Houdini (Eminem song)

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"Houdini"
A microphone hovers between a magician's hands
Single by Eminem
from the album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)
Released May 31, 2024
Length 3:47
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Lace It"
(2023)		 "Houdini"
(2024)
Music video
"Houdini" on YouTube

"Houdini" is a song by American rapper Eminem. It was released on May 31, 2024, as the lead single from his upcoming twelfth studio album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). The song interpolates multiple previous Eminem works and "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller Band, and contains various references to pop culture. Released alongside an accompanying music video, "Houdini" debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and also topped the charts in Australia, Austria, Canada, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It additionally has reached the top ten of the charts in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United States.

Background and composition

In April 2024, Eminem announced his upcoming twelfth studio album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), to be released in mid-2024.[1] Three weeks later, he shared an iMessage screenshot with a cryptic message that says "...and for my last trick!", sent to all of his contacts. The date for the message read May 31, hinting at an upcoming release.[2] On May 28, the rapper posted a joint video call between himself and magician David Blaine,[3] in which the former asked Blaine for help and a magic trick to which the latter responds by drinking a glass of wine and then eating it; Eminem then states that for his "last trick", he was going to make his career "disappear".[4] The rapper then previews the track by playing a short instrumental snippet. At the end of the clip, the song title and release date are revealed.[5]

"Houdini" was released on May 31, 2024. The lyrics reference song namesake Harry Houdini,[6] the Sherri Papini kidnapping hoax,[7] RuPaul's "big balls",[8] and the Black Eyed Peas in a pun on R. Kelly's urolagnia.[9] They also reference Eminem's controversy over homophobic lyrics in his earlier career, and imply that the "old" Eminem would consider "the way shit is today" to be "gay".[8] Eminem jokingly insults several people close to him, including his manager Paul Rosenberg, mentor Dr. Dre, Interscope Records founder Jimmy Iovine, and his own children.[10] "Houdini"'s lyrics also inquire as to whether a collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion would give Eminem "a shot at a feat", a reference to her being shot in the foot by Tory Lanez, fantasize about hitting an eight-year-old child in the face with a participation trophy,[11] and assert that Eminem's "transgender cat" is Siamese, "identifies as black", and "acts Chinese".[8] The song interpolates Eminem's "Without Me", "My Name Is", and "Just Lose It",[12] as well as the 1982 song "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller Band.[13] The day after release, Steve Miller praised Eminem as "one of those timeless originators building something new on a long musical legacy of original artists".[14]

Music video

The music video for "Houdini", directed by Rich Lee, who previously directed Eminem's videos for "Not Afraid", "Rap God", "The Monster", "Phenomenal", "Walk on Water" and "Venom", was released alongside the single on May 31, 2024.[15] In the music video, Eminem, dressed as his Rap Boy persona from "Without Me" (The Eminem Show, 2002), and Dr. Dre drive around a Gotham City-esque city while tracking down and battling Slim Shady, who time traveled through a portal from 2002 to the events of the music video. The music video features cameo appearances from fellow rappers 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Royce da 5′9″, Denaun Porter, along with Westside Boogie, Grip, and Ez Mil, signed at the time to Eminem's record label Shady Records, record producer the Alchemist, comedians Shane Gillis and Pete Davidson, adult film actresses Samantha Mack and Ryan Keely, Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg, Interscope Records co-founder and executive Jimmy Iovine, and Eminem's own children.

Reception

Andrew R. Chow of Time stated that the song was "revolting his critics".[13] Stereogum's Tom Breihan was not impressed with "Houdini", writing that it was "truly amazing" that Eminem had continued "to find new ways to get even shittier" and opined that he and Luis Resto had managed to make "Abracadabra" "sound even more like circus music". He also described the lyrics as "full of hack-ass jokes about how everything is too woke now" and Eminem's cadences as "cluttered and unpleasant", and wrote that listeners could "make a fucking bingo card" out of the song.[11] In addition, Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times felt that the track's "garish, carnivalesque beat", over which Eminem "surveys the current cultural moment and strings together some stiltedly rapped jokes [while] desperate to offend at every turn", was "exhausting".[16]

Robin Murray of Clash described the song as a "perfectly timed dose of cartoonish fan service, a colorful, occasionally shocking (and occasionally boring) dose of ultra-colorful chart rap", though felt the use of "gay" as a slur rankled and that the verse about Eminem's "transgender cat" was "corny as hell", and wrote that "Houdini" failed to "escape the lingering stench of the era it embodies".[17] A more positive review came from Brian McCollum of the Detroit Free Press, who praised the song as a "catchy throwback" with "clever, multilayered wordplay",[18] while Anthony Fantano compared the song positively against his albums Revival and Kamikaze but negatively against The Slim Shady LP.[19]

Commercial performance

"Houdini" debuted at the top of the UK singles chart, with 104,800 chart units including 13.3 million streams. It was Eminem's eleventh number one on the chart, his first since "Godzilla" with Juice Wrld in 2020, and his first without a feature since "Like Toy Soldiers" in 2005. This was Eminem's best first-week performance since "Without Me" in 2002.[20] It topped the chart for a second week, becoming his first song in the nation to hold this position for more than one week.[21]

Elsewhere, "Houdini" opened at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated June 15, 2024, with 48.8 million streams and 49,000 copies sold. It became his 23rd top ten song in his native country and his highest charting single since "The Monster" a decade earlier.[22] "Houdini" entered the Canadian Hot 100 at number one, and is his sixth track to reach the summit.[23]

The song also topped the ARIA Singles Chart in Australia, where it became the first Eminem song to feature on the charts since "The Monster" (featuring Rihanna) in 2013, and the first without a feature since "We Made You" in 2009. "Houdini" became the eighth Eminem song to reach number one in Australia.[24][25][26]

Charts

Chart performance for "Houdini"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[27] 1
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA)[28] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[29] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[30] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[31] 11
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[32] 1
Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[33] 34
Croatia (Billboard)[34] 5
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[35] 5
Denmark (Tracklisten)[36] 5
Fiji (Apple Music)[37] 37
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[38] 4
France (SNEP)[39] 37
Germany (Official German Charts)[40] 3
1
Hungary (Single Top 40)[41] 3
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[42] 1
India International (IMI)[43] 7
Israel (Media Forest)[44] 2
2
Italy (FIMI)[45] 43
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)[46] 5
Latvia (LAIPA)[47] 1
Latvia Airplay (LAIPA)[48] 3
Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20)[49] 15
Lithuania (AGATA)[50] 5
Luxembourg (Billboard)[51] 1
Malaysia (Billboard)[52] 23
Malaysia International (RIM)[53] 16
Morocco (Hit Radio)[54] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[55] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[56] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[57] 1
Nigeria (TurnTable Top 100)[58] 86
Norway (VG-lista)[59] 1
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[60] 31
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[61] 10
1
Romania (Billboard)[62] 4
Singapore (RIAS)[63] 11
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[64] 3
1
South Korea BGM (Circle)[65] 84
South Korea Download (Circle)[66] 80
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[67] 73
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[68] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[69] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[70] 1
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[71] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[72] 2
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[73] 37
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[74] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[75] 18
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[76] 11
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[77] 42

Certifications

Certifications for "Houdini"
Region Certification Sales/shipments
New Zealand (RMNZ)[78] Gold 7,500
United Kingdom (BPI)[79] Silver 200,000

xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ https://mumbrella.com.au/aria-charts-guess-whos-back-back-again-clue-its-eminem-835218
  25. ↑ https://southpawers.com/2024/06/07/eminem-houdini-australian-charts/
  26. ↑ https://eminem.news/houdini-australia-2w.html
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Eminem – Houdini" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  30. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Eminem – Houdini" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  31. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Eminem – Houdini" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  32. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Eminem.
  33. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Canada CHR/Top 40 for Eminem.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 202423 into search.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ https://music.apple.com/fj/playlist/top-100-fiji/pl.1e2c1286034c49b78139d2b4ff499a94
  38. ↑ "Eminem: Houdini" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ "Musicline.de – Eminem Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  41. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  54. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 25, 2024" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  56. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eminem – Houdini" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
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  61. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  62. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  63. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  64. ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 202423 into search.
  65. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  66. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  67. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  68. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  69. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Eminem – Houdini". Swiss Singles Chart.
  70. ↑ "Archive Chart: 20240607" UK Singles Chart.
  71. ↑ "Archive Chart: 20240607" UK R&B Chart.
  72. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Eminem.
  73. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Eminem.
  74. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Eminem.
  75. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Eminem.
  76. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Rhythmic Songs for Eminem.
  77. ↑ "Eminem – Chart history" Billboard Rock Airplay for Eminem.
  78. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  79. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Houdini in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
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