Eminem has managed to leave fans in tears with “Temporary,” a song from his new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) dedicated to his daughter Hailie Jade.
The somber, piano-driven track is a heart-rending ode to his eldest child and even features her vocals on the song in the form of childhood recordings.
Also featuring frequent collaborator Skylar Grey on the hook, “Temporary” is intended for Hailie to listen to after her father has passed away, with lyrics such as: “So Hailie Jade, I wrote you this song/ To help you cope with life now that I’m gone.”
Em also urges his 28-year-old daughter to look after her siblings and her uncle when he’s no longer around: “Look after Alaina, Stevie and Uncle Nate/ And sweetie, be strong, I know I was your rock.”
The rapper’s voice even breaks slightly when he says the next line: “And I still am, saying goodbye is just not/ Ever easy, why you crying? Just stop.”
At the conclusion of the song, Eminem admits that “Temporary” is “the hardest thing I ever wrote.”
The powerful song tugged at the heartstrings (and tear ducts) of fans, with one writing on social media: “Crying to Eminem’s new album was not something I thought I’d do today but holy fuck. was vibing to the music until ‘temporary’ came on and I just started crying holy fuck. such a beautiful song.”
Others used videos and GIFs to capture their emotional reaction to the song.
Eminem addressed similar themes on the album closer “Somebody Save Me,” which also features vocals from country singer Jelly Roll.
The song sees the 51-year-old reflect on his mistakes and regrets as a father and how his drug addiction impacted his relationship with his children.
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“Another pill as I start to spiral/ Message to my daughters/ I don’t even deserve the father title/ Hailie, I’m so sorry/ I know I wasn’t there for your first guitar recital/ Didn’t walk you down the aisle/ Missed the birth of your first child,” he raps.
He also raps about dreaming of walking his daughters down the aisle, something he accomplished when they both got married over the last 12 months.
“I’ll turn it around and be able to/ Walk her and Lainie one day/ To the altar as proud as can be,” he says on the song.
Elsewhere on The Death of Slim Shady, the Detroit rap legend adopts a less serious tone as he takes aim at Diddy over his multiple sexual assault allegations, old foe Ja Rule‘s height and Lizzo‘s weight while also poking fun at Kanye West‘s controversial outbursts.
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