Ariana Grande fans are expressing their distress on social media over an Eminem lyric that appears to make light of the Manchester bombing attack.
The rapper released a surprise album, titled Music to be Murdered By, on Friday 17 January, causing his name to trend on Twitter as fans reacted to the new material.
However, one of the tracks, “Unaccommodating”, includes the lyric: “I’m contemplating yelling ‘bombs away’ on the game like I’m outside an Ariana Grande concert.” The lyric is followed by the sound of an explosion, and Eminem continues to make references to suicide attacks and terrorism.
Eminem was referencing the attack on 22 May 2017, at which a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, killing 23 people and injuring hundreds more.
“That is so f***ing sick,” one Twitter user wrote. “People literally lost their lives, and you’re going to release music and try to make a profit off them?”
“That Ariana lyric [is] just a pathetic attempt to get attention,” another wrote.
A third said: “Always had respect for Eminem but tf makes a joke about a terrorist attack that killed innocent kids and permanently wounded others? Ariana still hasn’t healed from it either. I hope the 10 minutes of clout was worth it.”
Music to be Murdered By is Eminem’s 11th studio album and his first since 2018’s Kamikaze. It is also the rapper’s third consecutive “surprise” album, and features collaborations with Anderson .Paak, Skylar Grey, Ed Sheeran, and the late rapper Juice Wrld.
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