Mac Miller's Story and Review of His New Album "Balloonerism"
Malcolm James McCormick, aka "Mac Miller," was an American rapper and artist who spread his music to countless listeners. He reached the top two and top three twice on the Top 200 billboard and was a Grammy nominee. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 19, 1992, Mac Miller started his career at a young age, and he officially became a rapper/artist in 2006 at fourteen. Mac Miller sadly passed away from an accidental overdose in 2018.
His music career started when he released six mixtapes from 2007 to 2009. These are lesser-known songs that aren't on mainstream platforms. The first album he released was "K.I.D.S." in 2010 in the summer of his senior year of high school. K.I.D.S. captures the carefree, youthful energy of being a teenager with laid-back and nostalgic beats. This project is all about enjoying life, chasing dreams, and partying. He released another album in 2011 entitled "THE BEST DAY EVER." A follow-up to K.I.D.S., this mixtape showcases Miller's upbeat and youthful energy. The album has themes about success, ambition, and enjoying life. His next mainstream album, released in 2013, was titled "WATCHING MOVIES WITH THE SOUND OFF." Miller fully embraces a darker, more introspective side with this album. Themes of depression, existentialism, and drug use are portrayed throughout this album. The production is more experimental, with heavy jazz and electronic influences. His next popular album was 'FACES', released in 2014. Considered one of Miller's best works, Faces is a raw, emotional deep dive into his struggles with addiction and self-destruction. It contains jazz-heavy beats and poetic lyrics. In 2015, For his next prevalent album released in 2016, "THE DIVINE FEMININE," which reached number two on the Billboard Two-hundred, Miller shifted towards a jazz and R&B-infused sound, celebrating love and relationships. This album is sensual, warm, and deeply romantic, featuring collaborations with artists like Ariana Grande. In 2018, he debuted his album "SWIMMING," which reached the top three on Billboard Two-hundred. Just a month later, he died from an accidental overdose. This came as a shock to his family and the hip-hop and rap communities. His family and record label went on to release three more albums Titles: "CIRCLE" in 2020, "FACES" released in 2021, and lastly, "I LOVE LIFE, THANK YOU" in 2022. His music focuses on an unfiltered look into his past experiences; he talks about self-evolving, and Miller dives into themes that reflect the complexities of life, such as love, loss, mental health, addiction, and self-discovery.
Mac Miller's family with Warner Records announced the release of the Posthumous album "BALLOONERISM" on January 17, 2025. Miller produced this album in 2014, around the same time as his album "FACE", and has been adding songs throughout the rest of his career. There are 14 songs, with the first one being a 30-second interlude.
The album is emotionally heavy and dives into themes such as mortality, drug abuse, and mental illness. The jazz rap and experimental sounds create a dream-like feel to the album, with features such as SZA appearing on the first song, "DJ's Chord Organ," adding to this depth. There is also another feature on the album "Delusional Thomas," which is Miller's alter ego. The songs "Rick's Piano," "Manakins' and "Shangri-La" talk about mortality with lyrics such as "If I dyin' young, promise you'll smile at my funeral" and "I wonder what does death feel like." Balloonerism is an emotionally profound album, though it's not for everyone. Embracing experimental sounds, it leans heavily into jazz rap. The chaotic beats, soulful melodies, and intricate arrangements powerfully reflect Miller's mindset during that time.
By Quinn Smith