By Emily Stone ’20

Sugar and spice; sweet and sour; Eminem and Ed Sheeran: all are pairings that no one originally thought were meant to be together, but now, are some of the best dynamic duos. On Dec. 15 Eminem released his new album “Revival” and hit the charts almost immediately, but his collaborative song, “River” with Ed Sheeran has only recently garnered attention.

At first, the thought of a rap god and pop songwriter duo seemed bizarre, but after listening to the track, my finger could not stop hitting the replay button. The mixture of Eminem’s high tempo beat and Sheeran’s soulful voice created a unique song that is incomparable to anything else.

While Sheeran takes over the chorus, Eminem controls the rap verses and the bridge that brings the song all together. Though both artists have very contrasting voices, the combination of the two forms a raw and satisfying melody that can make you speechless.

What makes this song so exceptional is not only the great sound, but the sculpture of the song itself. The sequence of the chorus, bridge and verses make the listener feel as if they are on a roller coaster, moving in and out of intensity.

“River” is currently ranked third on the Global Top Charts and has been ranked in the top twenty five for the United States’ top 100. Clearly, I’m not the only fan of this unexpected dynamic duo.