“The Weeknd – The Hills ft Eminem Remix” Review

Cover art to Eminem’s remix of “The Hills courtesy of www.hiphop-n-more.com

Cover art to Eminem’s remix of “The Hills” courtesy of www.hiphop-n-more.com

John-Paul Perrotta, News Editor

On October 11, 15-time-Grammy-Award-winning-artist Eminem released his remixed version of The Weeknd’s No.1 song “The Hills.” The remix released only one day after “Anaconda” hit maker Nicki Minaj performed her remix of the song on Saturday Night Live.

It is no surprise that artists want to use “The Hills” as a basis to extend their music, since it is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (as of October 28, 2015). With long-running hits such as “Earned It” and “Can’t Feel My Face” from his sophomore album Beauty Behind the Madness, it is safe to say that The Weeknd is dominating the competition.

“The Hills” remix is Eminem’s first musical effort since the release of his collaborative album Shady XV in November of 2014. Eminem, or Marshall Mathers, worked also as executive soundtrack producer for the summer blockbuster Southpaw, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams.

The remix begins with broken static, as Eminem transitions into his rap ballad, saying, “Said you want a little company/And I love it ‘cuz the thrill’s cheap.” But rather than just rap, Eminem clearly matches the pitch of his words to that of The Weeknd, making the transition to the chorus seamless.

As the track continues, Eminem becomes more aggressive in his tone of voice, rapping, “And every time he hurt you, I heard you / Your shoulder to cry on / And I’ll be damned if I weren’t who you turned to.” Here, he uses subtle lyrical techniques to emphasize his frustration, such as alliteration, assonance, and plain cursing.

In comparison to the original, the remix version does what the original could not. Eminem breathed new life into the 21-week-charting track. He added a part to the song that I did not initially think was needed, but now most certainly do. All in all, the remix is a clear example of how music is a progression and relies on the development of others to improve.

Eminem was rumored to be touring with N.W.A. to promote their Straight Outta Compton biopic, but has denied these rumors and has not announced any future music plans. The Weeknd will begin his fall tour to promote Beauty Behind the Madness on November 11, in Ontario, Canada.