2 Years Ago Today, Eminem released “Houdini”, the first single for his latest album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).
It was the kind of album rollout fans had been missing: teasers, cryptic messages, clues, excitement, anticipation and, finally, a hit that stormed the charts, a real crowd pleaser.
Song stats
“Houdini” debuted at the top of the Billboard Global 200 and topped national charts in 12 countries. It remained the last rap song to top the Global 200 until Drake ended the drought last week. In the US, “Houdini” debuted at No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with nearly 49 million streams and 49,000 copies sold, giving Marshall his 23rd Top 10 hit in the US and his biggest single since “The Monster” in 2013. It even landed on Alternative Airplay – Eminem’s first appearance there since “Lose Yourself” over two decades ago.
In the UK, “Houdini” debuted at No.1 with 104,800 chart units, making it his 11th British chart-topper. It was his strongest debut he has had there since “Without Me” in 2002 and the longest charting UK No.1 in his career.
No less successful was the song on streaming platforms. On Spotify, “Houdini” surpassed 150 million streams in three weeks, something that only Kendrick Lamar’s epic “Not Like Us” had achieved before. Now, two years later, the track has 770 million streams and ranks at No.19, having recently overtaken “My Name Is”.
Music video accolades
The single appeared together with a music video directed by Rich Lee, who has worked on some of Eminem’s most recognisable visuals since the Recovery era. Lee previously directed “Not Afraid”, “Rap God”, and “Venom”, among many others. For “Houdini”, Lee combined as many nostalgic references to the Slim Shady lore as possible, connecting them with the reality of the modern world (including virtual reality).
“Houdini” became Em’s second most-viewed video in the first 24 hours after “Killshot”. With 13.5 million first-day views, it surpassed ‘Godzilla’ to become Eminem’s second-biggest video debut.
The song won the MTV VMA in the Best Hip Hop category, while the video took the Best Visual Effects award. It also brought its creators seven Telly Awards. Now, with over 270 million views, it is Eminem’s 28th most watched video on YouTube.