Beautiful Pain
by Eminem (featuring Sia)

Album: The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
Charted: 67 99
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Eminem gives us an unflinching insider look at pill addiction in "Beautiful Pain," where he describes the experience:

    It's as though you feel you've died
    'Cause you've been killed inside
    But yet you're still alive which means you will survive


    He got hooked on Valium in the mid-'00s, and it nearly killed him. He was in seclusion for much of this time, emerging in 2009 with his album Relapse, followed in 2010 with Recovery. Both albums deal with his addiction and the many other weights he carries. "Beautiful Pain" was released as a single in 2013 and included on the deluxe edition of his next album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2.
  • The Australian singer-songwriter Sia Furler sings the hook on this track. At the time, she was known for her 2004 song "Breathe Me" and for singing hooks on tracks by David Guetta ("Titanium") and Flo Rida ("Wild Ones"). In 2014, the year after "Beautiful Pain" was released, Sia blew up with her album 1000 Forms Of Fear and the hit "Chandelier."
  • This song is one of many where Emimen joins forces with a female singer to supply the chorus. Others include "Stan" (Dido), "The Monster" (Rihanna) and "Won't Back Down" (Pink).
  • Sia, who is openly bisexual, took some heat for working with Eminem, who throws around the word "fa--ot" a lot in his lyrics, including on the The Marshall Mathers LP 2 track "Rap God." Sia defended Eminem, telling The Huffington Post that she was "under the impression that Eminem's alter-ego Slim Shady was performance art, and a thing of the past," adding that she does not believe the rapper is homophobic in real life.

    Sia eventually donated her share of profits from the song to the LA Gay & Lesbian Center.
  • "Beautiful Pain" was produced by Emile Haynie, who also worked on Eminem's 2010 hit "Going Through Changes." His other credits include "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars and "Blue Jeans" by Lana Del Rey.

    Emile is also listed as a songwriter on the track along with Eminem, Sia, and Em's longtime collaborator Luis Resto.

Comments: 1

  • Thamsanqa Mbanje from ZimbabweYou know years have passed on but its still my favorite song from Eminem.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.