Over six years after the tragic passing and overdose of Mac Miller — rapper, singer, songwriter and producer — his estate has released “Balloonerism.” The 14-track album is the second posthumous work of his discography. Originally recorded over two weeks in March 2014, once an abandoned project has now been unveiled as a testament to Miller’s unmatched musical talent and introspection. It is one of the best posthumous albums I have ever heard and will become one of my favorite Mac Miller projects.
“Balloonerism” was developed during Miller’s 2013-2014 era, which marked a surge in his experimentation and left-field creative tendencies. This creativity first debuted in his 2013 album, “Watching Movies with the Sound Off” and further manifested in the widely acclaimed 2014 mixtape “Faces.” Although “Balloonerism” was put aside for projects like “Faces,” according to the Mac Miller Estate, its release was always of personal importance to Miller.
This album carries the same dark, unflinchingly honest exploration of Miller’s struggles, focusing on themes of introspection, drug abuse and death.
The second track, “Do You Have a Destination?,” has Miller reflecting on his success and life direction. The line, “gave my life to this s***, already killed myself” is a haunting portrayal of him as a walking corpse, consumed by obsession with his art. Despite its heavy themes, he still adds his signature humor including a nod to his love for cereal.
The track sets the tone with jazzy, dreamy, yet eerie production, blending pretty chords and melodic piano lines with ghostly, chopped up, pitch-shifted vocal chants.
The entirety of “5 Dollar Pony Rides” is a gorgeous jazzy groove, accompanied by fantastic bass playing by singer and record producer Stephen Lee Bruner, AKA Thundercat, who is featured throughout the entire album.
The song “Mrs. Deborah Downer” is the record’s culmination of Miller’s inner conflict with drug addiction. He expresses a feeling of meaninglessness, with substances serving as the only means of value in his current mental state. I found the final few lines to be particularly powerful, illustrating how he’s been stuck in addiction and social isolation for so long he forgets the life he had before substances.
“Manakins” is, in my opinion, the lyrically darkest track on the record, where Mac is at a point of blatant nihilism and is emotionless towards the idea of death. I shed a tear on my first listen due to how tragically ironic it is, as the track has you wishing he never went through the pain that made him unfazed by death.
“Tomorrow Will Never Know” is the perfect closer, by far the most abstract and psychedelic track. For 12 minutes, Miller contemplates what it’s like to be dead and metaphorizes his depression with vivid imagery. It’s a gut-wrenchingly lonely and vacant soundscape: muffled instrumentals, the repeating sound of a call hanging up, as if Mac never answered when people tried to ensure he was safe. It sounds as if death itself was a song — a hauntingly poetic conclusion mirroring his tragic circumstances, as if he unknowingly wrote his own elegy.
For what will likely be the last work of his discography, “Ballonerism” is an intimate and overall perfect send-off for Miller’s career. I feel pulled between two worlds listening to it; it is beautiful, freeing and silly, yet blunt, poignant and unfortunately relevant. It highlights the versatility of Miller’s artistry, staying true to his vulnerability and innovation throughout both his abstract hip hop and more recent R&B/singer-songwriter influenced works.
Miller’s estate did a fantastic job refining the over-decade-old project in a way that feels true to Miller’s vision and legacy, especially compared to typical cash-grab posthumous releases in rap. It is a bittersweet reminder of the irreplaceable void that Miller has left in the rap world, though whose creativity and authenticity will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on listeners and artists alike.
Blima Mitre • Jan 27, 2025 at 7:12 pm
Very well done congratulations