Eminem and Ed Sheeran's 'River' Video is Tough to Watch, But Worth It: Watch

After the latest era of his career got off to a rocky start with a pair of singles that weren’t met with praise or charting dominance, Eminem has seemingly returned to his former glory, thanks in part to the inclusion of Ed Sheeran.

The hip-hop superstar dropped the video for his new single “River” on Feb. 14, which seems like odd timing considering the subject matter of both the track and the clip. In the visual, Eminem is romantically (or, in his eyes, only sexually) entangled with a woman who has a storied and difficult past with another man. She suffers abuse and seeks out Eminem, only to have her heart broken later when she reveals some life-changing news to the musician.

The video also features confessional-style interviews with Eminem, as well as the actress and actor playing his love (?) interest and her former husband. Those moments can be tense and serious, and a dark-haired Marshall Mathers plays the role so well and raps rhymes about making a woman give up her baby so convincingly, it’s not entirely clear what’s true and what’s made up.