Mac Miller in 2014.
Courtesy | kmeron
Deceased rapper Mac Miller’s album “Balloonerism” has haunting elements and demands emotional resilience from its listeners.
Miller’s second of two posthumous albums was released on Jan. 17 with an immersive short film, making it oddly personal. According to Variety magazine, fans speculate the album was recorded in 2014 when Miller was battling drug addiction.
The 14-track album brings the listener into the heart of Miller’s personal battles. Almost immediately, “Balloonerism” feels close to Miller’s heart. Each song is emotionally heavy but hypnotically compelling.
The ninth track, “Funny Papers,” is the best on the album. It reflects on a tragic death with a nonchalant tone that leaves an eerie feeling considering Miller’s own tragedy. The lyrics, “Didn’t think anyone died on a Friday,” are disturbing, as Miller’s life ended on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. And yet, the album is full of slipping moments which seem to be Miller’s cries for help as he battled his addiction.
“Balloonerism” overwhelms the listener with a psychedelic feeling through slow intros and jazz influenced acoustics mixed with a somber attitude making the album almost unenjoyable, due to the depressing reality of Miller’s life. Much like Miller’s previous music, this album’s background acoustics nod toward elevator music, but his lyrics bring it back to life.
The 12th track, “Manakins,” is gut-wrenching. He describes his struggles as he raps, “Why is heroism so close to heroin” and “There is no such thing as freedom.” This track is the cry for help that was expected amidst his personal battles. The lyrics are full of existential questions and hopelessness.
Yet, Miller showcases that this album was not his intended end and he intended to expand into more experimental tracks such as “Transformations” (featuring Delusional Thomas). The chaotic intro and robotic voices before introducing lyrics set this track apart from the album.
The second to last track, “Rick’s Piano,” continuously repeats, “The best is yet to come,” and the album turns a corner for a more hopeful ending, until the final song of the album.
“Tomorrow Will Never Know,” is 12 minutes of soul-crushing acoustics. The slow intro and depressing lyrics will bring the listener to tears when meditating on Miller’s life.
He somberly says, “You walk through this world with your head above water, shoes made of copper, just tryin’ to float.” The sad notes and lyrics seem just as lifeless as the rapper himself, making his death feel more of a deprivation.
Overall, the album is a masterpiece, but one that leaves the listener as somber as if they had attended a funeral. “Balloonerism” is a complex listen, it is impossible to separate the art from the artist as each lyric reminds listeners of his lifelessness.
As a posthumous album, “Balloonerism” deserves accolades for the way it was assembled. Each track feels authentically produced, not over-tampered with, and as raw as if he had produced them himself.
The album is not an album for the weak or for a Mac Miller newbie. It is an album for the seasoned Miller listener because it provides both a kind of special revelation into his personal life and concludes his musical career in a beautiful way. “Balloonerism” is a final goodbye to his artistic power. The 14 tracks reflect the pain and hopelessness of drug addiction and memorializes Miller in a way that gives the listener a haunting sense of closure.