Following the announcement of his new album, ‘Revival,’ Eminem releases the socially-charged second single, “Untouchable.” 

Eminem is returning sooner than expected.  Much sooner actually, as his eighth proper studio album, Revival, arrives December 17. Talk about a great Christmas gift for rap enthusiasts! After dropping single “Walk on Water” (featuring Beyoncé), he goes solo on the set’s second single, “Untouchable.” Not only is he solo, he gets heavier overall on the fourth track from Revival.

As always, Eminem shines with a compelling flow.  His rhymes are socially and politically-charged, focusing specifically on race issues.   During the first part of the song, the rapper speaks from the perspective of a white man, who clearly doesn’t understand, or particularly has the desire to understand the black man.  Notably, during this portion of the song, he’s backed by rock-oriented production, anchored by hard drums.

“Black boy, black boy, we don’t get your culture and / We don’t care what our government’s done to f*ck you over, man / Don’t tell us your attitude’s a result of that / Balderdash, where’d you get the chip on your shoulder at.”

The production switches to a more contemporary sound prior to the three-minute mark.  The intensity by Eminem remains turned-up to the nth degree, as he begins to speak on behalf of the black man on the second half of “Untouchable.”

“Seems like the average span of a white man / Is more than twice than a black life span / I wonder sometimes if it has a price scanner / I feel like checking out no life, can’t escape the circumstance.”

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, “Untouchable” is an intriguing record with an intriguing, timely concept from Eminem. Clocking in over six minutes, it’s long, but the rapper has released a number of lengthy songs throughout his career.  Length aside, it’s well worth the listen.

Eminem • Revival • Interscope • Release: 12.17.17

Photo Credit: Interscope