I think that this review should have pointed out the fact that this song is talking about his tumultuous relationship with his ex, Kim. This is the first time he has opened up about the situation he was in. And whether or not it is telling us exactly what happened (probably not), the song is unarguably entirely about domestic violence. It is a first-person account from the abuser in the relationship, telling of a love-hate relationship - snapping at the sight of another guy, yelling and being blinded by rage, regret and remorse for his actions, begging her not to leave but with no intentions of changing his mindset: “I know I’m a liar, if she ever tries to f***ing leave again / I’mma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire”. Please take note that the song is pointing out the fact that DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS BAD, and whether or not you take the song in a positive or negative light is depends on how you feel about how the way the message is delivered. I personally believe that it is an emotional and regretful account, so I view it positively. But is delivered with dark recollections of violence. - Aside from the controversial message, Em drops the f-bomb three times, once in each verse (which is extremely tame for him) and makes a metaphor using “high”, “drunk” and “huffing paint”. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
When Eminem's "Recovery" leaked to the masses, "Love the Way You Lie" became an instant sleeper hit purely from word-of-mouth. The promotion the song received is the reason why it has shot up to #1 on iTunes. And it certainly deserves its spot. “Love the Way You Lie” has a beat I haven’t ever heard from the top 40 - an acoustic guitar, a bass, backbeat handclaps and a thumping bass drum is all that backs Em up as he spits remorseful confliction in each verse. Then Rihanna (ironically) delivers a solemn/brilliant hook over a swell of electric guitars, synthesizers, and that piano that seems to be all over mainstream right now. This simple beat, Rihanna’s hook and Eminem’s aggressive and emotional rapping comes together to somehow create the most addictive/original song I’ve heard for a long time.