Eminem makes history with number one album despite shockingly distasteful lyric about Ariana Grande terror attack
Eminem, 47, is being slammed for a song that makes light of a terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande gig in England. (Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
Eminem has scored a number one album in the UK despite the inclusion of a distasteful lyric referencing the terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert.
The rapper has faced significant criticism over the lyric, which appears in his song “Unaccommodating” from his number one album, Music to Be Murdered By.
“But I’m contemplating yelling ‘Bombs away’ on the game/ Like I’m outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting,” Eminem raps on the song.
As if the lyric wasn’t bad enough, it is followed by an explosion sound, with the rest of the song referencing suicide attacks and terrorism.
Eminem: Music To Be Murdered By had sales of 36,000 in its first week in the UK.
But none of this was of concern to the UK public, who listened to the album in their droves. Music to Be Murdered By had 36,000 sales in the last week, meaning Eminem has now had 10 consecutive number one albums in the UK.
Survivors and family members of those who died in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 have expressed their shock and dissatisfaction with the American rapper over the lyric.
Figen Murray, the mother of gay PR worker Martyn Hett, who was killed in the attack, expressed her disbelief on Twitter.
But I’m contemplating yelling ‘Bombs away’ on the game/ Like I’m outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting.
“Feels like he is piggybacking on the fame of Ariana grande and Justin Bieber and says distasteful things about other celebrities,” she wrote.
He was slammed by both Ariana Grande fans and his own fans for the lyric, with many criticising it as insensitive.
I love Eminem but this guy really has a bar in his new song mocking the Ariana Grande concert bombing and then has a explosion noise straight after..
— ☂️ (@CalRestive) January 17, 2020
Havent heard the new eminem yet and whilst I've been a massive fan of his for the longest, I rlly cant stand for the ariana bombing line particularly having met ppl over the last year since I've moved here that were actually directly affected by incident…— LEWIS 🍉 (@xLewisThorpx) January 17, 2020
eminem literally just made a joke about the manchester bombing at ariana grande’s concert… that is just so fucking sick, y’all better not give this man any attention. people literally lost their lives, and you’re going to release music and try to make a profit off of them? pic.twitter.com/mKJo06RL9p— 𝐜🧩 (@sweeterheavens) January 17, 2020
This isn’t even the first time Eminem has rapped about the Manchester Arena bombing. He also referenced the horrifying moment, which left 23 people dead and 139 wounded, on 2018 track “Kick Off”.
The inclusion of the lyric will not help Eminem’s already rocky standing among the LGBT+ community. Ariana Grande has a significant queer fanbase, and many of those in the audience on the night of the bombing were LGBT+.
The rapper also has a long history of using homophobic slurs. He once claimed that his use of anti-gay slurs such as “dyke” and “faggot” are not actually aimed at the LGBT+ community.
