"Mockingbird" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fifth studio albumEncore (2004). It was released as the fifth single from the album in April 2005. It peaked at number 4 on the US Bubbling Under and number four in Denmark. It received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance. "Mockingbird" was later included on Eminem's greatest hits compilation albumCurtain Call: The Hits (2005).
The song runs for 4 mins 11 secs and is written in the key of E minor, with a tempo of 84 beats per minute, the song follows a chord progression sequence of Em-C-D-Em.
Entertainment Weekly's David Browne wrote: "Again he addresses a song to his daughter (Mockingbird) and explains how he's working hard at being a good father."[1] J-23 of HipHopDX praised the song: "Things get a bit better at the end, 'Mockingbird' is another song for Hailie that is most notable for flawless delivery."[2] Steve Jones of USA Today was positive: "The affectionate Mockingbird talks directly to his 9-year-old daughter, Hailie Jade, and 8-year-old niece, Alaina, trying to explain Kim's troubles with the law and his constant travel."[3] James Corne of RapReviews was also satisfied, saying, "Predictably, Eminem lays down one for Hailie with "Mockingbird," but what is not foreseeable is that it actually works."[4]The New York Times was mixed: "the I-love-my-daughter ode 'Mockingbird'" isn't the most exciting thing according to Kelefa Sanneh.[5]Stylus Magazine was negative: "Encore dutifully deploys the obligatory Hailie ode ("Mockingbird")."[6]
The A.V. Club was a bit positive: "On 'Mockingbird,' Eminem lets his hatred of his ex-wife lie dormant just long enough to provide his daughter with a haunting account of how parents sometimes just can't make it work, no matter how much both parties want to."[7]Los Angeles Times also agreed: "In the tender 'Mockingbird,' the Detroit-based rapper outlines his devotion to his daughter, Hailie. Against a restrained, almost hypnotic musical backdrop, Eminem tries to help the child make sense of a world in which her father is always on the run because of his career, and her mother, Kim, makes headlines with legal troubles, including a drug arrest last year. Normally, much of Eminem's lure as a rapper is in the speed and authority of his rapid-fire delivery, but he raps here with the gentleness of a man with his arms around his daughter: 'I know it's confusing to you/ Daddy's always on the move/ Mama's always on the news.'"[8]The Austin Chronicle is a bit negative, saying that in the song "he still hates his ... ex-wife as much as he loves his daughter. Yawn."[9]The Boston Phoenix called it "the address-to-his-daughter" song that is "more consistently remarkable than 'Mosh'".[10]
Baby Keem's song "Apologize" from his 2019 mixtape Die for My Bitch samples his unique, but well-known flow, using a similar melodic tone as Eminem's "Mockingbird", in his pre-chis 2021 album Montero) samples "Mockingbird" for its chorus; being similar in word pattern and lyrics.[11]
British Rapper E1 (3x3) released a remix to the song in 2022.
In 2023, after the song garnered massive interest on social networking site TikTok, "Mockingbird" reached 1 billion streams on Spotify[13] and placed on numerous music charts worldwide.[14][15][16][17][18]
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202245 into search. Retrieved November 14, 2022.