Although Mac Miller passed away at the age of 26 in 2018, his music continues to remind the world of his talent in the industry. On Jan. 17, 2025, Miller’s album, “Balloonerism” was released. The album consists of 14 tracks and is over an hour long. Miller’s longtime friend, SZA, is the only feature on the album.
This particular album focuses on reflection and dwelling on the unknown. The overall mood is rather dispiriting due to how scrambled Miller’s view of life is. “Balloonerism” was very clearly written in a time of distress and might be hard for some people to listen to; however, the lyrics and storytelling within the album are striking and create a strong sense of emotion for listeners. Even with such vivid feelings, the music is still rather comforting and understandable. Miller is notorious for creating relatable music, and this album is just that. Additionally, there are multiple songs that are upbeat and jazz-like. The balance of moods makes a heavy message feel less overwhelming.
Overall, six songs on “Balloonerism” are considerably perfect: “Tomorrow Will Never Know,” “Manakins,” “Funny Papers,” “Rick’s Piano,” “Do You Have A Destination?” and “Stoned.” Each song shares similarities in its storytelling lyrics, and the songs have a common trend of reflecting on both the past and future. In the song “Rick’s Piano,” Miller pushes the idea that life can only improve. While doing so, however, he questions whether or not that is true in his own life. In a different song, “Funny Papers,” Miller dives into the feeling of depression and the struggles he is facing. He goes back and forth between how he can make his mentality stronger but ultimately decides his hardships are out of his control. Even with such disheartening tones within these songs, Miller still manages to create a tone of hope and readiness for what is to come.
Moreover, the song “Transformations” includes Miller’s alter-ego, Delusional Thomas. The high-pitched voice is consistent throughout the song and includes more explicit language than the other tracks. Although the song is not necessarily as favorable, it still is more upbeat than other songs on the album.
Finally, “Balloonerism” managed to paint a dreamy and conceptual idea of life. Miller pulls apart and speculates on harsh concepts like mental health and hardships he might have faced, pushing the listener to really focus on the current situation one might be in.