Will the True 'Houdini' Please Stand Up?

 

The real Harry Houdini — a Hungarian illusionist who mesmerized the world with his seemingly impossible stunts — died in 1926, so he can't stand up unless he's truly found a way to cheat death permanently. However, the escape artist's legacy remains inescapable. Decades after Houdini took his last breath, musicians continue to use his name in song titles to convey themes of disappearing or escaping from impossible situations. On May 31, Eminem released “Houdini,” the lead single from his upcoming album *The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)* — about six months after Dua Lipa dropped her own “Houdini.” And they’re not the only artists who have paid homage to Harry Houdini through their music. Whose “Houdini” are you in the mood for today? Check out the very different options below.

**“Houdini,” Eminem (2024)**
*Abra-abracadabra
And for my last trick, I’m about to reach in my bag, bruh*

Slim Shady has returned from the “dead” to drop something new, with a cameo-filled, comic-book-style music video. The lyrics reference Megan Thee Stallion’s shooting (“would I have a shot at a feat”), call his own kids “brats,” and make the self-aware observation that he’s “a bigger prick than cacti be.”