A Future Pop Star Wrote Eminem’s ‘The Monster’

Eminem is one of the most iconic rappers who ever lived but he has repeatedly worked with pop artists. Interestingly, a future pop star co-wrote Eminem’s “The Monster.” The pop singer said she initially regretted giving the track away. She also said she had the opportunity to give it to a different rapper.

Eminem’s ‘The Monster’ was written by a pop star who worked with many rappers

Bebe Rexha is a pop singer who has repeatedly found success with other artists. Her hits include a Florida Georgia Line duet (“Meant to Be”), a David Guetta production (“I’m Good (Blue)”), and a Nicki Minaj dance track (“Hey Mama”). She’s also written songs for other artists, such as Iggy Azalea, Selena Gomez, and Shinee.

During a 2024 interview with Out, Rexha was asked if she wished she kept one of the songs she gave away. “It was the first record I wrote called ‘The Monster,’ which is now Rihanna and Eminem’s record,” she recalled. “I remember playing it for a big CEO at this record label at the time that I won’t name and I remember playing the song for him. He said ‘There’s something special here,’ but keep working and doing my thing. I was discouraged because I knew there was something special there with my songs.”

Why Bebe Rexha gave the song to Eminem

Rexha said she could have given “The Monster” to one of two rappers. “There was an opportunity where I could’ve given the record to Eminem, who loved it, or another rapper at the time who I won’t name,” she recalled. “The other rapper wanted to be on it but I told him ‘I’m going to give it to Eminem as I think that would be such a big moment and he’ll make it sound great.’ In the beginning, I was upset because I was younger, but later, it ended up earning me the respect I now have in the music industry and it opened many doors for me.”

In the final version of the song, Eminem rapped on the verses while Rihanna sang the track’s memorable hook. Together, Eminem and Rihanna went on a tour entitled The Monster Tour, which capitalized on the success of the song. By writing “The Monster,” Rexha had a huge impact on two of the biggest names in music. “The Monster” also opened the door for Eminem to ruminate on his own fame in many of his subsequent songs.

Listeners couldn’t get enough of ‘The Monster’

“The Monster” became one of the biggest hits of Eminem’s career. The track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, staying on the chart for 29 weeks. Only one Eminem tune charted longer on the Billboard Hot 100: “Smack That.”

Eminem included “The Monster” on his album The Marshall Mathers LP 2, the sequel to the classic The Marshall Mathers LP. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for two weeks, charting for 189 weeks in total. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 spent more weeks on the Billboard 200 than its predecessor.

“The Monster” is one of Eminem’s most famous songs and it helped Rexha find her pace in the music industry.