Recovery (Eminem album)
Recovery (stylized as RECOVƎRY) is the seventh studio album by the American rapper Eminem. It was released on June 18, 2010, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album serves as a follow-up to Relapse (2009). Production of the album took place during 2009 to 2010 at several recording studios and was handled by various record producers, including Alex da Kid, Just Blaze, Boi-1da, Jim Jonsin, DJ Khalil, Mr. Porter, and Dr. Dre. Eminem also collaborated with artists such as Pink, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, and Slaughterhouse for the album.
Recovery
June 18, 2010
2009–2010
Effigy (Detroit, Michigan)[1]
76:56
- Dr. Dre (also exec.)
- Alex da Kid
- Boi-1da
- DJ Khalil
- Emile
- Havoc
- JG
- Jim Jonsin
- Jordan Evans
- Just Blaze
- Eminem
- Magnedo7
- Makeba Riddick
- Matthew Burnett
- Mr. Porter
- Nick Brongers
- Supa Dups
- Script Shepherd
Recovery featured more introspective and emotional content than its predecessor and the theme of the album revolved around his positive changes, anxiety, and emotional drives. To promote it, Eminem performed the album's songs on televised shows, at award ceremonies, and musical events; he also headed The Recovery Tour.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 741,000 copies.[3] It also reached number one in 16 other countries. It spawned four singles: "Not Afraid", "Love the Way You Lie", "No Love", and "Space Bound", with the former two both reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Recovery was the best-selling album worldwide in 2010 and the best-selling album in the US in 2010. The album received generally positive reviews by critics and was widely regarded as an improvement to Relapse.
In 2022, Recovery was certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), becoming Eminem's third best-selling studio album behind The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) and The Eminem Show (2002).[4] At the 2011 Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year; the latter two were for "Love the Way You Lie". The album earned Eminem American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards, among other awards.
Themes and composition[edit]
The album was dedicated "To anyone who's in a dark place tryin' to get out. Keep your head up... It does get better!"[15] Eminem told Billboard that he was in "full-blown addiction" while recording Encore. He felt happier and "first got sober" during the recording of Relapse, having overcome his addiction. While recording Relapse, he admitted that he had not been "paying attention to what the average listener might like or not like." Just Blaze, the first producer of the album said, "[Eminem] already knew what sort of mistakes he has made with the previous album and where he wanted to go from there." Thus, Recovery was more "emotionally driven" than Relapse, which was, as he explains, "[just] rap records."[16] In contrast to Eminem's previous work, the album features no skits,[17] and downplays his Slim Shady alter ego.[18]
The record opens with "Cold Wind Blows" in which Eminem discusses his "doomed love for his ex-wife" and about "settling scores with rival celebs."[19] In "Talkin' 2 Myself", he states the harm caused to his image with lyrics such as: "Encore' I was on drugs, 'Relapse' I was flushing them out."[20] "On Fire" is about "a murder-and-dismemberment fantasy"[19] and "Won't Back Down", which featured Pink, was a rap rock song.[21] The singing to "W.T.P." ("White-Trash Party") is considered similar to his early records with lighter and simple rhythmic frame.[20] "Going Through Changes", which samples Black Sabbath's "Changes", depicts Eminem's sorrow and shows himself trapped within fame.[22] "Not Afraid", a mid-tempo song, focuses on personal changes in Eminem, including an end to drug abuse, feuds and violence.[23]
Idolator commented that the song was based on the "dark days Eminem has lived through," and "he seems to be at peace with himself now."[24] A writer for MuchMusic website noted that Eminem chose to use his Marshall Mathers ego for the song, rather than Slim Shady.[25]
"No Love" features Lil Wayne as a hype man. Eminem's verses follow Lil Wayne, and according to Sam Wolfson of NME were "the best verses of his career."[26] The meaning of "Space Bound" is deemed ambiguous and according to Sasha Grey who is featured in its video, the meaning can be interpreted "in many ways."[27] Jim Jonsin of MTV spoke about Eminem's two egos seen in the video and compared it to Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" video while Grey believed that the alternate Eminem who appears in the car is his subconscious.[27][28]
"Cinderella Man" has a "festive beat" and "the template of every album since Encore (2004)," with many minor keys and traces of post-grunge rock.[19] "25 to Life" shows his discomfiture and depicts that the "selfish bitch" pulling him back "these days is rap itself."[29] Despite the lyrics being tighter throughout the album, "So Bad" and "Almost Famous" view the other side of Slim Shady; his alter ego.[20] The hip-hop ballad "Love the Way You Lie", which features Rihanna, describes a couple's refusal to separate despite having an abusive relationship. Rihanna sings the chorus, backed by an electric guitar and a piano,[30][31] while acoustic guitar, violin and drums accompany Eminem's verses.[30][32] Rihanna's singing expresses "grief and regret" throughout the song.[33]
Album covers and art direction[edit]
The album's artwork featured two covers: one with Eminem walking down a country road and another with him sitting in a transparent living room in the middle of Detroit with the Renaissance Center in the background. The album's liner featured pictures of Eminem such as a picture of him praying and him posing without a shirt on.[15]
The album's alternate cover also inspired Drake's album, Views (2016), which showed him sitting on top of Toronto's CN Tower,[83] and respectively YoungBoy Never Broke Again's Don't Try This at Home (2023), depicting YoungBoy standing at the bottom of a steamboat across the Horace Wilkinson Bridge in Baton Rouge.[84]
Commercial performance[edit]
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 741,000 copies.[3] It became Eminem's sixth album to debut at number one in the United States.[113] In its second week of release it remained at number-one and sold 313,000 copies.[114] It also entered at number one on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap Albums chart.[115][116] In its ninth week of release the album remained at number one for its seventh non-consecutive week and sold 116,000 copies.[117] By March 2011, the album was number one on the all-time list of albums with the most digital sales, with over 922,000 copies digitally sold at the time.[118] As of July 2011, the album broke the digital record and became the first album to sell one million digital copies.[119] It held the record for most digital albums sold, but was later outsold by Adele's 21 album.[120] On August 18, 2011, the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in shipments and sales.[121] As of November 13, 2013, the album has sold 4,513,000 copies in the United States and by August 6, 2018, the album hit nearly 4,830,000.[122] Since its United States release, the album spent a total of 27 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, which is more than any other hip-hop album since 2003.[123] It spent seven weeks at number one in both the US & UK amongst other nations.[124]
The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 140,000 copies in its first week in the United Kingdom.[125] In Canada, the album sold 85,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number one on Canada's Albums Chart.[126] The album spent six consecutive weeks at number one,[127] and retook the top spot after one week at number two.[128] As of January 2020, the album has sold 613,000 copies in Canada.[128] In Japan, Oricon recorded a debut of number six with 20,678 units sold.[129] It also went gold in its first week in New Zealand and Australia, debuting at number one in both countries.[130][131] The album has since sold over 210,000 copies in Australia, certifying it triple platinum.[132]
By the end of its release year, Recovery had sold over 5.7 million copies worldwide.[133] It was one of the best-selling album of 2010 in the United States with 3.4 million copies, and it had sold 2.3 million copies in other territories for a total of 5.7 million copies worldwide by December 2010.[134][135] According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, it was also the best-selling album of 2010 worldwide.[136] The album was the best-selling album in Canada in 2010 selling 435,000 copies; more than double the album in second place.[137] Recovery was the third best-selling album of 2010 in Australia.[138] Since its release in 2010, the album has sold approximately 20 million copies worldwide.[139]
The tracks "Ridaz" and "Session One" were added to Spotify in 2020[141]
Notes
Sample credits