Fans often dread the treatment of an artist’s estate, which may come off as labels forcefully milking unfinished material. Thankfully, this was never the case for Mac Miller, whose second posthumous album, Balloonerism, came out on January 17.
His first posthumous album, Circles, was released in 2020, two years after he passed away. The album answered questions that fans had about the future of his incomplete songs, and how his estate could breathe a second life into them. In Circles, Miller’s tenor was undeniably at the forefront: Instrumentals surrounded the listener with warmth and glee, and his trademark introspective rapping leaves us with a wish to take care of one another during times of hopelessness.
For Balloonerism, Miller’s family took precious time and hype before officially releasing it. First advertised at the Camp Flog Gnaw Festival last December, Balloonerism was finally revealed to the whole world after a decade of speculations with leaks on Reddit and the online forum, Kanye to The. According to fans who are aware of Balloonerism’s supposed lore, it was recorded during a transitional period for Miller, who struggled with depression and substance abuse at the height of his third studio album, GO:OD AM. While Miller’s close friends and collaborators knew he was a talent, fans never realized how much good material was recorded in his studio in Pittsburgh — until this release.
The latest album is an exercise of the rapper’s grasp of yin-yang concepts through light, neo-soul soundscapes alongside dark lyric writing, which is also an expression of his goofball tendencies. In “DJ’s Chord Organ,” Miller and guest vocalist SZA go back and forth over unorthodox organ notes, setting the tone for the rest of the album. “Friendly Hallucinations” plays around with synth bleeps and eerie ringing as the rapper says, “Don’t let them tell you what’s real and what’s not” — an unnerving lyric that feels paradoxical alongside its blissful production style. Meanwhile, “Mrs. Deborah Downer” collides with guest sessionist Thundercat, sliding their groovy bass into scattering percussion.
Halfway through the album, each track becomes more psychedelic than the last. Production goes from warm to hazy, room reverb gradually expands, and soundscapes cautiously turn lush as every second goes by. “Shangri-La” warps reality by reversing the drums and chopping up jazzy drums, thus reframing the music from Miller’s distorted point of view — possibly alluding to his well-documented substance abuse. “Transformations” portrays a literal ominous transformation as Miller, in the backseat, casts his horrorcore alter-ego, Delusional Thomas, as the protagonist — a persona of Miller’s that first appeared in a free mixtape of the same name, released in 2013, and is fitting reference for this track.
Balloonerism features a production style that recalls Miller’s sound between 2013 and 2015. It can be difficult to pinpoint which era of Miller you’re listening to, as the album was recorded between Watching Movies with the Sound Off and GO:OD AM. However, I’d argue that Balloonerism stands on its own sonically, with standout tracks like “5 Dollar Pony Ride” and “Stoned,” which add an atmospheric layer to the rapper-producer’s repertoire. In the final track, “Tomorrow Will Never Know,” the instrumental transforms into a dimension of black ambient, rumbling kicks, and uncanny sounds of children playing in the street. We’re all alone now. The phone rings in the distance. What we have left in the last minutes of Balloonerism is a glimpse of Miller’s isolation — his presence felt in the darkness of the song.
As Miller’s second posthumous album, Balloonerism felt like it was the missing link that fans had been looking for as a time machine to a crucial time in Miller’s life. The album offers a nuanced portrait of an artist whose complexity is remembered long after he is gone, pieced back together by friends, fans, and collaborators who were touched by his music.