5 things to expect from Eminem’s concerts in the GCC

Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, may we have your attention, please? 

If you had one shot or one opportunity to see Eminem in concert, would you capture it or just let it slip? The American superstar rapper is coming to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He will be performing at MDLBeast Soundstorm in Riyadh, which runs from 12 to 14 December, and at Abu Dhabi’s F1 Yasalam After-Race Concerts on 7 December.

Eminem, real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III, was born in Detroit, United States. In 1999, he burst onto the music scene with the song, My Names Is. Famous for his fast, fluid and funny lyrics, he is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. His hit songs include Forget About Dre, Love the Way You Lie and The Monster. Over his career, he has won 15 Grammy Awards and sold more than 220 million records. 

This isn’t Eminem’s first time in the Middle East, as he has previously performed in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of his shows in the region, we are expecting cadence, charisma and a little controversy. 

A start off stage 

Eminem has often opened his concerts with the song Greatest. He can be heard spitting the lyrics off-stage and stirring the crowd before making his grand entrance. In 2018, he released the single that is giving Muhammad Ali energy – “I’m still the greatest in the world”.

Medley of classic songs

During the last Eminem concert in Abu Dhabi (and at other concerts), he performed a medley of his hits. The tracks included My Name Is, The Real Slim Shady, and Without Me, and came at the end of the setlist. The trio combines his fast-paced, joke-driven tracks, and ensures the energy remains high until the end of the show. 

Eminem lookalikes

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up? For the unversed (or Gen Z), Slim Shady is Eminem’s alter ego. Swifties wore friendship bracelets at the Eras tour, and the Beehive went metallic at the Renaissance tour. Ahead of the Eminem concert, we’re expecting Garnier’s blonde hair dye to be out of stock. Eminem played into this trend with the song The Real Slim Shady, and the music video saw a factory creating lookalikes of him. And, at the MTV Video Music Awards, he even performed with the doppelgangers.

Guest appearances

Eminem has collaborated with artists across genres, from Dido to Rihanna. On stage, he has not only been a surprise guest but had surprise guests at his concerts. During Ed Sheeran’s +-+x Tour, Eminem joined the Detroit show for the songs Lose Yourself and Stan. When Eminem was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler sang the vocals to Dream On, which was sampled in Eminem’s track Sing for the Moment. 

An encore

The clocks run out, time’s up, over. All world-class concerts should leave you wanting more – and Eminem tears the roof off like two dogs caged. During his live tours, he usually leaves his monster hit, Lose Yourself, until the end. The song has more than two billion streams on Spotify and 1.3 billion views on YouTube. The song featured on the soundtrack to 8 Mile, and won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. So, sing with him, sing for the year.