It's 22 years since Eminem dropped this huge tune and birthed internet term
Anish Vij
Featured Image Credit: EminemVEVO / YouTube / MediaPunch Inc / Alamy Stock Photo
One of Eminem's 'greatest' ever songs still resonates with fans 22 years after its release.
When it comes to storytelling, Slim Shady almost revolutionised the genre and took his ability to portray characters to new heights.
'Stan' was released way back in May 23, 2000 - feel old yet? - and the song has massively influenced modern pop culture.
"In this song, Eminem corresponds with a crazed fan who becomes increasingly unhinged as the story progresses," Genius writes.
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"This is one of his most well-received singles and was listed at #15 on VH1’s Top 100 Hip Hop Songs of All Time."
And the term 'Stan' has since become recognised by the internet as the 'genuine' definition for an 'overly obsessed fan'.
Urban Dictionary defines the term as 'a reference to the Eminem song 'Stan'.'
"The song is about an overly obsessed fan (named Stan) who writes letters to Eminem and ends up driving off a bridge with his pregnant wife, because Eminem didn't write him back," the website says.
"The terms means a very very over jealous and obsessed fan of a celebrity/band/cast of a tv show or movie.
"Person 1: 'I just love Ariana Grande so much I would die for her I would track her every move if I could'.
"Person 2: 'woah don't be such a stan'."
Speaking about the song in 2008, Eminem once told Shade 45: "There was a verse where [Stan] got out of the water. He escaped and came to my house to kill me.
"Then I had to kill him first, [but] I missed him, and he was in the hospital for like three weeks. Then he was p*ssed off that I didn’t write him get-well cards, so he came to kill me again, and in the last verse finally I just blew his head off."
The 'short' 6-minute remastered version has a whopping 118 million views on YouTube and fans have been reminiscing about the classic track.
"Back after 12 years and it’s still the one of the best songs ever made," one fan commented on the video.
Another added: "the greatest song eminem has ever created. A true testament to a classic, the dialogue, ambience, visuals, beat, and the impact this song has had on hiphop, modern day linguistics and even the birth of the popularisation of the word Stan is phenomenal. 10/10"
"13 years later, and I still get chills from the song," a third fan wrote.
Someone else said: "He’s so good at making Stan and Eminem sound like 2 different people even though they’re the same voice."
"This was not just music but lessons and an open eye to mental health and toxic relationships. Keep this song going," another added.
In 2013, Eminem released a follow-up, titled 'Bad Guy', where Stan’s younger brother Matthew avenges his Stan's death.