Revival
by Eminem
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
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  1. XXL
    Jan 4, 2018
    80
    While Revival isn’t the defibrillator that Eminem needed to revive his dominance, the album has enough highlights to maintain decent replay value and enough lyrical miracles to keep mindful rap from totally flat lining. His pen game hasn't lost even half of a step, and he still possesses the neurotic edge that's always made him such a driving force in hip-hop.
  2. The Independent (UK)
    Dec 15, 2017
    80
    “Believe”, finds Eminem’s faith in his talent creeping back in. The ticking beat and sinister, John Carpenter-esque piano figure are harbingers of resurgent menace, while the hazy, treated chorus hook sounds like medication flooding his spirit with the confidence that carries the rest of the album. There are plenty of typical Eminem tropes scattered throughout Revival: he picks constantly at the scabs of marital failure. ... But ultimately, it’s all about Eminem himself.
  3. The Telegraph (UK)
    Dec 15, 2017
    80
    Like his misogynistic streak, his sound is stuck in the past. What keeps our attention is his exuberant delight in language itself, such as his geometry pun in River: “this love triangle / left us in a wrecked tangle”. (Say it aloud).
  5. 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.
  6. Drowned In Sound
    Jan 10, 2018
    70
    It seems that despite decades of oversharing, self-analysis, bombast, outrage and drama, Eminem does, still, have something to say, as well as the means to say it.
  7. Rolling Stone
    Dec 15, 2017
    70
    At 77 minutes, Revival is a heavy listen, going deep on ballads with guests like Ed Sheeran and X Ambassadors. But a certain indulgent messiness has always been part of the Eminem experience. ... When Revival's confessionals work, it's proof that, when the real Marshal Mathers stands up, he can still pull us into his evocative dramas.
  8. Paste Magazine
    Dec 15, 2017
    68
    Overall, the album is fairly easy listening.
  9. HipHopDX
    Dec 15, 2017
    64
    While Em’s bullheaded decision to experiment with the flow should be heartily respected, it doesn’t shroud the fact that he’s not charting any new territory, at least topically. But it’s largely the retreads of past glory where he hits stride the hardest.

Awards & Rankings

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

User Reviews

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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
  1. Lewisd900
    Dec 15, 2017
    10
    Best album since the Eminem Show gets better after multiple listens!! This is a different eminem and shows he's matured as marshall mathersBest album since the Eminem Show gets better after multiple listens!! This is a different eminem and shows he's matured as marshall mathers the man and eminem the artist GOAT!… Full Review »
  2. DBrown7
    Dec 15, 2017
    0
    Nothing but a shadow of his former self. Straight garbage. You would think that with the leading single "Walk on Water" addressing how heNothing but a shadow of his former self. Straight garbage. You would think that with the leading single "Walk on Water" addressing how he struggles to live up to his own name and past, that maybe he would pull it out the bag and give an album that longstanding fans deserve. Nope, just the same pop-ballad trash that has been accredited to him the past couple years.… Full Review »
  3. antpaca
    Dec 15, 2017
    3
    Sure, he acrobats around lyrically in a way that's technically impressive, but no satisfying flow ever emerges. The uptempo tracks retread theSure, he acrobats around lyrically in a way that's technically impressive, but no satisfying flow ever emerges. The uptempo tracks retread the same old ground (with the exception of the occasional political commentary), and the more introspective tracks do the same but with bland, drawn out, forgettable pop choruses. If your wish in 2017 was "Recovery, but worse", you got it. Even nods to MMLP2, Encore, and Relapse seem out of place and half-baked. It's just a mess.… Full Review »
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