Released on Jan. 17, Mac Miller’s seventh and second posthumous album Balloonerism is nothing short of extraordinary. The recording of this piece took place between 2013 and 2014, around the time Watching Movies with the Sound Off was released, and features familiar faces, paired with some production from Thundercat.
The album starts off strong with the atmospheric track “DJ’s Chord Organ”, which features SZA. This track sets the mood for the rest of the album. The first 2 minutes of breathtaking instrumental and chorus help establish a melancholy yet uplifting mood.
The following track is titled “Do You Have A Destination?”, and just like the title suggests, the line “Do you have a destination?” is repeated throughout the song. Paired with the rhythmic drums and background piano, this song successfully discusses Miller’s problem with drugs, which caused his unfortunate passing in 2018.
Further into the album, on track 9 of 14, is a song titled “Funny Papers”. This piece dives into the ideas of life, from birth to death and everything in between. Again, with his strong lyricism Miller wrote, “The mind go with age, don’t surrender. My mistake, I misplaced all of my remembers.” The moving background piano subtly adds an emotional aspect to this song, as Miller reflects on his own life and emotions as well.
The final track on Balloonerism is titled “Tomorrow Will Never Know”, and is definitely the most gut wrenching song. The track is around 12 minutes long, and features around 10 minutes of pure instrumental. In the background throughout the entire song, a phone is heard dialing, which eventually fades when the song ends. No one ever answers the phone, making it even more touching.
Miller’s family has done a great job releasing Mac’s music posthumously, in a caring, respectful way. If I were to rate this album out of 10, I would definitely give it a 9. While it may not be some of his best work or a song or two were mediocre, Mac’s production and deep lyrics leave a lasting impression, without a doubt.