Revival
by Eminem
User Score
6.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1269 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 690 out of 1269
  2. Mixed: 207 out of 1269
  3. Negative: 372 out of 1269
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  1. hobi
    Jan 4, 2018
    5
    Maybe I put a lot of expectation on this Eminem album. He did not sound unique and with unique sounds as he always brought. Songs with dubious production and with known samples, it sounded generic and not very authentic. There are some good tracks in your album like river and remind me, but they are by far, unoriginal. Sad
  2. Tom_Bombadil
    Dec 20, 2017
    6
    It's ok. I could do without the cringy lines Marshall raps every now and then, but almost every hip hop album today has some cringe (whether people like to admit it or not).
  3. MiguelNunes98
    Nov 4, 2018
    6
    If this songs: "River (feat.Ed Sheeran), Bad Husband (feat. X Ambassadors) and Need Me (feat. P!nk) wasn't on the album, it would be a 9 for me.
    This album is one of those that every listening it gets better and emotional. "Arose", " In Your Head" and "Framed" are my favourite.
  4. anyu
    Dec 19, 2017
    5
    I really want to love this album, I can't. I'm torn because I would love to see Eminem's triumphant return.
    Lyrically and technically, he'll always be one of the greatest of all time and glimpses of his genius are certainly visible at times. Unfortunately, many of the songs are so poorly produced, sampled and dialed in that it really kills the overall flow of the album. One would wish    I really want to love this album, I can't. I'm torn because I would love to see Eminem's triumphant return.
    Lyrically and technically, he'll always be one of the greatest of all time and glimpses of his genius are certainly visible at times. Unfortunately, many of the songs are so poorly produced, sampled and dialed in that it really kills the overall flow of the album. One would wish Rick Rubin to sit back and let Dr. Dre take control.
    What I do appreciate about this effort is Eminem's matured outlook and perspectives. We can't expect him to make the music he made as a young man now that he's in his mid-40s. I just wish that his more powerful and important messages (Trump, racism etc) were met with a better sound and not some pop garbage hook out of the can.
    Eminem can do better, I strongly believe that he just needs a different kind of team behind his productions. I sure hope we get a chance to find out... Though, that may take another three to four years.

    Best Songs:
    Tragic Endings feat. Skylar Grey
    Castle
    Arose

    Worst Songs:
    Offended
    Untouchable    … Expand
  5. Cpillow
    Dec 16, 2017
    4
    I think I speak for many individuals by saying that Eminem has been a huge part of their life in one way or another. I loved his music during my adolescent days, and revisited his material when I went through some tough times this past summer. With that being said Eminem has a very similar career trajectory as the alternative rock band Weezer. They can both put out stunning material, andI think I speak for many individuals by saying that Eminem has been a huge part of their life in one way or another. I loved his music during my adolescent days, and revisited his material when I went through some tough times this past summer. With that being said Eminem has a very similar career trajectory as the alternative rock band Weezer. They can both put out stunning material, and some of the worst mainstream material imaginable. Revival is a misstep for Marshall after a great album in The Marshall Mathers LP 2, as a Recovery sound is reached for once again.

    I was hesitant before listening to this album thanks to the features list, and I think the best complement I can give is that its about what I expected. Ed Sheeran’s feature wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be, but Kehlani comes through in that regard. I don’t know how, but she actually makes Eminem’s singing sound good. Pink, Alicia Keys and Skylar Grey have completely forgettable features, and Phresher does a horrendous job on the hook of “Chloraseptic”. X Ambassadors sound so monotone on their poor performance, so really Beyonce’s feature on “Walk on Water” might be the only feature highlight on the entire record.

    Sonically, Revival is all over the place. Similar to Kanye’s “The Life of Pablo”, we go from one idea to another without much cohesion. Is this a political record, or a record about the final stage of recovery? I would be fine with either one, but the ride becomes shaky when its hard to tell the aim. The album starts pretty rough to after the mediocre “Walk on Water” with the song “Believe”. Em takes on a trap beat, and does a terrible job on the hook with Lil Wayne quality level punchlines. The song “Like Home” is a pointed political song, but it is no “White America” or “Mosh”. Near the middle and toward the end there are way too many relationship songs that eventually just bleed into one another. I think a shortened tracklist could have done this album wonders.

    That’s not to say that there isn’t some good to be had on this album. “Framed” sounds like a Revival song sans the accents and has a hook that for some reason I love. “Remind Me” has Eminem taking a similar approach to the one used on Marshall Mathers LP 2 by taking a classic rock song and sampling it. This needs to happen more often, because all of these tracks have turned out great, (look at “Rhyme or Reason” or “So Far”). “Offended” sounds like classic Eminem, with a superhero cartoon sounding beat and an insane flow near the end. “Arose” is a great heart touching closer that fits well with the Revival theme and is a stand-out moment.

    Overall Revival is a mess. Eminem is without a doubt one of the most talented rappers ever, but his hook choices and production choices have continued to hurt his career. In addition to that some of the lyrics and flows are awful. When Eminem says things like “your booty is heavy duty like diarrhea”, or “I just got the air about me like wind chimes”, or “I’m swimming in that Egyptian River cause I’m in denial”, I die a little inside. Overall, I think Revival is a big step back for Marshall. While I’m sure some Eminem fans who like his more poppy material might love this, it just isn’t a record for me.    … Expand
  6. jellyjish
    Dec 22, 2017
    4
    Eminem's worst album yet. A ton of generic pop-ballads that try to capture the mainstream radio success of Love The Way You Lie mixed with some of the most awful beats that I have ever heard create one of 2017's worst hip hop albums. Although Eminem is still lyrically fantastic and he retains his great flow as he gets older as seen in his guest verses on Speedom by Tech N9ne in 2015 and NoEminem's worst album yet. A ton of generic pop-ballads that try to capture the mainstream radio success of Love The Way You Lie mixed with some of the most awful beats that I have ever heard create one of 2017's worst hip hop albums. Although Eminem is still lyrically fantastic and he retains his great flow as he gets older as seen in his guest verses on Speedom by Tech N9ne in 2015 and No Favors by Big Sean this year, if a rapper has good lyricism and flow it doesn't necessarily mean that the rapper can create a good song and there is no better example of that then most of the songs on this album. There are actually a small handful of songs (Framed and Castle/Arose) that are actually good and worth checking out but this decent 20% does not make up for the average (Walk On Water, Chloraseptic, Believe, Offended) and awful (Any songs not listed previously) songs that make up the other 80% of the album. 4/10.… Expand
  7. DavidWasHere
    Dec 15, 2017
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I didn't want to hate this album. I honestly wanted to enjoy it. I'm not huge into Eminem, but his classic albums are undeniable. And while the Marshall Mathers LP 2 wasn't a masterpiece, it still was a solid comeback album and it had me thinking that Em might be back. Oh...does this hurt.

    I will give this album some credit, Em does sound energetic, his flow is solid for a lot of the track list, and there is a bombastic energy with the production. But this album is just a slog to get through, between Em being "woke" on the politically charged songs, such as his flat out terrible attempt at addressing racial issues on Untouchables that just prove to be ignorant (educations sucks for everyone in the US Em, not just for the black community), it's all just a horrible attempt at trying to recreate Love the Way You Lie, with all of these emotional and corny as hell instrumentals and all these features that do not match what-so-ever. The only good feature here is Beyonce on Walk on Water, but that's mostly because that's the best song here. As saccharine as that song is, it has the most weight to it and it's only song here that isn't overproduced!

    Here's what makes this album sting with how good it could have been. The song Bad Husband is Eminem apologizing to Kim. That's huge! And it does show that Em has grown up a lot. BUT the instrumental ruins it, with these glitchy electronic break-beats not mixing at all with the symphonic instrumentation, and X Ambassadors not fitting at all singing the chorus and just sounds so detached from what is going on. It's clear this song is trying to be another Headlights off of the Marshall Mathers LP 2, which is an apology to Eminem's mom. And as cheesy as that song is, it matched the tone and the singer from fun. matched the tone and sounded like he gets what Eminem is singing.

    Seriously this should have been so much better considering the material here! But Em just decided to make a long, sloggy album that is so damn saccharine and trying to get crossover play on the radio when Em isn't making himself look like an ass with his attempts at political statements. I am more forgiving here because it's not all terrible, but man considering what came before this should have been better!    … Expand
  8. GamerGuy98
    Dec 15, 2017
    6
    The album is faaaaaaar away from being the best Eminem album. It's an okay album, wasn't impressive but it works sometimes. Pretty average album that could be better.
  9. Andy798
    Dec 20, 2017
    4
    Well i mmlp2 is decent besides this , wich is really really bad , wasnt expecting revival to have 2-3 good tracks , i mean comparing it to mmlp1 or sslp this is pure ****
  10. Gamemod
    Jul 6, 2018
    6
    This album is a generally mixed one in my opinion. With tracks such as "River" and "Offended" where Eminem shows off his lyrical talent and with tracks such as "Heat" it's garbage. For me, it's a mixed rating.
  11. 0Villain
    Dec 15, 2017
    5
    This album is going to get a lot of hate I feel, as it is very different from Eminem's past work with it's less aggressive nature. That's not why I'm not impressed. I'm unimpressed due to the terrible political commentary. Now, though I disagree with Eminem politically, Id still give this a good review if it was clever and insightful. But it's not. It's everything the media **** out on aThis album is going to get a lot of hate I feel, as it is very different from Eminem's past work with it's less aggressive nature. That's not why I'm not impressed. I'm unimpressed due to the terrible political commentary. Now, though I disagree with Eminem politically, Id still give this a good review if it was clever and insightful. But it's not. It's everything the media **** out on a daily basis, calling Trump an Aryan because he's obviously a Nazi or preaching about White privilege because police kill black people because they're darker. Fine. Preach about these things. But give me a new take on it, give me something creative. Just go read a Buzz-feed article. The only difference is the article doesn't rhyme.
    HOWEVER, the saving grace of this album is Eminem's personal songs. It's nothing new... but it's still damn good. The rhymes are good, the emotion can hit hard. They're solid songs. Not my favorite, but I've very few complaints.
    In summary, leave his political songs alone. they aren't worth your time unless you enjoy the same social justice rhetoric we've all heard a million times before from the media. His other songs, though lacking innovation, still hold up, bringing this mixed bag of disappointment to 5/10. It's average. Hopefully in the future Eminem can bring more insight to his work to make his political songs worth a listen.    … Expand
  12. thedaywalker
    Dec 15, 2017
    6
    This álbum is average at best... which is something i never enjoy saying about my favorite artist
    But it really falls flat, seems like Eminem didn't try hard enough. Picking up some songs, Arose and Castle are brilliant, River, Bad Husband and Like Home are pretty good too, but the rest is just uninspiring. The production is really silly, i'm almost 100% sure, Dr. Dre had no hand in this    This álbum is average at best... which is something i never enjoy saying about my favorite artist
    But it really falls flat, seems like Eminem didn't try hard enough. Picking up some songs, Arose and Castle are brilliant, River, Bad Husband and Like Home are pretty good too, but the rest is just uninspiring. The production is really silly, i'm almost 100% sure, Dr. Dre had no hand in this álbum, and it was mostly Rick Rubin. I really hope he bounces back from this, because i love his work, but this one is probably doesn't even make the top 10 albums of this year in my book    … Expand
  13. SchroederRock
    Dec 24, 2017
    6
    Rap's once-unstoppable force is now facing an identity crisis nearly two decades after he flashed onto the mainstream radar. Instead of being a true revival, this new album shows that Eminem isn't sure of who he is or what he's trying to do. It's neither a big political statement nor a cultural one. The jokes and jabs at whoever lands in Em's crosshairs are far and few between. To makeRap's once-unstoppable force is now facing an identity crisis nearly two decades after he flashed onto the mainstream radar. Instead of being a true revival, this new album shows that Eminem isn't sure of who he is or what he's trying to do. It's neither a big political statement nor a cultural one. The jokes and jabs at whoever lands in Em's crosshairs are far and few between. To make this tougher, the beats are only occasionally strong and memorable. "Believe", "Chloraseptic", "River", "Bad Husband", "In Your Head", "Castle" are the tracks that I think most people will get behind and make this album worth a listen. Cuts like "Nowhere Fast", "Like Home" and "Tragic Endings" might find limited appeal but two of those tracks are clearly trying to reproduce some of that "Love The Way You Lie" magic, without having much magic to offer. There are tracks that can be hard listens, such as "Untouchable" which features a tough beat & groove that is more likely to encourage listeners to move on long before the track finds some stride over 2-minutes in, which makes me wonder why anyone would bother going through 2 minutes of "blah" for almost 4 minutes of interesting rhymes and good flow with a much more enjoyable beat. "Walk On Water" may not be smart lead track, just because it's hook is wasted on a talent like Beyonce - it's a weak hook and a "meh" track that hasn't made me excited to turn this album over and start from the beginning. "Offended" is a flow flex, much like "Rap God" was, but with weaker effects that ends up being a 5 1/2 minute journey that reminds me that Eminem is super-talented but not always fun to listen to these days. "Remind Me" is a less-fun and less-clever "Bezerk" wannabe, sampling Joan Jett without much effect.

    If I'm being honest, I want to love and embrace Eminem as a current artist that holds the rap throne in a way that nobody else can. The fact is that Revival proves that he's just not adapting as well as he could be. Sometimes Eminem finds his flow and it often is found in cuts that feel very reminiscent of earlier era Eminem ("Believe", "Castle", "Bad Husband"). It's in those moments that I remember why he needs to stick around. His style, his approach that put him at the top isn't fatigued or outdated. Eminem needs to avoid the adaptation route and keep doing what he's good at. Use all the piano and slick beats he can. Be funny, be serious, be a little extra-offensive to prove a point. Make fight songs and bring in collaborators, but only if they're going to be as effective as they were on Recovery, which is Eminem's last great album that ended up being sandwiched by something so-so and something that was just a waste (Relapse). Because Eminem was so unique, his style and his craft have not been worn out yet. He's got another banger album in him and he's got something to say, he just can't get lost in his endeavors. When he's on, he's crushing everyone in the game. When he's off, he's skippable.    … Expand
  14. Igor_Ferreira
    Jan 9, 2018
    4
    One more work below average. It is not as frightening as some want to paint, but it is rather weak. It's a bad record, limited and fake. Save yourself some exceptions but nothing that saves the album. It is an endless collapse. The collaborations are even with good names, like Skylar Gray, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, etc ...

    The tracks themselves even have a personal, critical and    One more work below average. It is not as frightening as some want to paint, but it is rather weak. It's a bad record, limited and fake. Save yourself some exceptions but nothing that saves the album. It is an endless collapse. The collaborations are even with good names, like Skylar Gray, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, etc ...

    The tracks themselves even have a personal, critical and cooler weight, but that does not bring quality to the song. I highlight Castle, as the most listener song on the record. No more low-level production, weak refrains and the rest, criticism of US President Donald Trump.

    Expect more of a great rappers from history and one of the icons of the 00's.    … Expand
  15. bleboy28
    Dec 21, 2017
    4
    Eminem this is probably the worst album you have made stop this pop gay **** and do more old eminem i know that you have to do what you feel like is good for you now thats right but GOD DAMN THIS IS TRASH now keep in mind that i love eminem he is one of the best rappers of all time but this is not good man just stop with the medical ****
  16. kayhamed
    Dec 15, 2017
    4
    In my opinion eminem is not himself anymore.one thing is so clear for me that he is under strong influence of kendrick lamar & that's what made him too far from himself. witout that, he's rapping style seems never-developing & no changes in it since his career begining.
  17. Joel_Freecheck
    Dec 16, 2017
    6
    The real revelation with this album is that Eminem is no longer the 2000s shock rapper you fell in love with. He has matured in both vision and flow, resulting in a "beautiful mess" of some sorts. The lows are bad, including the abysmal Pink collab and horribly sampled "Framed", but "River" is bound for chart glory and the album closes with enough strength to merit a positive score.
  18. garywinthorpe
    Dec 15, 2017
    6
    Album started out well enough but was disappointing towards the end. Overall an average album. Em came in with some nice verses but his flow was lackluster at parts and underwhelming in the overall context of the album. Some songs were bad but for the most part the album was okay. Features were good, nothing special but ok.
  19. Music_Observer
    Dec 21, 2017
    6
    Eminem’s talent with rhyming and flow is obviously present in most cases, but it certainly can’t carry a long work like this on its own, and the flat beats, annoying countermelodies, and lackluster musical ideas did no complimenting and twiddled this down to only a sliver of worth. My Score: 105/180 (Okay) = 5.8/10
  20. HiMyNamesEthan
    Jan 15, 2018
    6
    6/10 Reaping with political topics and distastfull lines, Eminem remains controversal, but not in the way we've always loved him to be.

    Ok, Eminem has aged, and its very obvious, but I was expecting a little better than this - Jay-Z is about 5 years older than Em, and he came back with one of the best albums this year and one of the best in his own discography! Eminem's very ambitious    6/10 Reaping with political topics and distastfull lines, Eminem remains controversal, but not in the way we've always loved him to be.

    Ok, Eminem has aged, and its very obvious, but I was expecting a little better than this - Jay-Z is about 5 years older than Em, and he came back with one of the best albums this year and one of the best in his own discography! Eminem's very ambitious flow is back, and that's refreshing, but the lyrics are very poor and cringeworthy. Not only that, but the topics and themes Em rushes through are very risky, especially in the very childish persona he gives off on his music. While Eminem has developed a reputation of being goofy and funny, he still holds that today, so its hard to take him serious at all on this album. Some of the tracks are not that bad, though his hooks are very painful to the ears. I've enjoyed some of the funnier punchlines, among the sea of very mediocre ones. The production is also very mediocre and a little bit dated, making it a bit hard to listen to as well. Overall, Eminem has a good flow, very mediocre lyrics and production, and poor taste in this album.    … Expand
  21. Connorcox1997
    Mar 14, 2019
    5
    Revival is one of the worst albums that Eminem has put together and the biggest disappointing albums coming from an Eminem fan. But there are some highlights on the album, but there are also a lot of lowlights on the album. Like for example on the song "Need Me" ft Pink the song is basically a Pink song that could have been on Pinks project, which was one of the worst songs on the album.Revival is one of the worst albums that Eminem has put together and the biggest disappointing albums coming from an Eminem fan. But there are some highlights on the album, but there are also a lot of lowlights on the album. Like for example on the song "Need Me" ft Pink the song is basically a Pink song that could have been on Pinks project, which was one of the worst songs on the album. Some of the features on this album are pop artists and only one rapper on the album. Some features I do like like Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Skylar Grey, and Kehlani do a pretty good job at the hooks. While other artists like Ed Sheeran and Phresher(which I never heard of him before until now) who has his a verse on one song is ok. There are way too many rock samples productions on the album, which I don't mind rock sample, but putting way too many rock samples is not my cup of tea. Overall this is one of Eminem's Revival is a huge disappointment of 2017.… Expand
  22. SHantanubhati_3
    May 19, 2019
    6
    This album is over hated its actually decent. Lyrically being amazing there were some good hooks some were bad the production was actually good people are trashing its production first no reason
    There were some really good songs like walk on water, believe arose and there were some really bad songs like heat, offended
  23. tonto
    Jul 30, 2021
    5
    It's not terrible but none of the songs are really worth listening to repeatedly. Eminem raps in his more contemporary style. Definitely one of Eminem's weaker albums, maybe his low point. Too many features from pop musicians and no standout singles that are bangers.
  24. nikoziko
    Feb 17, 2018
    4
    IT Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
  25. MalcolmE
    Dec 6, 2018
    5
    Does this album sound like something that belongs in 2017/2018? No. Does it have good production? Nah. Does it have good lyrics? Going by Eminem's standards? Then hell no. But is it enjoyable? Yeah, it got its moments. Walk On Water is a fantastic opening track. Bad Husbands got great heartfelt verses (but a trash hook). Remind me is so bad so it becomes good and Castle and Arose is anDoes this album sound like something that belongs in 2017/2018? No. Does it have good production? Nah. Does it have good lyrics? Going by Eminem's standards? Then hell no. But is it enjoyable? Yeah, it got its moments. Walk On Water is a fantastic opening track. Bad Husbands got great heartfelt verses (but a trash hook). Remind me is so bad so it becomes good and Castle and Arose is an amazing outro. Sure it got some bad tracks like Heat and Need Me and Tragic Endings sounds like a demo outtake from Recovery. But is it a terrible album? No, I don't think so. I think it got it's moments and is actually quite solid overall.

    Favorite Tracks: Walk On Water, Believe, Arose

    Least Favorite Tracks: Heat, Need Me    … Expand
  26. minimumhatred
    Jun 16, 2018
    5
    On very first listen I had felt like this album was a 7.5/10 and figured it was really solid, but within a few weeks of that review I really regretted it so I am redoing it now even if it is quite late. This album has some highlights and Em is attempting to do something positive with this platform but overall it is a very dissapointing listen. There are some highlight tracks like Walk onOn very first listen I had felt like this album was a 7.5/10 and figured it was really solid, but within a few weeks of that review I really regretted it so I am redoing it now even if it is quite late. This album has some highlights and Em is attempting to do something positive with this platform but overall it is a very dissapointing listen. There are some highlight tracks like Walk on Water, Believe, Castle, Framed & Arose but also tracks that are painfully mediocre like Chloraseptic, Offended and River to terrible songs like Bad Husband, Tragic Endings, Untouchable, Remind Me and Heat. I think what really dissapointed me the most was that overall there were moments of promise. The biggest issue for me is the absence of Dr. Dre who has mixed so many of Eminem's albums, you think he could atleast hire a competent mixer for this project but whoever mixed this album should be blacklisted from the music industry jesus **** christ the mixing is terrible. Overall a 5.5/10 because there were tracks I love but the ones that are really bad are really bad.… Expand
  27. isaacb263
    Jan 12, 2018
    5
    This album has grown on me - a bit. But not enough for me to say it's a good album. I think he is still killing it lyrically, but no Eminem fan wants to hear pop features and this flow he has been on since 2011 or so. Fans want the Eminem we got on Castle, Offended, and Framed, which makes this album frustrating - he clearly still has it. But the production, mixing, features, andThis album has grown on me - a bit. But not enough for me to say it's a good album. I think he is still killing it lyrically, but no Eminem fan wants to hear pop features and this flow he has been on since 2011 or so. Fans want the Eminem we got on Castle, Offended, and Framed, which makes this album frustrating - he clearly still has it. But the production, mixing, features, and occasionally, lyrics make this album overall a chore. There are bright moments, but not enough to enjoy it as an album… Expand
  28. GarrettR
    Jan 21, 2020
    6
    Severely underrated album. The hate was to be expected when he split his fan base with the BET cypher and his anti-Trump remarks, but the album itself was much better than expected.

    This album has something for all of his fans, if you enjoyed something from all of his eras, you're going to enjoy the majority of this album. Bottom line; do yourself a favor, listen to the album    Severely underrated album. The hate was to be expected when he split his fan base with the BET cypher and his anti-Trump remarks, but the album itself was much better than expected.

    This album has something for all of his fans, if you enjoyed something from all of his eras, you're going to enjoy the majority of this album.

    Bottom line; do yourself a favor, listen to the album yourself before basing your opinion off of the critic's responses.    … Expand
  29. LeadOxide
    Jan 29, 2018
    4
    Bad production, bad sampling, some awful bars and overall interesting song topics. Eminem still manages to be entertaining on a handful of songs here (Walk on water, Chloraseptic, River, Framed, Castle) but the rest are all pretty sub par.
  30. MilesW1998
    Apr 9, 2018
    4
    Eminem makes a long-awaited return since his last album from 2013 with his biggest disappointment yet. While some songs have their charm like River, and Walk On Water, most of the album suffers from generic and boring production, weird and awkward samples from other songs, cringey and cheesy lyrics, and guest verses that range from okay to downright despicable.
  31. skaylez
    Mar 25, 2018
    5
    Eminems rhyme scheme is still on point but his choppy deliver can get annoying. He still has talented story telling songs like castle but half the songs are trash or forgettable but never the less Eminem is one of the if not the GOAT.
  32. michaelbozas
    Jun 24, 2018
    6
    I mean it was fine. The first half of the album I can easily say that I disliked, with the only track really liking being River, which is my favourite song featured in revival. It may be because of the story conveyed through the song, or the great hook by Ed Sheeran, but I to be honest love that song. Now the album gets kinda better after the track "Bad Husband". From there till the endI mean it was fine. The first half of the album I can easily say that I disliked, with the only track really liking being River, which is my favourite song featured in revival. It may be because of the story conveyed through the song, or the great hook by Ed Sheeran, but I to be honest love that song. Now the album gets kinda better after the track "Bad Husband". From there till the end the album is a more solid, with the exceptions being the god-awful "Heat" with the unbearable country music and "Castle" with one of the most uninteresting chorus in the entire album. Now except "River", the other songs that I like are "Framed", which I have liked more and more as I've listened it, taking in account that I thought that the chorus was laughable the first time I've heard it and now believing that that was the point. I also liked "Tragic Endings" and found "Nowhere Fast" quite underrated. Yes I was not a big fan of "Walk on Water" as I thought it was kinda dumb.
    What I noticed is that my favourite songs except River and Framed are the ones that feature other artists and it became obvious that I got quickly tired of Eminem in this album and that may be why so many other singers were involved. But still, I didn't hate myself listening to it and I would give it a light 6/10.    … Expand
  33. M64
    Jul 23, 2018
    4
    A disappointing album, with many bad lines, basic rhyming, and poor production. Only around 4 tracks of the nearly 20 tracks can be considered good.
  34. jeddi222
    Jun 30, 2018
    6
    eminem's charm is a presence in this album. tracks "walk on water", "castle/arose" were heartwarming. and the concept that eminem can handle very well. but the production and music was the let down on this album. wrong choice of decisions, awful hooks. and even the track "need me" not even an em track. but there's still a room of improvement after this. it's just really predictable thateminem's charm is a presence in this album. tracks "walk on water", "castle/arose" were heartwarming. and the concept that eminem can handle very well. but the production and music was the let down on this album. wrong choice of decisions, awful hooks. and even the track "need me" not even an em track. but there's still a room of improvement after this. it's just really predictable that this is gonna suck… Expand
  35. Trunestor
    Jun 16, 2022
    6
    Definitely gets better after the 11th track. Very underrated. You should listen to this album after listening to his other albums first. 6.7/10 Favourite track: Framed
  36. drongodan
    Jan 20, 2020
    6
    Don’t hate it like some people do. Still some good tracks on it. Fave tracks; Remind Me, In Your Head, Framed, Chloraseptic
  37. Codeling
    Aug 7, 2021
    5
    This album is overhated but it's not a good one either. It's ok.
    Best songs: Arose, Castle
    Worst songs: Heat, Need Me
  38. Max27265
    Dec 2, 2020
    6
    Revival is a very polarizing album (obviously). The lyrical prowess on this album is as amazing as ever, but the beats, hooks, and topics are lacking. Great rapping, but a mediocre album as a whole.
  39. Adammire
    Apr 19, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This album was not good to say it kindly. Let me start with what I like about it first. You see Marshall in some aspects growing and maturing as an artist and as a person. Songs such as "Walk On Water", "Believe", "In Your Head", "Castle" and "Arose" are songs that you saw Em really grow as a person. He also shows why he is one of the greatest lyricists of all time with songs such as "Offended" and "Framed". But that's where it ends. One of the biggest issues I have is how Em never stuck to the main theme of the LP. While promoting it, he would constantly talk about how this album was made to make some sort of awareness of the flaws that America has. But the album wasn't really about America or politics, It was more about Marshall. Don't get me wrong it's not wrong to make an album like that. I just find it sad that he hyped it up to be an album that was all about the issues of this country. But instead, we got "Recovery 2.0". Along with that, we had to deal with Rick Rubin producing an Eminem album, and that's just No! Eminem and Rick Rubin are both gonna be great in their respective positions. But the two of them just don't mix! The lack of a Hip-Hop feel and a more pop aesthetic really is a bummer. Like does somebody have to remind Eminem that he is a RAPPER and not a POPSTAR! Now with that being said with the inconsistencies of the album, songs that have nothing to do with the central them of the album(Offended, Framed, Remind Me, and Heat) Along with terrible production and awful hooks. I just don't see myself coming back to this project anytime soon. My final rating for this record will be 4.5/10.

    Walk On Water-7/10
    Believe-10/10
    Chloraseptic-7/10
    Untouchable-3/10
    River-6.5/10
    Remind Me/7/10
    Like Home-4/10
    Bad Husband-3.5/10
    Tragic Endings-4/10
    Framed-7/10
    Nowhere Fast- 6/10
    Heat-1/10
    Need Me- 2.5/10
    In Your Head-6.5/10
    Castle-8/10
    Arose-8/10    … Expand
  40. Mellowry
    Aug 17, 2021
    4
    Definitely not my thing. Maybe people find this entertaining, i just find it uncreative and still trying too much to be impressive. The beats are awful, i agree that "River" With Ed Sheeran quite gave me some good feeling and had showed a nice chemistry between Marshall and Ed, but the rest was really not that good for me though.
  41. matsdumb
    Jan 24, 2022
    4
    this wasn't very good
    no idea why Eminem felt the need to get angry at the industry, this is some objective trash
  42. someonewhocares
    Jul 12, 2022
    6
    Revival, when played in short bursts, can provide and feel like some of Eminem's best work of the 2010s, but when played the whole way through, it can feel tedious and dull.
  43. Anthony_wx
    Jan 4, 2023
    6
    I love you Marshall but this album....... and **** anthony fantano this album is not horrible

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Most Discussed Album of 2017
6
#6 Most Shared Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
50

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 24
  3. Negative: 6 out of 24
  1. The Wire
    Feb 23, 2018
    40
    Chosen topics prove less crucial than his relentlessly tedious delivery. [Feb 2018, p.51]
  2. Q Magazine
    Jan 30, 2018
    40
    Eminem has never sounded more like a man out of time. [Mar 2018, p.107]
  3. RapReviews.com
    Jan 18, 2018
    75
    At least a third of the tracks are songs I could do without. The other two-thirds show that whether you love or hate the modern day Marshall Mathers, he's still as relevant as he ever was.
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