Released August 11, 2009 Genre Hip hop, rap rock | Recorded Late 2007 | |
Format Digital download, CD single Length 6:32 (album version)
4:00 (radio edit) Label Shady, Aftermath, Interscope | ||
"Beautiful" is the fourth and final single from American rapper Eminem's sixth studio album Relapse. It was released on August 11, 2009 as a single. It samples “Reaching Out”, originally recorded by the rock band Rock Therapy. This version of “Reaching Out” is taken from the Queen + Paul Rodgers 2005-2006 tour, which used Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” as the house music.
Contents
Critical reception
The song received critical acclaim, and many consider it to be the best song on Relapse. Rolling Stone called it a "touching attempt at an inspirational ballad". 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. "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". "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. 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)".
Music video
The video was shot in Detroit, Michigan and it was directed by Anthony Mandler. It premiered on July 2, 2009 on Yahoo! music. The video opens with 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: 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.
Personnel
Credits adapted from Relapse digital booklet.