An Eminem album wouldn’t be complete with a little controversy.
Shortly after Slim Shady surprised his fans with Music To Be Murdered By, his 11th studio album, Twitter lit up with reactions to the song “Unaccommodating,” which includes the line, “I’m contemplating yelling ‘bombs away’ on the game/Like I’m outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting,” a reference to the deadly 2017 bombing.
The lyrics are followed with the sound of an explosion. Now, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is joining the public outcry.
Burnham said in a statement to BBC, “This is unnecessarily hurtful and deeply disrespectful to the families and all those affected.”
The mother of Martyn Hett, who died in the attack, weighed in on Twitter.
“Feels like he is piggybacking on the fame of Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber and says distasteful things about other celebrities,” Figen Murray wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “Not clever. Totally pointless. And before all Eminem fans pounce on me, I am not interested and will not engage.”
Russell Hayward, Hett’s former partner, also expressed his disappointment with the song via Twitter.
“It’s disappointing but not surprising that #Eminem would use controversial lyrics about the Manchester bomb, dragging the victims’ families & Ariana back into a very dark time,” he said. “Not sure how popular he is these days but I hope any success he gets from the back of this is worth it.”
Despite the lyric, another song on Music To Be Murdered By called “Darkness” finds Em advocating for gun control. He also encouraged people to donate to the victims and victims’ family of the Manchester bombings in May 2017.
“Join me in helping Manchester victims & their families,” he wrote on Twitter. “Make a donation to the @BritishRedCross and @MENnewsdesk.”
Pussies really out here getting mad at one bar… Fucking bitches lmaooooo
Shut up fruit -america
“Feels like he is piggybacking on the fame of Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber…”
Yeah I’m pretty sure Eminem is more famous than both of them.
Exactly. What an ignorant comment from the mother.
Get over it. It’s music. People be too damn sensitive these days.
I wish I could hit that fire button 100 more times
people not getting more sensitive. problem appeared when every fucking human body attained access to internet for them to express their opinion. now everyone can tell what they think, u reading my comment is proof of that. bitch.
Who tf cares what some limey bastard has to say?
It’s art, gtfover it already.
Mayors are the most corrupt public figures there are. They have no place talking about anything.
Get over it.
Em has been saying crazy shit for over 20 years. Nothing new.