Beautiful (Eminem song)
Encyclopedia
"Beautiful" is the third and final official single from American rapper Eminem
. It was released on May 12, 2009 on iTunes
as a digital download. "Beautiful" entered the UK Singles Chart
on May 17, 2009 at #38 and re-entered at #31 due to massive airplay and was released as the third UK single after We Made You
. Since then the song has peaked at #12 so far. It became Eminem's 21st Top 40 single in the UK but also his second official single to miss the Top 10. In the U.S., it debuted at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The song was on the A-List of the BBC Radio 1
playlist. In the week of July 23, 2009 it re-entered the Hot 100 at #98.
called it a "touching attempt at an inspirational ballad". It samples "Reaching Out", originally written by the supergroup
Rock Therapy
. This version of "Reaching Out" is taken from the Queen + Paul Rodgers's live show opener on the 2005-06 tour, which used Eminem's "Lose Yourself
" as the house music. Pitchfork Media
claim that "Relapse hits something of a stride with 'Beautiful'". Much speculation has followed as to who sang the chorus of the song, suggesting it was Paul Rodgers, but in fact it was Eminem himself. "Beautiful" scored Eminem his ninth straight Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100, going back to Smack That
with Akon
. Billboard
called the song "epic" and described it as "Part confessional ("I'm just so fucking depressed," begins the track's explicit version) and part "Lose Yourself"-style motivational anthem, "Beautiful" encapsulates the introspective nature of "Relapse" but deviates from the shock tactics that dominate the album" adding that "The song is as much a lighters-in-the-air, arena rock power ballad as it is a lyrical showcase". The song was nominated at the 52nd Grammy Awards
in the Best Rap Solo Performance category, but lost to Jay-Z
's "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)
".
. It premiered on July 2, 2009 on Yahoo!
music.
The video opens with a captions stating that "in 1950, Michigan was 1 of 8 states in America that collectively produced 36% of the world's GNP" and that "Detroit was the greatest manufacturing city in the world". It then cuts to present-day images of the city, featuring Eminem walking through three abandoned structures from that era that symbolized the "Arsenal of Democracy
" (Michigan Central Station
, the former Packard
plant, and Tiger Stadium, including demolition footage of the latter), joined by several people appropriate to each building (an older woman with a suitcase, several autoworkers holding their lunchboxes and tools, and a neighborhood youth baseball team respectively). Although the original song contains three verses, the music video only features the first two.
There are two versions of the video, the shorter of the two editing out the Detroit statistics and coarse language.
On August 26 2011, Beautiful received 100 million YouTube views on EminemVEVO, making this the 3rd song from EminemVEVO to reach 100 million views (after Not Afraid and Love the Way You Lie).
|rowspan="2"|2010
|rowspan="1"|Grammy Awards
|Best Rap Solo Performance
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|Much Music Video Awards
|International Video of the Year
|
|}
US CD single
UK digital single
German digital single
EU digital single
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
. It was released on May 12, 2009 on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
as a digital download. "Beautiful" entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on May 17, 2009 at #38 and re-entered at #31 due to massive airplay and was released as the third UK single after We Made You
We Made You
"We Made You" is a song by American hip hop musician Eminem. It was released as the first single from his sixth studio album Relapse on April 7, 2009. Produced by Dr. Dre and co-produced by Doc Ish and Eminem himself, the song samples "Hot Summer Nights" by Walter Egan. Eminem performed this song...
. Since then the song has peaked at #12 so far. It became Eminem's 21st Top 40 single in the UK but also his second official single to miss the Top 10. In the U.S., it debuted at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The song was on the A-List of the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
playlist. In the week of July 23, 2009 it re-entered the Hot 100 at #98.
Critical reception
The song has received very high acclaim and much positive reception. Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called it a "touching attempt at an inspirational ballad". It samples "Reaching Out", originally written by the supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Rock Therapy
Rock Therapy
Rock Therapy was a 1996 one-off project consisting of Queen guitarist Brian May, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, plus a number of guest vocalists including Sam Brown, Andy Fairweather-Low, Paul Rodgers and Lulu. This was a 3-track charity CD issued in aid of the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy...
. This version of "Reaching Out" is taken from the Queen + Paul Rodgers's live show opener on the 2005-06 tour, which used Eminem's "Lose Yourself
Lose Yourself
"Lose Yourself" is an Academy Award winning song by American hip-hop artist Eminem, released as the first single from the original soundtrack to the movie 8 Mile on October 22, 2002. It was written and produced by Eminem himself, along with longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the...
" as the house music. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
claim that "Relapse hits something of a stride with 'Beautiful'". Much speculation has followed as to who sang the chorus of the song, suggesting it was Paul Rodgers, but in fact it was Eminem himself. "Beautiful" scored Eminem his ninth straight Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100, going back to Smack That
Smack That
"Smack That" is the first single from Akon's second album Konvicted and features Eminem. The single debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 28, 2006. The song set a record in its second week, jumping 88 positions to number 7. The single eventually peaked at #2 on the U.S....
with Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
called the song "epic" and described it as "Part confessional ("I'm just so fucking depressed," begins the track's explicit version) and part "Lose Yourself"-style motivational anthem, "Beautiful" encapsulates the introspective nature of "Relapse" but deviates from the shock tactics that dominate the album" adding that "The song is as much a lighters-in-the-air, arena rock power ballad as it is a lyrical showcase". The song was nominated at the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
in the Best Rap Solo Performance category, but lost to Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)
D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)
"D.O.A. " is a song written by American rapper Jay-Z. It was produced by No I.D. The song was released as a digital download on June 23, 2009, and as the first single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album, The Blueprint 3. The song made its world premiere on the New York radio station Hot 97 on June 5...
".
Music video
The video was shot in Detroit and it was directed by Anthony MandlerAnthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
. It premiered on July 2, 2009 on Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
music.
The video opens with a captions stating that "in 1950, Michigan was 1 of 8 states in America that collectively produced 36% of the world's GNP" and that "Detroit was the greatest manufacturing city in the world". It then cuts to present-day images of the city, featuring Eminem walking through three abandoned structures from that era that symbolized the "Arsenal of Democracy
Arsenal of Democracy
"The Arsenal of Democracy" was a propaganda slogan coined by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a radio broadcast delivered on December 29, 1940. Roosevelt promised to help the United Kingdom fight Nazi Germany by giving them military supplies while the United States stayed out of the actual...
" (Michigan Central Station
Michigan Central Station
Michigan Central Station , built in mid-1912 through 1913 for the Michigan Central Railroad, was Detroit, Michigan's passenger rail depot from its opening in 1913 after the previous Michigan Central Station burned, until the cessation of Amtrak service on January 6, 1988...
, the former Packard
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
plant, and Tiger Stadium, including demolition footage of the latter), joined by several people appropriate to each building (an older woman with a suitcase, several autoworkers holding their lunchboxes and tools, and a neighborhood youth baseball team respectively). Although the original song contains three verses, the music video only features the first two.
There are two versions of the video, the shorter of the two editing out the Detroit statistics and coarse language.
On August 26 2011, Beautiful received 100 million YouTube views on EminemVEVO, making this the 3rd song from EminemVEVO to reach 100 million views (after Not Afraid and Love the Way You Lie).
Awards and Nominations
|-|rowspan="2"|2010
|rowspan="1"|Grammy Awards
|Best Rap Solo Performance
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|Much Music Video Awards
|International Video of the Year
|
|}
Track listing
US digital singleUS CD single
UK digital single
German digital single
EU digital single
Musical personnel
Credits adapted from Relapse digital booklet.- Songwriters: M. Mathers, L. Resto, J. Bass, D. Black, A. Hill
- Recorded by: Mike Strange at 54 Sound in Ferndale, MichiganFerndale, MichiganFerndale is adjacent to the cities of Detroit to the south, Oak Park to the west, Hazel Park to the east, Pleasant Ridge to the north, Royal Oak Township to the southwest, and Royal Oak to the north....
- Assistant engineers: Tony Campana at 54 Sound in Ferndale, Michigan
- Mixed by: Eminem and Mike Strange at Effigy Studios
- Keyboards by: Jeff BassBass BrothersBass Brothers is the professional name for the team of Mark and Jeff Bass, the Detroit producers responsible for grooming megastar Eminem in his early days and collaborating on much of his subsequent music. Before that they worked with George Clinton...
and Luis Resto - Bass and guitar by: Jeff Bass
- Samples: Contains excerpts from "Reaching Out" by Queen + Paul RodgersQueen + Paul RodgersQueen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
, written by Don Black and Andy HillAndy Hill (composer)Andy Hill is a British music producer and songwriter who scored many hits during the 1980s and 90s...
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
33 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 11 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
8 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 40 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Singles Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
26 |
| German Singles Chart | 39 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
5 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
4 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
47 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 8 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
17 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
9 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 40 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
173 |