I find it just a little ironic that Mac Miller‘s posthumous release “Balloonerism” would be released just days before Donald Trump, the subject of a 2011 song by the artist, would be inaugurated as president of the United States.
Released Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, “Balloonerism” is the second album released by the Mac Miller Estate since Miller died from an accidental drug overdose Sept. 7, 2018. Miller would have turned 33 on Jan. 19. The first, “Circles,” was released five years ago on Jan. 17, 2020.
“Many of Malcolm’s fans are aware of ‘Balloonerism,’ a full-length album that Malcolm created around the time of ‘Faces‘ in 2014.
“It is a project that was of great importance to Malcolm — to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly, though ultimately ‘GO:OD AM’ and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence,” a statement from the Mac Miller Estate stated on its Instagram account.
“We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist. Given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated 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.”
I’ve been looking forward to this album since its release was announced since “Faces” is one of my favorite albums by Miller.
Funky and rhythmic, the album takes listeners on a 14-track trip through Miller’s state of mind in 2014, when he was battling cocaine and drug addiction before he got clean with the help of Rick Rubin, who gets a shout-out on the album.
“Balloonerism” is one of the many legendary albums that were part of the Mac Miller lore, along with “Pink Slime,” an EP with Pharrell and a Christmas-themed record with Cam’ron, “92 til Infinity,” a collaboration with DJ Jazzy Jeff that was announced but never came to fruition.
There was also “The Basement Tapes”: a series of recordings made at Mac Miller’s mansion in Los Angeles, potentially featuring artists like ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Vince Staples and members of Odd Future; “!GO FISH!” a series of singles under his producer alias Larry Fisherman, featuring different rappers; “Delusional Thomas 2”; and a follow-up to his alter ego’s first project. There were also collaborations with Madlib, Ty Dolla $ign, Metro Boomin and Thundercat.
After some spirited tambourine on “Tambourine Dream,” SZA lends a hand for “DJ’s Chord Organ,” which includes some of that tambourine work.
Much like the tracks on “Faces,” there is a dark psychedelic side to the album which now, in retrospect, hangs a heavy shadow over some of the lyrics — such as when he says “I gave my life to this shit, already killed myself,” on “Do You Have a Destination.”
Later on the track, he says, “Need to let the drugs go. Trying to find Heaven, I get high but never come close.”
Thundercat lends his influential bass on six of the 14 tracks, including “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” the first single from the album which was released earlier in the month.
A lot of the album features themes of loneliness, including “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” featuring the lyrics: “Killin’ yourself like this Goin’ crazy, keepin’ all of these secrets How is that livin’?”
SZA returns to provide vocals on “Friendly Hallucinations” to add some warmth to what can sometimes be cold, hard truths delivered by Miller on the album.
The next track, “Mrs. Deborah Downer,” is an example of the depression that Miller was open to sharing honestly through his music.
“If pills can turn to powder Then this world could turn to ash. Everything seems so slow But my past, I thought that it would last longer.”
Later on the track, he raps: “Started smokin’ weed again, started tryna read again Clean myself up, now would you be my friend?”
On “Stoned” there is more foreshadowing to Miller’s death where he dissects the feelings of someone with a troubled past and just wants to get stoned with him because “Heaven feels just like home.”
On “Shangri-La” he talks about going to Rick Rubin’s studio as well as diving deeper into his drug problems. “Okay, I was drivin’ up to Shangri-La to get my meditation on.”
Later on the track he sings, “The weather’s nice today, what a perfect day to die,” and “I wish my drug dealer took the Amex. Can’t find my debit card,” which mimics the lines from “Friends” on “Faces” where he sings “Snowflakes keep fallin’ on my expired debit cards.”
“Shangri-La” ends with the lines: “If I’m dyin’ young, promise you’ll smile at my funeral Yeah, it’s just a rule to follow Live today ’cause you can lose tomorrow.”
I love Miller’s piano work, which is featured on “Funny Papers,” which also features some sad foreshadowing. On it he says, “There’s only so much time,” and “Didn’t think anybody died on a Friday,” which is the day that Miller passed on.
He says “Hate to see somebody fuckin’ up their own life Just roll the dice, put a twenty on midnight,” the latter being a borrowed line from “Brand Name” from “GO:OD AM.”
Miller’s alter ego, Delusional Thomas, delivers a freestyle for DJ Clockwork on “Transformations,” which name-drops former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher with the line “I should have been Curt Schilling, woulda had a sinker,” and also casually mentions again, “Yeah, I’m gettin’ high, smokin’ weed again.”
My favorite line from the track is: “I’m a psychopathic thinker, hyperactive drinker I blew my shit up with a thumb up like Henry Winkler.”
Some of the best production on the album comes on “Manakins,” but again it’s hard to not hear the foreshadowing:
“Cause I see the light at the end of the tunnel It feels like I’m dyin,’ dyin,’ dyin’ I’m dead.”
Rick Rubin gets a shout-out at the beginning of “Rick’s Piano,” which was written on Rubin’s piano but ends with Miller wondering aloud “What does death feel like?”
The album ends with the dreamy “Tomorrow Will Never Know,” which clocks in at nearly 12 minutes long. Miller told HardKnockTV in 2013 that he was really high when he wrote it. Producer Josh Berg confirmed on Reddit that it is the oldest track on the album, recorded during the tail end of the Space Migration Tour. “Literally the first moments back in the studio after being on the road in both cases. The quiet studio had a melancholy feeling that came through in the music,” Berg said.
“Balloonerism” offers something for the serious Mac Miller fans as well as those who are just familiar with his music.
For me, I love that it is a snapshot in time. Berg confirmed this on Reddit, saying the album was finished in two weeks. “We never went back to any of these songs after the initial writing. Mac almost never did. That’s a big part of why this album stayed unreleased — he was always making something new,” he said. “He finished the songs as he always did, same day or the next. Once a song started he was driven to finish it. Even the songs with more sophisticated production like ‘Destination’ were being revised only a couple times. If he had an idea, we would just get it done.”
With “Balloonerism,” Mac Miller’s friends, family and collaborators solidify his legacy with an album worthy of standing next to any album in Miller’s extensive catalog.
The website for the project, balloonerism.com, allows users to upload their own video featuring the “Balloonerism” artwork.
Get “Balloonerism” from Amazon, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, Deezer and qobuz.
Favorite Tracks
Do You Have a Destination
5 Dollar Pony Rides
Mrs. Deborah Downer
Stoned
Funny Papers
Manakins
Tomorrow Will Never Know
