Darkness (Eminem song)

"Darkness" is a song by American rapper Eminem, from his eleventh studio album Music to Be Murdered By. Its music video is the first video released for the album.[1] The album and the "Darkness" music video were released simultaneously on January 17, 2020, with no prior announcement.[2][3]

"Darkness"
Single by Eminem
from the album Music to Be Murdered By
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2020 (2020-01-17)
Length5:38
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Eminem singles chronology
"Homicide"
(2019)		 "Darkness"
(2020)		 "Godzilla"
(2020)
Music video
"Darkness" on YouTube

Content

Eddie Fu, staff writer at Genius, wrote: "The track channels the perspective of Stephen Paddock—The man who killed 61 people in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting From his Mandalay bay Bedroom window, He wrote this song to make a point about gun control."[4] Spencer Kornhaber noted in The Atlantic: "The song and the video do not simply restage the massacre, though. Eminem is attempting a double entendre, in which most of the lyrics could equally refer to the rapper himself, sitting in a hotel room, nervous before a concert."[5]

The song interpolates the 1965 song "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel, using a piano version of its recurring guitar motif and its opening line, "Hello darkness, my old friend."

Music video

On January 17, 2020, a music video of the song was released on Eminem's YouTube channel. The video follows the same plot as the lyrics. During the first two verses, it alternates between showing Eminem in a dark room wearing a hoodie and an unidentified person in a hotel room wearing the same hoodie, surrounded by alcohol and ammunition. At the beginning of the third verse, the person takes off the hood and reveals himself to be the Las Vegas shooter, before opening fire on the concert-goers from the hotel window.

The video ends with the message: "When will it end? When enough people care. Register to vote at vote.gov. Make your voice heard and help change the gun laws in America." As of December 2020, the music video has over 52 million views.

Charts
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 32
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 31
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[8] 8
Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)[9] 22
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] 10
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[11] 18
France (SNEP)[12] 91
Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 47
Greece International Digital Singles (IFPI)[14] 24
Hungary (Single Top 40)[15] 29
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[16] 22
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 22
Italy (FIMI)[18] 57
Lithuania (AGATA)[19] 36
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[20] 52
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[21] 35
Norway (VG-lista)[22] 36
Portugal (AFP)[23] 58
Scotland (OCC)[24] 34
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[25] 19
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 58
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 13
UK Singles (OCC)[28] 17
UK R&B (OCC)[29] 9
US Billboard Hot 100[30] 28
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[31] 15
US Rolling Stone Top 100[32] 8

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[33] 1× Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Brandle, Lars (January 17, 2020). "Eminem's New 'Darkness' Music Video Is Darker Than It First Appears". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  2. https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8548302/eminem-darkness-music-video
  3. https://www.vox.com/2020/1/17/21070502/eminem-darkness-new-album-music-to-be-murdered-by-las-vegas
  4. Eddie, Fu (January 17, 2020). "Eminem Channels The Perspective Of The 2017 Las Vegas Shooter On "Darkness"". Genius. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  5. Kornhaber, Spencer (January 17, 2020). "Eminem Slips Into the Mind of the Las Vegas Shooter". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  6. "Australian-charts.com – Eminem – Darkness". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  7. "Austriancharts.at – Eminem – Darkness" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  8. "Ultratop.be – Eminem – Darkness" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  9. "Ultratop.be – Eminem – Darkness" (in Dutch). Ultratop Urban. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  10. "Eminem Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  11. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202004 into search. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  12. "Top Singles (Week 4, 2020)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Eminem – Darkness". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  14. "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Week: 4/2020". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on February 6, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  15. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  16. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  17. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  18. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 4" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  19. "Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. January 24, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  20. "Dutchcharts.nl – Eminem – Darkness" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  21. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  22. "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single uke 4, 2020". VG-lista. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  23. "Portuguesecharts.com – Eminem – Darkness". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  24. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  25. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202004 into search. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  26. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 4". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  27. "Swisscharts.com – Eminem – Darkness". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  28. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  29. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  30. "Eminem Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  31. "Eminem Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  32. "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. January 23, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  33. "American single certifications – Eminem ft Juice Wrld – Godzilla". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 1, 2021. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 


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