me musically.

Revival drops on the 17th of November. I will be biting my fingernails until then.