Phenomenal

Phenomenal
feat. Liz Rodrigues
publication	2nd June 2015
length	4:43
Genre (s)	Hip hop
Author (s)	Marshall Mathers , Luis Resto , Mario Resto
Producer (s)	Eminem
album	Southpaw (soundtrack)

Phenomenal ( English for " Phenomenal ") is a song by the American rapper Eminem , which he recorded together with the singer Liz Rodrigues. The song is the first single from the soundtrack album Southpaw for the film of the same name and was released on June 2, 2015.

content

Phenomenal is - similar to Eminem's songs Not Afraid and Guts Over Fear - a song that aims to motivate the listeners and instill courage and self-confidence. Like Eminem himself, you shouldn't let any setbacks or critics get you down and always believe in yourself. In terms of content, the piece is also inspired by the accompanying film Southpaw , in which the protagonist Billy Hope, played by Jake Gyllenhaal , fights for his daughter and his boxing career. One bridge of the song is sung by the singer Liz Rodrigues.

"I am phenomenal
With every ounce of my blood
With every breath in my lungs
Won't stop until I'm phe-no-menal"

- Excerpt from the refrain of Phenomenal

production

The song was produced by Eminem himself, who also acted as a writer together with Luis Resto and Mario Resto.

Music video

The music video filmed for Phenomenal , which premiered on Apple Music on July 3, 2015 , was directed by American director Rich Lee. The video is over seven minutes long and has over 45 million views on YouTube (as of July 2020).

At the beginning, Eminem wakes up in a hospital with memory loss. However, he has superhuman abilities and combats a multitude of security forces before he leaves the building and finds himself on the streets of a large Asian city. On the run, he meets his supposed leader, played by John Malkovich . He sits on a rickshaw and asks Eminem to join him. He refuses the request and continues to flee through the city on a motorcycle and finally in the car at the side of actor Randall Park . When he wants to take a selfie , Eminem throws him out of the vehicle and continues the escape alone. In the end, Eminem jumps out of a helicopter and falls through the roof of a building into a hall where he is met by Dr. Dre is received. There Eminem grabs a microphone and begins his concert appearance.

single

Cover design

The single cover shows a dark room, similar to a boxing arena, which is dimly lit by a couple of spotlights on the ceiling. In the foreground are the lettering Eminem in red and Phenomenal in gray. In the lower part of the cover is the note Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture Southpaw in white.

Chart successes

Phenomenal entered the US singles chart at number 47 for a week. In the United Kingdom, the song was ranked 57th and stayed in the top 100 for two weeks. In contrast, the song did not make it into the charts in German-speaking countries.

Chart placements

Charts	Top ranking	Weeks
Chart placements
United Kingdom (OCC)	57 (2 weeks)	2
United States (Billboard)	47 (1 week)	1

Sales figures and awards

Phenomenal was awarded a gold record in 2018 for more than 500,000 copies sold in the United States .

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
United States (RIAA)	gold	500,000
All in all	1 × gold	500,000

Main article: Eminem / Music Sales Awards

Phenomenal was one of 74 songs shortlisted for Best Movie Song nominations at the 2016 Academy Awards . Ultimately, however, the song Writing's on the Wall by Sam Smith won .

Web links

• Lyrics with interpretations on genius.com
• German translation of the lyrics on songtexte.com
• Music video on YouTube

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Eminem feat. Liz Rodrigues - Phenomenal - Lyrics. genius.com, accessed July 25, 2020 . 
2. ↑ Eminem feat. Liz Rodrigues - Phenomenal (Official Video). youtube.com, accessed July 25, 2020 . 
3. ↑ Eminem feat. Liz Rodrigues - Phenomenal - single cover. discogs.com, accessed July 25, 2020 . 
4. ↑ ^{a b} Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
5. ↑ Gold & Platinum Eminem. riaa.com, accessed July 25, 2020 . 
6. ↑ Tambay A. Obenson: These 74 Songs Will Compete for 2015 Oscar Nominations - Including Music from 'Chi-Raq', 'Creed', 'Dope' & Others In: indiewire.com, December 14, 2015.