Interscope Records released the single in August 2010. Critics praised its melody but were divided on thematic aspects such as poignancy and accuracy. Eminem promoted the song with performances at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the MTV Video Music Awards and festivals. The music video, directed by Joseph Kahn, stars Dominic Monaghan and Megan Fox in a violent relationship and shows Eminem and Rihanna in front of a burning house. The clip had a mixed reception due to scenes of domestic violence. Critics suggested that the song and its accompanying video were influenced by Eminem's and Rihanna's respective relationships with ex-lovers Kimberly Scott and Chris Brown.
Magazines listed "Love the Way You Lie" among the best of 2010 and of Eminem's work. The song won awards and received five Grammy nominations. His best-selling single, it was number one on 26 weekly record charts, including the United States' Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. The single sold more than 5 million copies in the US and was the best-selling song of 2010 in the United Kingdom. Musical acts such as Cher Lloyd and The Band Perry performed cover versions. Rihanna has said that a theme of domestic violence, a topic on which she claims many people do not have insight, is what makes the song effective. She later recorded "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)", narrated mostly from the female perspective.
Development of "Love the Way You Lie" began with the backing track and hook melody, which was created by the British hip hop producer Alex da Kid. When making a track, he said he spends hours making loops and produces an electronic drum rhythm before adding live instrumentation. The drums are sampled from live recordings he saves. Alex da Kid recorded an acoustic guitar for the verses with a Georg Neumann U87 microphone and an Avid Mbox audio interface. He told Sound on Sound magazine that this song had given him an opportunity to reintroduce live guitar in hip hop music. During the session, he used Waves RVerb and REQ equalization on his main kick track and a MaxxBass plug-in on two others.
Writing began in late 2009, when the American singer Holly Hafermann resided at the Artula Retreat in Bandon, Oregon and composed songs.Later, in New York City, under her new stage name Skylar Grey, she visited her Universal Music publisher, Jennifer Blakeman, to seek help presenting her work; Blakeman suggested she collaborate with Alex da Kid. The producer emailed Grey his track, which suggested a theme of abusive romantic relationships to her as she spontaneously sang lyrics to the melody. She told the Los Angeles Times that she was in an abusive relationship with the music industry: "I love it so much, and I give it all that I have, yet it beats me down. This idea inspired her writing, a process she found came naturally, as if she were creating an alternative pop song for herself. She wrote the chorus to "Love the Way You Lie" in fifteen minutes and recorded vocals for Alex da Kid's demo.
In early 2010, Alex da Kid offered the Shady Records Senior Director Rigo "Riggs" Morales some backing tracks. Morales enjoyed the tracks and sent them to Eminem, who was seeking a different musical approach for his next album. Impressed with Alex da Kid's work, Eminem asked for more tracks and subsequently heard "Love the Way You Lie". He chose it and told his manager Paul Rosenberg he wanted to collaborate with the Barbadian singer Rihanna. Eminem told Skyrock, "It's one of those tracks that I felt like only she could pull it off." Rosenberg sent the track to Rihanna, who accepted Eminem's request "at the last moment. Eminem then wrote the rapped verses.
Rihanna said she joined the collaboration because she could relate to the theme of the song, as she and Eminem had been in difficult relationships on "different ends of the table". Eminem had released the songs "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" (1998) and "Kim" (2000), in which he fantasizes, respectively, about murdering and verbally abusing his then-wife Kimberly Scott. They had divorced in 2001 and again in 2006 after a remarriage. In February 2009, Rihanna's relationship with the American singer Chris Brown had ended following his felony assault on her. Rihanna described "Love the Way You Lie" as unique, realistic and deep, saying that it "broke down the cycle of domestic violence" because few people had insight on the topic.
On May 27, 2010, Eminem revealed the title of "Love the Way You Lie" as part of the track list of his seventh studio album Recovery, which came out on June 21. Initially a radio single,[37] the song was released later by Polydor Records as a CD in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2010. Interscope Records distributed it in Germany on August 20.
"Love the Way You Lie" received generally favorable reviews. An editor for Rap-Up listed it among the four best tracks from the album. New York Times writer Jon Caramanica considered it "one of the album's most engaging songs" and praised Eminem's ability to assess issues from the perspectives of both sexes. MTV's Rodriguez wrote that the song echoes content from Eminem's earlier albums, but finds him "sober" and "more mature". He added that the lyrics allude to Eminem's relationship with Scott and that "Love the Way You Lie" is his closest approach to a love song. Editors of The A.V. Club compared the single with "Kim" and "'97 Bonnie & Clyde"; they found he is more tempered in "Love the Way You Lie" when discussing a "mutually destructive relationship" and that Rihanna's involvement creates an eerie mood.
Critics especially praised Rihanna's contribution. Michael Menachem of Billboard complimented her "exquisitely melodic and surprisingly hopeful" vocal performance and "Eminem's dark, introspective" rapping. He noted that the percussion complements both artists and that Alex da Kid gave the classical arrangement a mainstream touch. Kyle Anderson, writing for MTV, remarked that the song showcases Rihanna's emotional vocals and Eminem's "most intense rhymes about his tumultuous relationships". He regarded "Love the Way You Lie" as an honest, "well-constructed pop song with a killer hook" and likened the "slow-burning" music to that of "Someone like You", a 2011 single by the British singer Adele. The Houston Chronicle pop critic Joey Guerra commented that Rihanna brought a "sandpaper and silk sheen" to the track.
Critics have commented on the message in the lyrics. Anderson noted a dark theme, while Nick Levine of Digital Spy, Allie Townsend of Time magazine and Jocelyn Noveck of the Associated Press suggested the previous relationships of both artists influenced the song. Levine gave it four stars out of five. According to Eric Hayden of The Atlantic Wire, the song refers to an alcoholic couple, possibly inspired by Rihanna's relationship with Brown. McAlphine awarded "Love the Way You Lie" four stars out of five. According to him, the song would not have been effective if it had featured only Eminem's point of view and feelings of regret; he wrote that Rihanna's representing the opposite side of the relationship shows "proper storytelling" and "sends a message" because of her breakup with Brown. McAlphine wrote that as a result the song depicts a more realistic abusive relationship and could be featured in a campaign for women's shelters. He praised Eminem's accuracy and understanding of the topic. Winston Robbins from Consequence of Sound attributed the song's poignancy to Rihanna's past abusive relationship, and a theme of infidelity and abuse.
On the critical side, The Daily Telegraph's Jenny McCartney dismissed the metaphors in the chorus and thought the song's topic was over-hyped. She disagreed with the critical praise, arguing that women accept abusive relationships for deeper reasons than sexual and emotional pleasure, such as family and financial issues and helplessness. In an NPR article, the writer Maura Johnston commented that the lyrics portray Rihanna as the subject of Eminem's violence. Jay Smooth, a New York radio personality, responded that "while Eminem explores the psyche of the abuser with an almost disturbing amount of depth and detail," Rihanna's perspective is downplayed and not explained fully. Johnston and Smooth wrote that such imbalances are a prevalent issue in popular music duets. To Sady Doyle, although "Love the Way You Lie" is one of Eminem's most affecting tracks and finds him remorseful, it does not make up for his past misogynistic actions and hateful songs. Noveck questioned whether the lyrics are "a treatise against (or apology for) domestic violence, or an irresponsible glorification of it? Or, is it something uncomfortable in between?
Marjorie Gilberg, executive director of the anti-teenage violence group Break the Cycle, commented that "Love the Way You Lie" can teach listeners about the dangers of abusive relationships if interpreted correctly. She believed that because popular culture often depicts what is socially acceptable, people may accept such violence more easily. She added, "One problem, though, ... is that the song reflects myths about domestic violence—myths that lead to blaming the victim. Gilberg said the victim is often accused of being as guilty as the partner but wants to be loved, not abused. Terry O'Neill, a feminist and the president of the National Organization for Women, criticized the lyric, "But your temper's just as bad as mine is / You're the same as me", saying it is a typical excuse used by abusive men for aggression and that "it's only 2-year-olds and violent men who use violence to get what they want. She added that Rihanna unintentionally glorifies domestic violence in the song despite attempting to fight it
"Love the Way You Lie" ranked in various best-of-2010 lists. Claire Suddath of Time placed it at number five on her top-ten list and wrote, "That this song didn't come across sounding clichéd or tasteless is a testament to both artists' skill. AOL Radio considered the song the best of 2010 hip hop music, regarding Eminem as imaginative and passionate. It ranked ninth on MTV News' top-twenty-five list. Its editor James Montgomery attributed the song's success to its theme and relation to the artists' past abusive relationships. He concluded, "You cannot write a song any better than that, because that's how this kind of thing happens in real life. The New York Post placed the song at second place on their "top 210 songs from 2010" list and regarded it as a "comeback club anthem. In April 2011, Gabriel Alvarez of Complex magazine ranked it at number 100 on their "100 Best Eminem Songs" list, calling it a love song and praising Rihanna's vocals as beautiful. "Love the Way You Lie" and its accompanying music video were nominated for five Grammy Awards at the 2011 ceremony, including "Record of the Year", "Song of the Year" and "Best Short Form Music Video". It won the People's Choice Awards for "Favorite Music Video" and "Favorite Song".
"Love the Way You Lie" reached number one on several record charts worldwide. It entered the United States' Billboard Hot 100 at number two in the issue dated July 10, 2010.[59] The single debuted at number one on the US Digital Songs after selling 338,000 digital copies in its first week. From July 31 to September 11, 2010, it had a seven-week run at the top of the Hot 100, giving Eminem his fourth, and Rihanna her seventh, number-one US hit. The single sold more than 300,000 digital copies in the week of August 14, 2010, rising to number two on the Pop Songs and Radio Songs charts. In the Billboard issue for August 21, 2010, Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems recognized the single with the BDS Certified Award for 50,000 radio spins. It topped the Pop Songs chart in the same issue,[64] giving Eminem his third number-one track on the chart and Rihanna her sixth. "Love the Way You Lie" was the first number-one hit on the Rap Songs chart with Eminem as the lead artist since his 2000 single "The Real Slim Shady".[66] With sales of 4,245,000 copies, "Love the Way You Lie" was the third-best-selling single of 2010 in the US. There, it sold 6 million copies by October 2013 and 6.5 million copies by October 2015.
The song entered the Australian Singles Chart on July 4, 2010, at number fourteen. It rose to the top three weeks later, occupying the position for six weeks and staying on the chart for 38 weeks in total. In Austria, "Love the Way You Lie" debuted at number 31, on July 2, 2010, and ascended to number one on September 4. After making a final consecutive appearance on March 4, 2011, it reappeared at number 75 on August 26. The song spent 47 weeks on the chart. "Love the Way You Lie" charted for 30 weeks in France, where debuted and peaked at number three on July 2, 2010. It was South Korea's third-best-selling song in 2010 by a foreign artist, with 1,200,653 downloads.
On the UK Singles Chart, the song debuted at number seven on June 27, 2010, and peaked at number two four weeks later. By the end of 2010,"Love the Way You Lie" had sold 854,000 copies in the UK, making it the country's biggest-selling song of the year. It is the only song to top the year-end chart without topping the weekly charts. In October 2011, it became the 109th song to reach 1 million sales there. By November 2012, the single had sold 1.05 million copies in the UK, placing at number 100 on the Official Charts Company's "The Million Sellers" list. As of June 2015, it is the 17th best-selling single of the 2010s in the UK. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, "Love the Way You Lie" sold 9.3 million copies worldwide in 2010. In December 2011, it was certified as Eminem's best-selling single.
Love The Way You Lie
Eminem feat.Rihanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that's alright, because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
But that's alright, because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
I can't tell you what it really is
I can only tell you what it feels like
I can't breathe, but I still fight, while I can fight
As long as the wrong feels right, it's like I'm in flight
High off of love drunk from my hate
It's like I'm huffing paint and I love it the more that I suffer
I suffocate and right before I'm about to drown
She resuscitates me, she fucking hates me,
And I love it, wait
Where you going, I'm leaving you
No you ain't, come back
We're running right back, here we go again
It's so insane 'cause when it's going good, it's going great
I'm Superman, with the wind at his back, she's Lois Lane
But when it's bad, it's awful
I feel so ashamed, I snapped, who's that dude
I don't even know his name, I laid hands on her
I'll never stoop so low again, I guess I don't know my own strength
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
But that's alright, because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
But that's alright, because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
You ever love somebody so much
You can barely breathe, when you're with them, you meet
And neither one of you, even know what hit 'em,
Got that warm fuzzy feeling, yeah them chills, used to get 'em
Now you're getting fucking sick, of looking at 'em
You swore you've never hit 'em, never do nothing to hurt 'em,
Now you're in each others face,
Spewing venom, and these words, when you spit 'em
You push, pull each other's hair, scratch, claw, bit 'em,
Throw 'em down, pin 'em, so lost in the moments, when you're in 'em
It's the rage that's the culprit, it controls you both
So they say it's best, to go your separate ways,
Guess that they don't know ya 'cause today, that was yesterday
Yesterday is over, it's a different day
Sound like broken records, playin' over, but you promised her
Next time you'll show restraint
You don't get another chance,
Life is no Nintendo game, but you lied again
Now you get to watch her leave,
Out the window, guess that's why they call it window pane
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
But that's alright, because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
But that's alright, because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
Now I know we said things, did things
That we didn't mean and we fall back into the same patterns
Same routine, but your temper's just as bad, as mine is
You're the same as me, but when it comes to love, you're just as blinded
Baby please come back, it wasn't you,
Baby it was me, maybe our relationship isn't as crazy as it seems
Maybe that's what happens When a tornado meets a volcano
All I know is I love you too much, to walk away now
Come inside, pick up your bags off the sidewalk
Don't you hear sincerity, in my voice when I talk,
Told you this is my fault, look me in the eyeball
Next time I'm pissed, I'll aim my fist at the dry wall
Next time, there will be no next time
I apologize even though I know it's lies
I'm tired of the games, I just want her back, I know I'm a liar
If she ever tries to fucking leave again
I'm a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
But that's alright, because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
But that's alright, because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
The song "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem feat. Rihanna is a powerful portrayal of a dysfunctional relationship marked by intense passion, violence, and scars that never fully heal. The lyrics paint a picture of two people who are deeply in love but who cannot stop hurting each other. The opening lines "Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, but that's alright because I like the way it hurts" set the tone of the song and suggest that love and pain are inextricably linked for the two characters.
The first verse describes the internal struggle of one of the characters who is torn between the desire to fight and the feeling of suffocation. The metaphorical image of a steel knife in the windpipe conveys the sense of being trapped and unable to escape. The line "High off of love drunk from my hate" suggests that the intensity of their relationship is fueled by both love and hate, as they are addicted to the rush of emotions that come with their fights and making up. The verse ends with a question that hints at the cyclical nature of their relationship: "Where you going, I'm leaving you? No you ain't, come back, we're running right back, here we go again."
The second verse depicts the escalating violence of the relationship, with the two characters physically and verbally attacking each other. The chorus is repeated to emphasize how the characters are trapped in a cycle of abuse, unable to break free from their destructive patterns. The bridge introduces a note of self-reflection and regret, with one of the characters acknowledging their own fault in the problems of the relationship. However, this moment of vulnerability is quickly drowned out by the threat of violence and the promise of future abuse.
Line by Line Meaning
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
You're going to just watch me suffer and not do anything about it
But that's alright, because I like the way it hurts
I'm okay with being in pain because it's what I'm used to
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
You're not going to comfort me while I cry
But that's alright, because I love the way you lie
It's okay that you're lying to me because I'm addicted to this relationship
I love the way you lie
I am infatuated with the lies you tell me
I can't tell you what it really is
I can't explain what's really happening in our relationship
I can only tell you what it feels like
All I can do is describe the emotions that I'm feeling
And right now there's a steel knife, in my windpipe
I feel like I'm being physically choked by our relationship
I can't breathe, but I still fight, while I can fight
Despite feeling suffocated, I will continue to fight for our relationship
As long as the wrong feels right, it's like I'm in flight
I will continue to do what's wrong because it feels right in the moment
High off of love drunk from my hate
I am addicted to the toxic love in our relationship
It's like I'm huffing paint and I love it the more that I suffer
Being in pain makes me feel alive and I enjoy it
I suffocate and right before I'm about to drown
I feel like I'm suffocating and about to give up on our relationship
She resuscitates me, she fucking hates me,
You bring me back to life but also hate me at the same time
And I love it, wait
I'm addicted to the highs and lows of our relationship
Where you going, I'm leaving you
You're trying to leave me but I don't want you to go
No you ain't, come back
You can't leave me, I want you to stay
We're running right back, here we go again
Our relationship is a cycle of breaking up and getting back together
It's so insane 'cause when it's going good, it's going great
Our relationship is either amazing or terrible, there's no in-between
I'm Superman, with the wind at his back, she's Lois Lane
I feel powerful and invincible when we're together
But when it's bad, it's awful
Our relationship is unbearable when it's not going well
I feel so ashamed, I snapped, who's that dude
I am embarrassed by my actions and don't recognize myself when I get angry
I don't even know his name, I laid hands on her
I acted violently towards you and don't even know who I was in that moment
I'll never stoop so low again, I guess I don't know my own strength
I promise to never hurt you again, but I don't trust myself to control my actions
You ever love somebody so much
Have you ever been so in love with someone
You can barely breathe, when you're with them, you meet
Your love for them is overwhelming and takes your breath away
And neither one of you, even know what hit 'em,
Neither of you know how you fell in love so quickly
Got that warm fuzzy feeling, yeah them chills, used to get 'em
You used to feel a warm, fuzzy feeling when you were together
Now you're getting fucking sick, of looking at 'em
You're starting to dislike them and are tired of being around them
You swore you've never hit 'em, never do nothing to hurt 'em,
You promised to never hurt them physically or emotionally
Now you're in each others face,
You're fighting and arguing with each other
Spewing venom, and these words, when you spit 'em
You're saying hurtful things to each other when you argue
You push, pull each other's hair, scratch, claw, bit 'em,
You get physical and hurt each other during fights
Throw 'em down, pin 'em, so lost in the moments, when you're in 'em
You get lost in the heat of the moment and forget about everything else
It's the rage that's the culprit, it controls you both
The anger is causing all of the problems in your relationship
So they say it's best, to go your separate ways,
Others are recommending that you break up and move on
Guess that they don't know ya 'cause today, that was yesterday
They don't know the depth of your love for each other despite your problems
Yesterday is over, it's a different day
The past is behind us and we can start anew
Sound like broken records, playin' over, but you promised her
We keep making the same mistakes but we need to keep our promises to each other
Next time you'll show restraint
I will try to control my anger and not act out in the future
You don't get another chance,
If you mess up again, you won't get another chance
Life is no Nintendo game, but you lied again
Life is not a game and your lies are hurting our relationship
Now you get to watch her leave,
You have to deal with the consequences of your actions and watch her walk away
Out the window, guess that's why they call it window pane
She's leaving you through the window and it's ironic because it's called a window pane
Now I know we said things, did things
We have both said and done hurtful things in our relationship
That we didn't mean and we fall back into the same patterns
We didn't mean to hurt each other but we keep falling into the same negative patterns
Same routine, but your temper's just as bad, as mine is
Our routine is the same but we are both equally hot-headed and prone to argument
You're the same as me, but when it comes to love, you're just as blinded
We are similar in our flaws but are blind to the damage they cause in our relationship
Baby please come back, it wasn't you,
I want you to come back and understand that it wasn't your fault
Baby it was me, maybe our relationship isn't as crazy as it seems
I take responsibility for our problems and maybe our relationship isn't as bad as we think it is
Maybe that's what happens When a tornado meets a volcano
Our relationship is a disaster waiting to happen
All I know is I love you too much, to walk away now
Despite everything, I love you too much to leave
Come inside, pick up your bags off the sidewalk
Please come back inside and pick up your belongings
Don't you hear sincerity, in my voice when I talk,
I am being genuine when I speak to you
Told you this is my fault, look me in the eyeball
I take responsibility for our problems and want you to acknowledge that
Next time I'm pissed, I'll aim my fist at the dry wall
I will try to control my anger and not take it out on you
Next time, there will be no next time
I promise not to hurt you again
I apologize even though I know it's lies
I am apologizing even though you might not believe me
I'm tired of the games, I just want her back, I know I'm a liar
I'm tired of the fighting and want you back, even though I've lied to you
If she ever tries to fucking leave again
If you ever try to leave again
I'm a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire
I will do whatever it takes to make you stay, even if it's destructive and dangerous
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER JUNIOR GRANT, HOLLY BROOKS, HOLLY HAFERMANN, MARSHALL B. III MATHERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rm7428
Who else just randomly listening old songs
@AF911vids
Me..i have more respect for these old classics now when comparing to shit songs released these days.
@demi9060
Me.
@lillithette3155
These songs bring back memories so I always listen to throwbacks unlike my family.
@breslinleilani89
Meh
@lindseycolbary2825
Today's mood
@clementineeverett4458
We don't need calendars anymore.
We have YouTube comments.
@unknownentity3424
Yes
@ariakairi
Well said.
@owendaly3590
who do you think is better singer Rihanna Nikki miaje