14 DAY TRIAL // There couldn't have been a better time for the release of Eminem’s latest project, a tribute song to his mother, called “Headlights.” The video came out on Mother's Day in America, which is on May 11 and it's going to probably move you to tears.
Let's leave aside for a second the fact that the video was directed by the famous Spike Lee. The first thing that's going to grab your attention is that, for the first time ever, you're going to hear a repentant Eminem asking his mom for forgiveness.
Everyone who is familiar with at least one Eminem song knows that the Detroit rapper has always blasted his mother in his lyrics, with hatred-filled rants. Well, Eminem has done some thinking and he's now decided that it was time to apologize.
“Headlights” is basically his open letter to his mother that he's hoping she will get and find it in her heart to forgive him. Some of the lyrics in the song say: “Did I take it too far?/ ‘Cleaning Out My Closet’/ and all them other songs/ But regardless I don't hate you 'cause/ Ma, you're still beautiful to me/ 'cause you're my mom.”
The song also features the vocal talents of Nate Ruess, who can be heard singing the chorus, which refers to the headlights of his mother's car the singer remembers from a particular incident that stuck with him through the years.
The video directed by Spike Lee, who hasn't put out any musical clips ever since Michael Jackson's “This Is It” came out in 2009, is shot from the mother's perspective, but it also has a lot of personal photos and video clips from the Marshall Mathers (Eminen's real name) family archive.
Eminem does a startling good job with the lyrics but also with the rapping, which can't really be called that. It's more like shouting on this one, as he spews apology after apology to his mom and belittling himself in the process.
The video climaxes with Eminem and his mother meeting on his driveway after she was turned away by security guards many times before, for a heartwarming embrace. The song is part of his latest album, “Marshall Mathers LP 2.”
All in all, “Headlights” is a touching tribute for all mothers, and it's proof that even a gritty rapper like Eminem here can gush for his own mom, even if she didn't do the best job raising him. Hopefully, this can inspire everyone to be kinder towards their own mothers, even it's only for Mother's Day.
We can't really show the video, since it's full of explicit language, but you can have a look for yourself here. *Be warned that it contains strong language that might offend.