Though I was very young when most of Mac Miller’s top hits were released, his music has since touched me in ways I didn’t know music could. I have distinct memories of driving parallel to the lake, with the windows rolled down screaming “Knock, Knock” and “The Spins” throughout my teenage summers in Grosse Pointe. I have also cried in bed to Miller’s more emotional songs such as “Congratulations”, “That’s on Me”, and the end audio clip from “God is Fair, Sexy Nasty”. Regardless of the emotions I have gone through in my life, Mac Miller’s music has always been there to comfort me.
In summary, I have a special connection to Mac Miller, so I was very excited to listen to his second posthumously released album, the first being “Circles”, which was released in 2020. “Circles” contained mostly upbeat and catchy songs that I like to sing along to such as “Blue World” and “Good News”. Despite the upbeat energy of many of the songs in “Circles”, the overall theme of the album was Miller “going in circles” as he fell back into old habits (drug addiction and depression). “Balloonerism” was generally less upbeat, but also shares a great deal about Miller not being able to escape these old habits. Despite many of the heavy topics Miller covered on this album such as suicide, depression and drugs, there are flashes in which he tries to stay positive throughout his album, such as the lyrics “The best is yet to come” as he describes the hardships he has been through in his life in the song “Rick’s Piano”. However, it is clear that the glimmers of hope and positivity throughout this album and many other of Miller’s later songs are a veil for the very dark thoughts that went on inside his mind.
The first song I listened to on the album was ‘DJ’s Chord Organ Ft. SZA”, and despite its few lyrics, the song made me feel something I have never experienced. The gentle humming of the chord throughout the song made me feel peaceful like a balloon floating in the sky. The repetition of the lyrics “Watch the world go ’round, and ’round, and ’round and ’round” accurately displayed how I felt as I was listening to the first part of the song. Once SZA started her verses of the song, I began to realize how this song was, once again, about Miller’s drug addiction and how it negatively affected his life, as it seemed as if the world was moving around him as he was mentally absent.
Though Balloonerism doesn’t contain the upbeat chart-toppers of K.I.D.S or the romantic depth of The Divine Feminine, I can appreciate the artistry and uniqueness of the album and thoroughly enjoyed the whimsical tune of many of its songs. The whimsical tune of the song “Manakins” reminded me of something out of a dystopian movie. The lyrics, “Life just gets so boring, playing superhero makes it fun. Why is heroism so close to heroine?” were an inside look at Miller’s drive behind his drug addiction, and while they made me very sad to listen to, I as always, can appreciate the ingenious and artistry behind Miller’s lyrics. One of my favorite songs on the album was “Do You Have a Destination?” because of the soft piano in the background and the rhythm of the song, as well as the lyricism detailing Miller’s internal struggles and deep questions he had about life.
Though I don’t believe any of the songs on “Balloonerism” will become widely renowned sensations of the music industry, nor do I foresee any of them replacing my pre-existing favorite Mac Miller songs, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album. It also made me very sad to have another look into Miller’s mind when he was going through such a dark time, but the songs on the album were undoubtedly masterful pieces of art.
