| "Darkness" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byEminem | ||||
| from the albumMusic to Be Murdered By | ||||
| Released | January 17, 2020 (2020-01-17) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:38 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
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| Eminem singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Darkness" onYouTube | ||||
"Darkness" is a song by AmericanrapperEminem that was included in his eleventh studio album,Music to Be Murdered By (2020). The track's relatedmusic video was the first visual clip released on behalf of the album. "Darkness" came out as alead single simultaneously with the rest of the album on January 17, 2020, withno prior announcement having been made. In terms of itslyrics, the song recounts the2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas.[1][2][3]
In contrast to multiple previous songs commercially released by the artist during his career, "Darkness" is an explicitlysocio-politicalprotest song that condemnsgun violence in the United States while additionally invoking the relatedcultural issues in America ofpsychological anxiety andsubstance abuse. Eminem also directly encourages his fans' efforts toregister to vote. The song and its related video have been described as "bleak",[1] "chilling",[2] "dark",[3] and "stark",[1] given itsemotional tone. Eminem takes on multiple perspectives within the production and prominently includes thepoint-of-view of the shooter himself in his rapping.[1][2][3]
"Darkness" has received mixed critical responses given its explicit content. U.S. news serviceThe Atlantic stated in an article that it can be alternately assessed asglorifying gun violence and also as fighting against it, with journalist Spencer Kornhaber arguing that Eminem's deliberate embodying of themass shooter's point-of-view throughout "Darkness" made itethically flawed overall.[4] Commentary onBillboard.com described the release as "powerful" and also labeled Eminem with the title of a "Rap God".[3]CNN.com published an article regarding the song as "a poignant call for expanded gun control", noting the broader context of the artist's "outspoken" past ventures intoU.S. politics such as criticizing theinvasion of Iraq and other violent actions undertaken by thenPresidentGeorge W. Bush in the 2000s.[1]
Commentator Eddie Fu, a staff writer at the musical publicationGenius, wrote: "The track channels the perspective ofStephen Paddock— who killed 60 people in the2017 Las Vegas shooting— to make a point about gun control."[2] Journalist Spencer Kornhaber noted forThe Atlantic: "The song and the video do not simply restage the massacre, though. Eminem is attempting adouble entendre, in which most of the lyrics could equally refer to the rapper himself, sitting in a hotel room, nervous before a concert."[4]
Besides being an explicitlysocio-politicalprotest song that condemnsgun violence in the United States, "Darkness" additionally invokes the relatedcultural issues in America ofpsychological anxiety andsubstance abuse. Eminem added a promotional statement to the music video supporting his fans' efforts toregister to vote as well. The song and its related video have been described as "bleak",[1] "chilling",[2] "dark",[3] and "stark",[1] given itsemotional tone. In addition, Eminem takes on multiple perspectives within the production. This prominently includes taking thepoint-of-view of the shooter himself in his rapping, Eminem citingpsychological tensions in the murderer's life such as the alienation between father-and-son.[1][3]
The outro explicitly references other violent incidents beyond what happened inLas Vegas, Nevada, particularly noting the headline-making attacks in bothAnnapolis, Maryland andDayton, Ohio.[2] As well, the opening section of "Darkness" brings up the history of the city inpopular culture. Eminem raps that he "[f]eels like I’m loathing in Las Vegas",[2] with this referring to thecountercultural writingFear And Loathing In Las Vegas and its movie adaptation.
"Darkness"interpolates the song "The Sound of Silence" by American musical duoSimon & Garfunkel, which had appeared on that group's 1964 albumWednesday Morning, 3 A.M. The prior track's opening line, which goes "Hello, darkness, my old friend", also is prominently emphasized in Eminem's song.[2]
On January 17, 2020, a music video of the song was released on Eminem'sYouTube channel. The video follows the same plot as the lyrics. The first two verses alternate 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 beStephen Paddock, the man behind the Las Vegas shooting, before opening fire on the concert-goers from the hotel window. As police try to break into his room, the shooter trains his sidearm at the front door, before he then shoots himself in the head.
The video ends with overlapping news feeds regarding gun violence, and the closing message: "When will it end? When enough people care. Register to vote atvote.gov. Make your voice heard and help change the gun laws in America."
As of March 2025, the music video has over 65 million views.
"Darkness" has received mixed responses frommusic critics and other commentators given its explicit content. U.S. news serviceThe Atlantic stated in an article that it can be alternately assessed asglorifying gun violence and also as fighting against it. With journalist Spencer Kornhaber arguing that Eminem's deliberate embodying of themass shooter's point-of-view throughout "Darkness" made itethically flawed overall, the publication highlighted a negative social context given that "the internet rewards audiovisual spectacle" and thus reenactingcrimes in a dramatic fashion has nuanced effects.[4]
Commentary onBillboard.com described the release as "powerful" and also labeled Eminem with the title of a "Rap God".[3]CNN.com published an article regarding the song as "a poignant call for expanded gun control", noting the broader context of the artist's "outspoken" past ventures intoU.S. politics. This has included criticizing theinvasion of Iraq and other violent actions undertaken by thenPresidentGeorge W. Bush in the 2000s.[1]
Analyzing the music video specifically, its filmmaking style has been described as "realistic" and involving a production that appears "disturbing for some viewers".[1]
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[5] | 32 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] | 31 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[7] | 8 |
| Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)[8] | 22 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[9] | 10 |
| Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[10] | 18 |
| France (SNEP)[11] | 91 |
| Germany (GfK)[12] | 47 |
| Greece International Digital Singles (IFPI)[13] | 24 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[14] | 29 |
| Hungary (Stream Top 40)[15] | 22 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[16] | 22 |
| Italy (FIMI)[17] | 57 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[18] | 36 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] | 52 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[20] | 35 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[21] | 36 |
| Portugal (AFP)[22] | 58 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[23] | 34 |
| Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[24] | 19 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[25] | 58 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] | 13 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[27] | 17 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[28] | 9 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[29] | 28 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[30] | 15 |
| USRolling Stone Top 100[31] | 8 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[32] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[33] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[35] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
