The recent release of the late artist is causing a resurgence in his praise.
Almost seven years after the industry lost Malcolm McCormick (Mac Miller), his second posthumous album, “Balloonerism,” was released on Jan. 17, 2025. The album was written around 2014, following the release of his mixtape, “Faces”. The 14-track album was written to serve as a sister project to “Faces” but it was shelved so Miller could focus his attention on more prominent projects, such as “GO:OD AM.”
After the teaser was put on screen at Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival, the so-called “lost project” was announced within a few days by the Mac Miller Estate on Nov. 21, 2024. The leading single, “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” was officially released on Jan. 9, 2025, and led to even further excitement from fans of Miller. The album contains features from four-time Grammy winner, SZA, as well as Miller’s alter-ego, Delusional Thomas.
Below is a track list for “Balloonerism,” along with reviews from myself and my co-worker, Lily Santel.
1. “Tambourine Dream”
The opening track is simply instrumental, adding a nice introduction to the mind of Mac Miller. The jingling sound and the beat almost create a sense of anxiety.
2. “DJ’s Chord Organ (feat. SZA)”
The chords at the beginning leave a very soul-touching effect, leading Santel to say it, “Made her heart a little warm and fuzzy.” The vocals throughout and the fading rhythm give the song a dream-like sound. The build-up to SZA’s vocals on the song creates suspense and excitement, and her vocals blend so well with Miller’s flow.
3. “Do You Have A Destination?”
The third track has a vibe that’s very similar to Miller’s first few releases, such as “K.I.D.S” and “Blue Slide Park.” This track is the first time Miller references death and Heaven, something he mentions frequently throughout the album. I feel like there is something poetic in Miller speaking about Heaven, it almost feels like he’s telling us that he’s okay.
4. “5 Dollar Pony Rides”
Track four is beautiful. It almost doesn’t sound like Miller; it gives a vibe more similar to a tropical sound. As this was the released single for the album, I’ve had a lot of time to think about how it makes me feel. The switch in sound near the end brings back Miller’s own sound and draws you back into what he is saying.
5. “Friendly Hallucinations”
Santel says that she, “Feels like she’s in a coffee shop” while listening to this song. The beat in the background is very soothing and blends so smoothly with his vocals. This is definitely one of my favorites from the album and gives you a feeling you don’t always get from other artists; that it’s real.
6. “Mrs. Deborah Downer”
While this one is not my favorite, it still has the classic Miller effect. The music itself is slow and calming, while the lyrics are telling a painful, dangerous story. That’s something I really admire about Miller; he makes you feel every emotion within four minutes of lyricism and production.
7. “Stoned”
Track seven is another favorite of mine. The chorus is one that easily gets stuck in your head, but it’s not for the typical reason of it being catchy – it’s because it means something. Every word Miller says has an underlying meaning, and learning to decipher it leads listeners to understand Miller as a person, even in death.
8. “Shangri-La”
Even though the narrative told through Miller’s words is a sad one, he is telling a story. Not only in his lyrics, but his ad-libs, as well. This is one of the best ways to grab a listener’s attention – giving them a story to feel and relate to.
9. “Funny Papers”
Track nine is easily my favorite off “Balloonerism.” Again, Miller is telling stories, but this time about other people. It has a bit of a lighter, happier tone in his voice while still talking about the things that drain him. The repetition of: “Everything quiet but the music” throughout the song forces the listener to focus on what they are hearing.
10. “Excelsior”
Shorter than the other songs on the release, Miller tells a story about childlike innocence. His words are something almost everyone can relate to. Miller is asking the people, “When did life get so serious?” This is a question I can say that I’ve thought about while growing up. Miller also has the ambient sounds of children playing in the background, which gives the song an overall comforting, homey feel.
11. “Transformations (feat. Delusional Thomas)”
In order to understand this song and why it sounds this way, a listener has to know who Delusional Thomas is. An alter-ego of Miller, Delusional Thomas is the: “evil voice” inside of his head. The creation of this alter-ego takes inspiration from Madlib’s own double personality, Quasimoto. Madlib and Miller were good friends, and were even creating an album together when Miller passed. Much like Delusional Thomas, Madlib’s Quasimoto used a different voice and tone to express deeper feelings. Miller uses this different voice to express himself further, in a way the mainstream media wouldn’t have wanted. During his Vice interview, Miller said, “I don’t want to limit myself to not doing anything, whether it’s the grittiest of gritty or the cleanest of pop.” This track allows Delusional Thomas to free himself from Miller’s head and create what he truly enjoyed.
12. “Manakins”
Knowing that Miller is no longer with us makes this track extremely powerful. While it was clearly recorded before his death in 2018, it almost gives us a window into what Heaven is like for him. He speaks about his relationship with God and how he felt about life on Earth. It is a very emotion-inducing song that holds even more meaning now.
13. “Rick’s Piano”
To me, this track reminds me of Miller’s NPR Tiny Desk Performance on vinyl. Throughout it, we hear the real Miller. His voice, his laugh, you can almost see his smile through the sound of his voice. Much like myself and other listeners, Santel says, “His little chuckle made me smile.”
14. “Tomorrow Will Never Know”
What a beautiful way to end an album. The longest track, the final song comes in at 11 minutes and 53 seconds, with six minutes and 40 seconds of instrumentals, ambient noise and a dial tone of a cell phone. This song makes Santel feel, “Empty, like a piece of my soul died and no one noticed until it was too late.” It’s one of those releases that makes you contemplate throughout the song. Life, love, childhood, society, etc. You look deeply into everything, and I think that is exactly what Miller intended to have listeners do.
Clearly, I am a big fan of Miller, but I truly do think anyone who listens will have an experience similar to mine. The main feeling that stuck with me is that it almost makes the listener think Miller is still here, that this is new music he just produced this year. I think it is inspiring that he had that power, that vision, which made his music timeless.
“Balloonerism” is public on all streaming platforms, as well as the trailer for the short film inspired by the album. The film can be viewed on Prime Video, and I strongly recommend anyone who likes Miller even a little bit to watch and really take in his vision.