Eminem has finally revealed the tracklist for his forthcoming album, The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), set to release this Friday, July 12. The album, which promises to be a deep dive into the psyche of Eminem’s notorious alter ego, Slim Shady, features 19 tracks that explore themes of rebirth, inner turmoil, and resolution.
The tracklist was unveiled by Apple Music on July 10, just two days prior to the album’s release. It comes following Eminem’s reveal of the album’s cover art, which features Slim Shady’s head emerging from a body bag in what seems to be a metaphor for the end of one era and the beginning of another.
The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) tracklist reads as follows:
Renaissance
Habits
Trouble
Brand New Dance
Evil
All You Got (skit)
Lucifer
Antichrist
Fuel
Road Rage
Houdini
Breaking News (skit)
Guilty Conscience 2
Head Honcho
Temporary
Bad One
Tobey (featuring Big Sean and BabyTron)
Guess Who’s Back (skit)
Somebody Save Me
One standout track that’s bound to get longtime fans excited is “Guilty Conscience 2,” a sequel to the 1999 hit that featured Dr. Dre. With Dre having previously confirmed his involvement in Em’s latest project, expectations are high for this fresh take on a classic collab.
In the lead-up to the album, Eminem has dropped two singles that have sparked conversations and fueled anticipation. “Houdini,” released on May 31, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Charts and quickly became a topic of discussion for its intricate lyricism and controversial references. The track samples the Steve Miller Band’s “Abracadabra” while addressing hot-button issues such as the 2020 Megan Thee Stallion shooting incident and cancel culture.
The second single, “Tobey,” featuring Big Sean and BabyTron, was released on July 8, after initially being slated for July 5. The track marked Em’s first collaboration with Babytron and his fourth with Big Sean, following their team-up in 2017 on I Decided’s “No Favors,” Detroit 2’s “Friday Night Cypher” and ShadyXV’s “Detroit Vs. Everybody.”
As the release date rapidly approaches, both fans and industry insiders are filled with anticipation, eager to delve into the journey through the mind of one of rap’s most iconic figures. The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) is out July 12.
The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) is Eminem’s 12th studio album, following his January 2020 album, Music to Be Murdered By and its subsequent deluxe in December 2020. Dr. Dre first mentioned TDOSS’s existence on March 19, 2024, when he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He confirmed the album would release sometime in 2024 and that he would be hearing it for the first time on March 20.
In April 2024, a teaser trailer for the album broadcasted during the NFL Draft in Detroit. The trailer revealed the title alongside a release date: Summer 2024. A month later on the 20th of May, Eminem posted a teaser to his social media accounts showing a text message with invisible ink being received from “All Contacts” stating: “…and for my last trick!” The text message would also have a date of May 31, sparking rumors of Eminem releasing music on that day.
On May 28, 2024, Eminem would post a video to Instagram of him on a FaceTime call with magician David Blaine. At the end of the video, Eminem announced the release of “Houdini” on May 31, then closed out by stating “for my last trick, I’m gonna make my career disappear,” hinting at The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) being his final studio album. The use of the term “coup de grâce” in the title also hints to the finality of this album (either the end of Eminem’s music career, or simply the end of his alter ego Slim Shady). This is a French term for “finishing blow” or more literally, “stroke of grace”. It refers to the final deadly blow delivered to one’s victim, typically a merciful act.
In tandem with the release of the single “Houdini,” a limited edition digital deluxe version of the album was announced on Eminem’s website for pre-order, available until June 7th, 2024. This limited edition is set to include a bonus track.
On June 28, Eminem announced the second single “Tobey” from the album, featuring Big Sean and BabyTron, with a horror-themed teaser for a music video directed by Cole Bennett. The song was released on July 2, with the music video originally set to premiere on July 5. However, on the day of release, Eminem posted a new teaser for the video, apologizing for the delay and announcing that the video was not yet complete. It was later released on Monday, July 8, through Lyrical Lemonade’s YouTube channel.
On the first of July, Eminem revealed that the album is scheduled to drop on July 12 by posting a second teaser. The cover art of the album was also revealed on July 9, three days prior to its release.
On July 10, the tracklist was revealed through Apple Music, and a “Graveyard Album Trailer” was posted on Eminem’s social media. Although the album was teased to contain hidden features, Skylar Grey confirmed in her Instagram broadcast chat that she would make an appearance on the track “Temporary.”
Eminem is in album mode and his The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) is slated to arrive this summer. The Detroit icon has cryptically dropped easter eggs and hints about the project while many details in regards to possible features and a concrete release date have remained under wraps. Eminem officially announced the project following his appearance at the NFL Draft in April in support of his hometown Detroit Lions.
The album announcement came in the form of an Unsolved Mysteries episode featuring Em meeting his demise in search of “who killed Slim Shady?” The Death Of Slim Shady will serve as the rapper’s 12th studio album, and first since 2020’s Music to Be Murdered By, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 to give Eminem his historic 10th consecutive leader.
Em has been no stranger to the element of surprise as he dropped his 2018 Kamikaze album out of the sky without any sort of warning for fans, which also topped the charts. He’s been laying low on the music front and is yet to drop off any new tunes in 2024, so the lead single — if there is one — will be his first offering of the year.
Fittingly enough, Dr. Dre was the first to spill the beans about the project when he revealed that Eminem had an album ready in the stash during his first late-night TV appearance in 30 years back in March.
Eminem ran a fake obituary in the Detroit Free Press earlier this month (May 13) where he bids farewell to the “controversial rapper” known as Slim Shady. “Slim Shady Made Lasting Impressions” the DFP headline reads with the subhead, “Fans ‘Will Never Forget’ Controversial Rapper.” The newspaper obit came with a photo of Eminem in a Jason Voorhees hockey mask.
Fans began speculating that the ‘Will Never Forget’ in quotes was done purposely by Eminem and theories began surfacing about that serving as the title of a possible lead single from The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce). “I bet ‘Will Never Forget’ it’s a single (or sth related to the album, maybe the real name),” one fan wrote to X. An Eminem Brazil fan account wrote: “Let the theories begin. Will ‘Will Never Forget’ be the first single off TDOSS?”
“A product of Detroit who began his career there as a rogue splinter in the flourishing underground rap scene of the mid to late 1990s, Shady first became a household name in 1999 with the debut of his playfully deranged single ‘My Name Is,’ which — along with its uniquely eye catching video — exposed the young artist and his lyrics to a wider audience,” the obituary reads. “Ultimately, the very things that seemed to be the tools he used became calling cards that defined an existence that could only come to a sudden and horrific end. His complex and tortured existence has come to a close, and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world. May he truly find the peace in an afterlife that he could not find on Earth.”
Eminem will be reuniting with his frequent collaborator and mentor Dr. Dre for The Death of Slim Shady. The West Coast legend spilled the beans on Em’s upcoming album when he revealed details of the project and his involvement during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in March. The late-night cameo with Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent marked Dr. Dre’s first in three decades, and came after being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Let me tell you something, let me explain something to you right now: Eminem is working on his own album which is coming out this year,” Dre said. “And I actually talked to him and he said it okay for me to make that announcement right here on this show. So he has an album coming out, I’ve got songs on it and it’s fire. I’m actually gonna hear the entire album for the first time for tomorrow.”
Eminem is the Easter Bunny leaving eggs around the yard. He cryptically teased a possible release on the horizon with a May 20 tweet featuring a text message made with invisible ink that reads when uncovered: “… and for my last trick!” The text was sent on May 31 at midnight which is a Friday and fans immediately began speculating that could mean new music is on the way before the month expires. “This is literally him announcing he will be dropping may 31 lmao,” one person wrote.
There wasn’t much other tidbits of information except for the contact being a photo of a rabbit with a top hat, which Em also made his X account profile picture.
Dr. Dre has his hands all over Eminem’s upcoming album, which could signal more frequent collaborators involved. Back in 2022, Em posted a photo in the studio alongside Dre and Snoop Dogg. “Just a few bros.. hangin out,” the Detroit icon captioned the post. Months prior, they teamed up for their first collab in over 20 years with “From the D to the LBC.” The single landed on Shady’s Curtain Call 2 greatest hits compilation and marked their first collab since The Marshall Mathers LP.
“Sometimes you gotta go back to actually move forward,” actor Matthew McConaughey once said. Eminem granted XXL with a rare interview in 2022, where he admitted to going back to his first three albums when he’s in a creative funk and seeking newfound inspiration. It’s possible his first three major label projects could have an influential role in The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce).
“When I look back at my catalog, the first three albums, I’m definitely proud of them,” he said before changing his tune when it comes to Encore. “Sometimes I go back, and I listen to them if I’m in a spot where I need some inspiration. Sometimes it helps me to go back to those songs. But then I think, Man, I could’ve done those vocals so much better. I could’ve connected this word with this word. I always do that kind of s–t.”
Em revealed the lead single off the upcoming album in a video featuring magician David Blaine shared on social media May 28. In the clip — a FaceTime call with the magician — the rapper asks whether they can do a “stunt.” Blaine suggests “something like this,” and proceeds to down a glass of wine before chewing up the vessel. Em responds, “Well for my last trick, I’m going to make my career disappear.” The screen goes black and the title “Houdini” appears with the date May 31, 2024.
The lead single from the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated June 15, becoming his highest charting hit since his No. 1 Rihanna collab “The Monster” in 2013-2014. The track is also Em’s 23rd top 10. “Houdini” pulled out an even bigger trick on the global charts, arriving at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. It’s his first chart-topper on both tallies, which kicked off in September 2020.
Eminem is looking to heat up the summertime as he announced on July 1 that the project will arrive on July 12. In typical Em fashion, the rapper revealed the release date for The Death of Slim Shady with a horrifying trailer featuring the birth of a demon baby.
Em returned on July 2 with the album’s second single, and he’s uniting different generations of Detroit with Babytron and Big Sean joining him on “Tobey.” Slim Shady is tired of the disrespect and addresses his feud with Melle Mel. “So when I get dissed though and by a pioneer/ Who was one of the reasons why I’m here/ They tell me I should just let that s–t go and slide/ Melle Mel shouldn’t get no reply, that man is a legend, B—h, so am I,” he raps.
Eminem revealed the cover art for The Death of Slim Shady on July 9. The artwork features a wide-eyed Em with his vintage blond-bleached hair inside a body bag getting zipped up. The colorful letters spelling out the album title seems to be inspired by The Slim Shady LP.
Em’s tracklist surfaced on Apple Music Tuesday night (July 9), but without any of the features available, so those remain a surprise for the time being. The Death of Slim Shady boasts 19 tracks in total, including a follow-up to the Dr. Dre-assisted 1999 “Guilty Conscience.”
Source: Billboard, XXL, Detroit Free Press
