Mac Miller’s accidental drug overdose in 2018 sent ripples through his fan base. Nowadays, rap music consists of murmurs or meaningless words, but Miller’s words were well-crafted and supported with a meaning that listeners could relate to. In August 2018, he released, “Swimming,” an album displaying Miller’s self-discovery and his attempts to come to terms with heartbreak and depression. A month later, at 26, he was gone. Now, “Circles,” released inJanuary 2020, is a fitting epilogue to his fulfilled life. 

Miller worked closely on early versions of these songs with his composer-producer, Jon Brion. Brion was committed to finishing the album after Miller’s death. It’s unclear how far Miller was into the album at the time of his passing, but the songs sound completed, or as completed as they could be. 

“Circles,” never opened up into a full-fledged rap album. The content of the album pushes between lo-fi beat music and singer-songwriter indie-folk. Both “Swimming,” and “Circles”  focus more on Miller’s vocals and less on his rapping.The few songs that do have raps in them display his love and improvement as a song-writer. On, “Hand Me Downs,” he raps about moving carelessly through life and falling into the same patterns. “Hands,” is the only full rap song in the album, which displays his songwriting knack that he fell in love with as a teen. 

The song, “Good News,” refers to spring cleaning, which is suitable for someone looking to hit the refresh button and clean up their life. In, “Surf,” Mac comes to the bitter realization that he has spent his last years in the spotlight and surrounded by millions of fans. This song has a chill, mellow tune that you can’t help but listen to numerous times. Both songs resemble Miller’s last years of his life and how he attempted to resolve his past problems. 

When a young artist dies too soon, fans start listening to their music closer, taking apart every verse to try to find the writing on the wall. When it comes to Miller’s songs, listeners don’t have to  dig too deep to understand his message. The entire message of Miller’s album ‘Circles,’ is that he was trying to break the “circle” and look to the future. . Miller may have been working on himself and trying to improve, but he died knowing his music was respected.