Eminem and Rihanna Unleash “The Monster”

The last time Eminem released a single with Rihanna, “Love the Way You Lie,” from Em’s 2010 album Recovery, the pair spent seven weeks on top of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and scored a slew of accolades, including five Grammy Award nominations. The duo has teamed up again for “The Monster,” a Frequency-produced track from the Detroit rapper’s upcoming album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. The song, which comes on the heels of the old-school hip-hop-inspired lead single “Berzerk,” the harder-edged “Rap God,” and the rock-infused “Survival,” is a lot more pop-friendly than one might expect from a sequel to Slim Shady’s provocative 2000 opus, and suggests the album will be an equal opportunity affair. “The Monster” finds Eminem confronting fame, the media, and the titular demon inside while bona fide hook girl Rihanna befriends the one under her bed.

The Marshall Mathers LP 2, the sequel to The Marshall Mathers LP, drops next week.

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