During the course of his career Eminem has captivated us with views from underdog, the king, the careening star, the saved and, most recently, the sequel. So, having ridden the rollercoaster, and even looked back after the ride was over, one has to wonder where an artist of his stature goes from here. But every challenge is also an opportunity, and as a result Marshall Mathers has every door open to him. He could delve back inside himself, and re-evalute all his 40-plus-year-old feels. He could look outside himself, and his bubble, for inspiration and write about the changing world. He could maniacally dial in on the technical aspect of his craft, or go the other way and loosen his rap writing, focusing on the bigger picture of songwriting. He could aim for outrage, or he could demonstrate a new maturity. And then there’s who produces him. He could reunite with Dre, tap another super producer like a Kanye West or even Puff Daddy, or go in with an avant garde choice like El-P or André 3000. Or he could produce the whole thing himself. The point being, we know nothing about this project, and there are ton of fascinating avenues that Eminem could explore on his eighth major label outing. And with all of those dynamic, fertile options available to one of our generation’s most creative minds, how can you not anticipate what will come next? —Noah Callahan-Bever