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Before the release of his new album, The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), Eminem made it a point to advise fans to listen to it in order, as he wrote it as a concept album and really wanted them to understand the story. However, once you plant the seeds of deeper meaning, there will always be those who can’t resist drilling down even more, hoping to find the meaning behind the meaning (I blame Christopher Nolan for this).
And, of course, as with so many concept albums before it, fans are convinced you can glean this extra meaning by playing the album back-to-front. It’s no surprise; in 2017, Kendrick Lamar confirmed that the story on DAMN. works in reverse, and yes, many (many) rock albums were accused of having backmasked messages during the satanic panic of the ’80s. But is Eminem’s new album really meant to be played back-to-front? These fans seem to think so:
EMINEM YOU CLEVER FUCK!!!! THE ALBUM IS IN REVERSE!!!!#TheDeathOfSlimShady @rosenberg @Eminem @ImStevieKnight @theknoxhill pic.twitter.com/xNOjzJg9fg
— Daniel (@Pecora_boy123) July 15, 2024
“The Death of Slim Shady” in reverse is a whole new story, Slim Shady ends up killing Eminem Eminem created a masterpiece with this album no cap
— Shady Times (@ShadyTimes) July 15, 2024
So I just listened to The Death Of Slim Shady in reverse…
If you listen to it how Eminem told us to, Slim Shady dies
BUT
If you listen to it in reverse, Eminem dies… pic.twitter.com/5i9TeKeoa4
— Kewin (@spiderthenics) July 12, 2024
The Death Of Slim Shady is meant the be listened to in reverse, it tell the story of Eminem’s career.
Here is my outlook and explanation as to why you listen backwards:
19 Suicidal Era After Infinite/After recording Rock Bottom (Original Demo)
18 Slim Shady EP
17 Tobey is…
— クリス (@kuryizu) July 15, 2024
However, others are convinced that the album is meant to be played on repeat instead:
MOTHERFUCKERS I THINK I FIGURED IT OUT!!
(Thread)
It’s not reverse, it’s a loop!!
Eminem said in GC2 that he woke up from a dream but it was like he was still dreaming BINGO!!
Because this is the story of what happens in Eminem mind
Eminem kills shady but because of the addiction pic.twitter.com/8ragQmMXsv
— Efexity (@efexity) July 16, 2024
Meanwhile, still others think everyone is just doing too much and needs to calm down:
PLEASE DO NOT TELL ME ONE MORE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE ALBUM IN REVERSE ORDER. People are reaching hard. It does not unlock new dimension or mean another album is coming. Plus Eminem literally told us to listen to the album in order. Just stop
— Kat (@ghettogospell_) July 16, 2024
I suppose the answer, like art, is subjective — and depends on whether you have been one of those begging for Eminem to let go of the “Slim Shady” persona for the past 20 years or a Stan who wants “Slim Shady” to live forever so you never have to learn anyone’s preferred pronouns.
