Was Eminem’s ‘The Death Of Slim Shady’ Album Meant To Also Be Played In Reverse? Fans Think So

by
eminem
Getty Image

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:

However, others are convinced that the album is meant to be played on repeat instead:

Meanwhile, still others think everyone is just doing too much and needs to calm down:

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.