Released October 22, 2002 | Genre Hip hoprap rock | |
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Format CD singledigital download Length 5:20 (album version)4:27 (radio edit) Label AftermathShadyInterscope | ||
"Lose Yourself" is a song by American rapper Eminem from the soundtrack to the 2002 motion picture 8 Mile. The song was written by Eminem and produced by Eminem along with longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the production duo Bass Brothers, and Luis Resto. It was released on October 28, 2002, as the lead single from the soundtrack.
Contents
- Background
- Composition
- Critical reception
- Chart performance
- Music video
- Legacy
- Appearances in other media
- Cover versions
- Track listing
- Credits and personnel
- References
"Lose Yourself" received acclaim from music critics, with many critics praising the song's aggressive themes and describing it as Eminem's best work to date. Eminem's rapping ability, the lyrics and the production were also praised as well. In many retrospective reviews and lists, critics have cited the song among Eminem's finest, as well as one of the best hip hop songs of all time. "Lose Yourself" was a commercial success, peaking atop of the charts in eighteen countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia. In the United States, "Lose Yourself" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first of five Eminem singles to top the Hot 100.
"Lose Yourself" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2003, making it the first ever rap song to have received this accolade, and also won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance in 2004. In 2004, it was one of only three hip hop songs from the 21st century to have been included on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and was also the highest ranking, at number 166. Rolling Stone also ranked it one of the top 50 hip hop songs of all time. The song was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and as of October 2015, it has 6.7 million downloads in the United States alone. It was ranked number 93 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs list. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 57 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Background
Eminem says that "Lose Yourself" was written on set, during breaks during the filming of 8 Mile. Taryn Manning, who played Eminem's ex-girlfriend Janeane in 8 Mile, said in an interview with MTV, that during the filming of the movie, in any downtime, Eminem was writing and that "you could just see him formulating stuff in his head." According to studio engineer Steven King, who spoke to Rolling Stone magazine, Eminem recorded the song in a portable studio on the set while he was on a break from shooting, recording all three verses in one take. The sheet on which he wrote the song appears in 8 Mile in a scene where his character is writing while riding the bus. A Drum & Bass remix has been made and was released on the mixtape Straight from the Lab, as a European bonus track.
The official demo version of this song, titled "Lose Yourself (Demo Version)" with two different verses and a slightly different hook, was released on the album Shady XV November 24, 2014.
Composition
"Lose Yourself" is a mid-tempo track with an urgent narrative delivery. The song's lyrics explicitly sum up the background of Eminem's character in 8 Mile, B-Rabbit, with the first verse summing up much of the plot of the movie. The song incorporates several aggressive themes, largely dealing with the struggles dealt with by B-Rabbit, and how he eventually overcomes his many problems and obstacles to gain the respect of other rappers.
The song's production incorporates piano, violins and several other string instruments. The song is one of four new Eminem solo songs featured on the soundtrack, the other three being titled "8 Mile", "Rabbit Run" and "Stimulate" (included on deluxe edition only). Several critics cited this trio of songs as the best three from the soundtrack, as well as the most aggressive songs ever recorded by Eminem. Piano chords described as "instantly recognizable" open the song. Throughout the song there is a "tense, unrelenting guitar lick". The song is composed in the key of D minor.
Critical reception
"Lose Yourself" received critical acclaim, with many critics praising the song's aggressive themes and describing it as Eminem's best work to date. Eminem's rapping ability, the lyrics and the production were also praised as well. In many retrospective reviews and lists, critics have cited the song among Eminem's finest, as well as one of the best hip-hop songs of all time. AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the song's production: "The opening track and first single "Lose Yourself" is easily equaled by the title song with its layered pianos" and he highlighted it.
NME was extremely positive: "Eminem's urgent radio hit 'Lose Yourself', you already know. It's excellent, if obviously an offcut from 'The Eminem Show', all thundering rawk guitars and Rocky-ish bassline (appropriately enough)." RapReviews also noted: "And as all great journeys begin with a single step, so too does Eminem with this album's opening song AND lead single entitled "Lose Yourself": 411 Mania praised the song: "The album wastes no time, delivering the hit 'Lose Yourself' as the first track. The song is basically as close to a ballad as Eminem will ever get. It is a very hot, adrenaline-laced track. It also continues Eminem's recent trend of putting out tracks with more of a meaning."
On the rankings site The Top Tens, "Lose Yourself" is #1 in the "Best Rap Songs" list, with 12% of the total votes from 856 total options.
Chart performance
In the United States, "Lose Yourself" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart the week of October 5, 2002, at No. 43. A week later, the single jumped to No. 18, and hit No. 1 by November 9. The single spent 16 total weeks in the Top 10, and a total of 23 weeks in the Top 50. While in the No. 1 spot (from 11/09/02 through 1/25/03), "Lose Yourself" kept several top contenders for the No. 1 spot from ever reaching No. 1, including Jay-Z, Nelly, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, and especially Missy Elliott, whose single "Work It" was at No. 2 for 10 weeks. The song also topped the Pop Songs chart for 7 weeks and hit No. 4 and No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rap Songs charts. The song also used some rock music origins allowing moderate success to alternative rock radio peaking No. 14 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, the rapper's only song to chart. It reached 4 million in sale by August 2011, and as of October 2015, it has sold over 6.7 million copies in the U.S.
In France, it is the 53rd best-selling single of the 21st century, with 386,000 units sold as of August 2014. By December 2016, it had sold more than 11,590,000 units worldwide.
Music video
The song's accompanying music video, directed by Eminem, manager Paul Rosenberg and Phillip G. Atwell, was released on October 7, 2002. The video is a mixture of several scenarios, largely including several scenes from 8 Mile, however it also contains scenes addressing problems the real life Eminem has addressed, as well as "B-Rabbit"'s difficulties, including the ostracism by rap communities towards him due to his color, and his difficult personal life.
The music video for "Lose Yourself" was filmed in Detroit, Michigan, and thus contains numerous shots of the city, including the Ambassador Bridge. The video is a mixture of multiple scenarios, including scenes from and reminiscent of the movie 8 Mile, and Eminem rapping next to the "8 Mile Rd. Mobile Court" sign that appears on the cover of the movie's soundtrack.
It contains scenes focusing on Rabbit's and the real life Eminem's character, for example, the difficulties he has to face while rapping, the insult and booing of crowds as he is a white rapper and the trouble he has to face due to his alcoholic mother and people he hangs out with.
At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards it received the award for Best Video from a Film in the final year this award was given out. It also received nominations for Video of the Year, Best Male Video, Best Rap Video, and Viewer's Choice. He won a MuchMusic Video Award in 2003 for Favorite International Artist with the video for "Lose Yourself".
The official video (uploaded by Eminem) has been viewed over 80 million times on YouTube making it one of Eminem's most popular videos on that site. However, it was restricted from viewing in 2011, spawning various privately uploaded versions.
Legacy
"Lose Yourself" is the most successful single of Eminem's mainstream career. Upon its release, the track was a worldwide chart success, peaking at number one on 24 national charts worldwide, these included the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Eminem's first number-one hit in the United States. It had a 12-week run at #1 in the United States and Australia, and topped the charts in many other countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand and Denmark. It debuted at number nine in Canada and moved up to #1 the following week. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, "Lose Yourself" became the "Longest Running Single at Number One for a Rap Song" at 23 weeks. With over 6 million copies sold in the United States, it is Eminem's third best-selling song, just behind "Love the Way You Lie" and "Not Afraid".
The song went on to receive the Academy Award for Best Original Song (the first time a rap song ever won this award), beating other nominees like U2's "The Hands That Built America." Eminem, who was not present at the award ceremony as he believed he would not win, said in a Shade 45 Behind the Boards interview with Cipha Sounds that he was actually sleeping, with cartoons on for his daughter, at the time the award was announced. This was the first time in 14 years the winner of the Best Original Song category did not perform at the ceremony. Luis Resto, one of the song's co-producers, had attended the ceremony and accepted the award on his behalf. "He's creative, he has symphonies in his head," Resto said at the lectern about Eminem. The American Film Institute later ranked it #93 on their list of the 100 Greatest Songs from American Films.
At the Grammy Awards of 2004, "Lose Yourself" became Eminem's second career nomination for Record of the Year (following "Without Me"), and the first rap song ever to be nominated for Song of the Year. It won Best Male Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song, which was a new category at the time.
At #166, "Lose Yourself" is the highest ranked of the three songs from the 21st century featured in the 2004 List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (joining "Stan" at #290 and Outkast's "Hey Ya!" at #180). The magazine later ranked the song the twelfth best of the '00s decade. The song was the 51st best-selling single of the '00s decade in the United Kingdom. The song was placed at number 104 by Pitchfork on their list of "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s".
In October 2011, NME placed it at number 57 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". VH1 placed it at #4 for the best songs of the 2000s. In April 2016, it was placed at number 28 by Rolling Stone on their list of "100 Greatest Hip-hop songs of all time".
Appearances in other media
Cover versions
Track listing
Credits and personnel
Credits for "Lose Yourself" are adapted from the liner notes of the original soundtrack to the movie 8 Mile.