7. Eminem Gives Us A Sequel To The Marshall Mathers LP, Apologizes To His Mother
When the The Marshall Mathers LP 2 dropped in November this year, everyone was pleasantly surprised to get an album that was a creative fusion of both fresh production and nostalgic throwbacks. Eminem's lyrics felt more self-aware than ever and showed real, distinctive growth. This was not just an uninventive rehash of the songs that made him most famous, but more so a reflection on them. By titling it the way he did, Eminem gave us a point of reference for us to see just how far he has come as an artist, and how much he has changed and grown as a person. This was made more clear than ever on the album's track, 'Headlights', where Eminem touchingly apologized to his estranged mother for all the pain and turmoil he has caused her in the past by calling her out and attacking her on many of his most famous tracks, most notably in classic hit, 'Cleaning Out My Closet'. It may have taken thirteen years to get here, but if you have followed Em's career in any capacity, you know just how big of a deal this is, considering he once famously declared her dead to him. The album then went on to be a hugely critical success, and is his most well-received album since 2002's 'The Eminem Show', landing four of his singles in the Top 20 at the same time, a feat last achieved by 'The Beatles'. Despite being 41, Eminem proved himself to be as relevant as ever and just as capable of pushing the boundaries of his music, and their subject matter.