Malcolm McCormick, known as Mac Miller, was a talented rapper and singer who unfortunately passed away from an overdose in 2018. His music, however, has stayed alive, and allows his legacy to live on. The recent release of his posthumous album, Balloonerism, has fans of Miller pleased to get new music from him after his death. As probably one of the biggest Mac Miller fans myself, I couldn’t wait to listen to this new album, and it didn’t disappoint.
I couldn’t necessarily tell you where my love for Mac Miller came from, as I’m not a huge fan of rap music. Despite that, something that strongly enticed me about his music was how his sound was always changing. Miller has seven studio albums, and I find that each one contains a different theme and sound. He was always an experimental artist, and this is strongly reflected in the recent release of Balloonerism.
After his passing in 2018, his estate made the decision to release one of his pre-recorded albums, Circles, in 2020. This album was recorded closer to the time of his death in 2018, and is a sister album to his last studio album released while he was alive, Swimming. These two albums range in tone, with some songs being more upbeat and fast, while others are a lot more slow and mellow. Miller has always been a writer of songs that are dark and depressing, which is prevalent on these two albums, and this comes out a lot more in Balloonerism.
Recorded in 2014, this album ages back to Miller’s earlier music days. This is during the time of his third studio album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off, released in 2013, and his mixtape, Faces, released in 2014. Like Faces, Balloonerism reflects songs surrounding ideas of death, drugs, and the purpose of life. Just like Faces, the new album is ridden with a melancholic feel. As these themes may be depressing, I enjoy that he tries to implement true reality and fears that many face daily. It may be a dark tone, but Miller is raw and vulnerable in his lyrics, and expresses the struggles he goes through, which provides a closer relationship between him and his listeners.
Aside from the album’s mood, the sound presented by Miller is very experimental, especially for the time period it was made in. Miller plays around with varying beats, and this album seems to have a heavy focus on the instrumentals. For example, in “DJ’s Chord Organ,” Miller sings very little in this song, and the focus is essentially surrounding the sounds coming forth. The song itself feels very trippy, which is something Miller has incorporated in his music many times before. I also hold a very strong love for the featured artist in the song, SZA, who also sings background vocals on another song on the album, “Friendly Hallucinations.” “Transformations,” presents more usage of different sounds, and features Delusional Thomas, an alter ego of Miller.
Miller discusses death heavily throughout the album, in songs such as “Stoned,” “Funny Papers,” and “Manakins.” Fans have discussed the slight unsettlement regarding this as he has now passed, but it’s nothing quite out of the ordinary for Miller. The last song, “Tomorrow Will Never Know,” is especially eerie, and consists of an uneasy phone ringing during the last half of the song, for about five minutes. This last song really encapsulates the entire mood of the album, reflecting on life and its meanings.
With everything being said, I enjoyed this album thoroughly, and ever since its release, I’ve had it on repeat. I love how versatile Miller is in his music and sound. Balloonerism, being recorded in 2014, is an album I believe to be ahead of its time, just like Miller himself was. Even after his death, we’re able to continue to appreciate his art and talent. As a big fan of Miller, I hope there’s more unreleased work to come.