Mac Miller
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Mac Miller left the world far too soon in 2018, just as his creative output was gaining notice and garnering him a wider fanbase. To commemorate the drop, the estate of Mac Miller has released a new body of work in Balloonerism along with a short film, and fans on X have reacted to the release in kind.
Balloonerism clocks in at 14 minutes and has just two features with SZA and Delusional Thomas showing up for “DJ’s Chord Organ” and “Transformations” respectively. According to what we read on Wikipedia, this album was recorded between 2013 and 2014. But fans reportedly have had access to some of these songs over the years via leaks and it was teased late last year at Camp Flog Gnaw.
Much of the album follows the soulful nature of Swimming, one of our favorite releases from the Pittsburgh star, and finds him flexing his singing abilities across several tracks. Songs like “5 Dollar Pony Rides” melt into a jazzy groove after a verse as Miller belts out vocals. The track “Friendly Hallucinations” continues the warm sound of the preceding track but finds Miller in confident rapper mode as he handles the hook capably.
Sonically, it sounds reminiscent of Miller’s work on his mixtape Faces, and certainly reveals more of his musical interests and connections with the sprawling musical community of Los Angeles with bassist Thundercat showing up on backing instrumentals alongside Thundercat’s brothers, drummer Ronald Bruner and keyboardist Jameel Bruner among others. Larry Fisherman, the producer moniker of Miller, shows up in the credits as well.
You can check out Mac Miller’s Balloonerism by clicking here along with the short film below supporting the project. Keep scrolling to see reactions from X regarding the new drop.
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The upcoming Balloonerism record from late rapper Mac Miller is set to release alongside a short film of the same name, a new announcement says.
Miller’s Balloonerism – the second posthumous album released since his 2018 passing – is scheduled for release on Friday (Jan. 17), though fans can ease themselves into the experience with its accompanying new film.
Based on the lyrics and music of Miller, and directed by Samuel Jerome Mason, the animated Balloonerism “follows a group of school friends who are transfigured by the music of a chord organ and launched into a shadow world”, a synopsis of the film reads. “Swallowed by the turtle of time, they must plod through the underbelly of adulthood.”
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The film is scheduled for a Wednesday (Jan. 15) release throughout the U.S., with international fans receiving it one day later. A series of “One Night Only” advance theater screenings are scheduled around the world, including in New York City and Miller’s native Pittsburgh. Other screenings are planned for Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, France, Canada, and the U.K.
In keeping with the theme of the new record, tickets are priced at $5 (or the “approximate equivalent in ex-US markets”) in line with the album’s lead single, “5 Dollar Pony Rides”.
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Miller’s Balloonerism album has been the subject of fan speculation for over a decade now, with the rapper having recorded it around the time of his 2013 album Watching Movies with the Sound Off and follow-up mixtapes, Delusional Thomas and Faces. Following the circulation of leaked songs amongst fan communities, the record’s official release was teased with a trailer at November’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival.
“We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist,” they added. “Given that unofficial versions of the album have been circulating online for years and that releasing Balloonerism was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world.”
Last week, “5 Dollar Pony Rides” was shared ahead of the album’s arrival and features Miller’s close friend and collaborator Thundercat helping out on the production side of things.
A long awaited album from late rapper Mac Miller appears to be on the way, according to a new trailer.
The teaser was aired at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles over the weekend, appearing before The Alchemist & Friends’ set on Saturday (Nov. 16).
The two-and-a-half minute trailer featured a series of animations and songs, finishing with a message that simply read “soon”. The image that accompanied this message was a painting of Miller by artist Alim Smith. Just weeks before Miller’s 2018 passing, Smith had posted an image in a similar style which the late artist commented on, writing “need this”.
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The project in question is Miller’s long-lost album Balloonerism, which had been recorded over a decade ago and was reportedly planned for release ahead of his 2014 mixtape, Faces.
While some debate has taken place in regard to whether the recorded songs were ever compiled and sequenced for intended release, or if the project ever actively got past its development phase, many of the songs associated with the project have however leaked over the years.
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Two of those songs – including the SZA-featuring “The Song That Changed Everything”, and “5 Dollar Pony Rides” – accompanied the teaser trailer when it was aired on Saturday.
Miller passed away in September 2018 at the age of 26, leaving behind a legacy which included six studio albums, 12 mixtapes, numerous singles, and even more guest appearances on songs with other artists.
His final album, 2018’s Swimming, was released just a month prior to his passing. In 2020, Miller’s estate released the posthumous record Circles, which had reportedly been planned as a companion piece to Swimming. Both records received widespread critical acclaim, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 upon their respective releases.
In March 2023, Madlib confirmed he was in the process of finishing up an unreleased collaboration with Miller, while in March 2024, Miller’s song “The Quest” was released to streaming following its arrival on the Watching TV With the Sound Off 10-year anniversary vinyl the previous year.
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Madlib is one of the best producers in Hip-Hop and his deft touch behind the boards extends far beyond the genre most associate him with. The Oxnard, Calif. native joined his brother Talib Kweli on Shade 45’s Sway In The Morning, revealing that he’s got albums with the late Mac Miller, Planet Asia, and Erykah Badu in the tuck.
Madlib, who doesn’t do a ton of media appearances, spoke briefly on the aforementioned projects, and considering he has a history with the trio of artists, fans should expect more of that Beat Konducta magic.
“Right now, I’m finishing up the Mac Miller album, Planet Asia album, Erykah Badu album, different stuff,” Madlib said, with Sway Calloway following up to ask if the estate is in support of Madlib working on the Miller project, to which he confirmed they’ve given their blessing. Sway noted that Miller appears on Liberation 2, the joint project featuring the producer and Kweli.
Fans of Planet Asia are well aware of the track Madlib remixed titled “Definition Of Ill,” which stamped the Fresno, Calif. rapper as one of the best lyricists just ahead of the turn of the century in 1999. The Gold Chain Music honcho has remained busy over the past two decades with a number of high-quality projects and this upcoming body of work will add to that.
The Bad Kid also worked in the past with Badu on the albums New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) and New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), released in 2008 and 2010 respectively.
Check out Talib Kweli and Madlib on Sway In The Morning below.
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