Meaning of “River” by Eminem (featuring Ed Sheeran)

“River” is a song performed by American rapper Eminem featuring British singer Ed Sheeran. Lyrically, the song tells the story of the strained relationship of a couple, each of whom is cheating on the other.

Facts about “River”

• The song was written by Eminem and Ed Sheeran, making it the first time both artists had worked together. It is worth noting that Sheeran has been a longtime fan of Eminem and had always wanted to work with his hero (Eminem).  According to Sheeran, recording with Eminem was one of the highlights of his career.
• American music producer Emile Haynie, who is also credited as a songwriter on the track, served as the song’s producer.
• The song was released on January 5, 2018 as the second single from Eminem’s ninth studio album Revival.
• The song peaked at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
• In an interview with Billboard magazine, Sheeran said he was in Australia when he was contacted by Eminem’s manager Paul Rosenberg who asked him if he wanted to work with Eminem on his new album. Sheeran jumped at the idea and instantly began working on something. According to Sheeran, he wrote and recorded his section of the song in actor Russell Crowe’s house while still in Australia and sent the song to Eminem’s team somewhere in March 2016, but never heard from them again until 14 months later when producer Emile contacted him to tell him that Eminem had recorded his verses on the song.