If you know me personally and have ever talked to me about music, you may know about my love for Mac Miller. He was one of my favorite artists when he was still around. I loved Mac so much, I literally saw him live 6 times. Admittedly, it has been a bit difficult for me to listen to his music much since he passed, though. Especially when you consider how much he was hurting while making his last couple of records and how much it was reflected through his lyricism, whenever I listen to Mac(especially his newest stuff), I just get sad. Now, I will admit that I am typically not a fan of posthumous releases. Very often, it seems like a cash grab by the artist’s estate or by the artist’s former record label. So many artists have been victims of these kinds of bogus cash grabs recently. Pop Smoke, Lil Peep, and Xxxtentacion are a few of the artists who had unfinished projects mastered into posthumous releases, with the records ending up feeling disrespectful towards the artist in all three cases. Mac Miller’s one posthumous release felt different, though. Circles was actually recorded as a sister album to Mac’s last record while he was alive, Swimming. These records were basically recorded at the same time, with the album being complete and pretty much totally mastered while Mac was still alive. This is why Circles feels so cohesive and true to Mac’s vision, it was not really altered at all after his passing. This is a testament to Mac Miller’s family and estate wanting to keep his art true. Mac Miller apparently had one more mixtape that was completely finished while he was still alive, which is called Balloonerism. For years, fans have been clamoring for this mixtape to come out, as it is the last piece of “new” music we can get from Mac. Well, Mac Miller’s estate has finally decided to put out that mixtape; Balloonerism was released at long last on Jan 17, 2025. Below, I wanted to give my thoughts on this long-awaited final release from Mac Miller. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from Balloonerism, and also comment on how you feel about the project as a whole!
Balloonerism starts off with a brief intro track called ‘Tambourine Dream.’ The title of this intro track is pretty spot on, as it literally just consists of someone playing a tambourine. The way this tambourine is played has an energetic tone, but also feels a bit anxious. It really leaves me wondering where this project is going to go. Is it going to be frantic and intrepid sounding, or is it going to have more of a positive tone? ‘Tambourine Dream’ transitions straight into the second song, ‘DJ’s Chord Organ,’ which features SZA. It has long been talked about how these two had worked together on a lot of unreleased music, and it is cool to see them come together here. ‘DJ’s Chord Organ’ has a pretty interesting and sophisticated sound. The track begins with an organ being played in a very warm and triumphant manner. After the introduction section of the track, which is pretty long, the organ-based melody gets a lot more choppy and atmospheric-sounding. Some pretty spacious and big synths come in to complement the groovy melody being provided by this organ, making the melody super full. This melody is put on top of a light, jazzy drum pattern, which gives the track texture but does not take away from its depth. The vocals on this track, which mainly come from SZA but also get some contributions from Mac, are very emotional-sounding. The vocals fit the feeling of the melody super well, though, making this song feel heavy yet also welcoming. On ‘DJ’s Chord Organ,’ SZA(and Mac) sings about the joy, downfalls, and craziness that doing cocaine can bring. ‘Do You Have A Destination?’ is a track with an extremely complex sound. Like the one before it, this track feels inviting and full of disdain at the same time. The instrumental for this track is so all over the place. The guitar riff, bassline, and piano riff that drive its tone have pretty warm elements to them, but the sound effects and synths that complement them make the song feel cold. The frigid feeling of this track is amplified through the drum pattern and the mix. The drums have a distorted, crashing feeling to them that makes me think of a crashing wave. As I alluded to, the mix on this track is pretty complex and harsh. This is especially exemplified through the vocals. The tone, flow, and pitch on the vocals are constantly changing, giving this track so many crazy textures. On ‘Do You Have A Destination? Mac Miller expresses doubt about where his life is heading, as he sees himself moving forward with no real sense of direction and no one to steer him where he needs to be. ‘5 Dollar Pony Rides’ is a lot more light-hearted and sweet of a track than the two that precede it. It is also significantly more calm and simple. The melody for this one is driven by a super groovy and balmy keyboard riff that is complemented by various other instruments, such as a bassline and guitar. The drums have an old-school Jazzy R&B tempo and feel that is pretty funky and makes me want to dance. Even though the drums are soft, their rhythm makes it impossible to not bop your head and move your feet when this one comes on. Mac Miller’s vocals on ‘5 Dollar Pony Rides’ are frankly great. I like how he fluctuates his tone throughout this track, as it gives the song such a cool and lively texture. In ‘5 Dollar Pony Rides,’ Mac Miller talks about a relationship that feels very disjointed for him. He wants to make it work as he loves this person, but feels them drifting further apart.
‘Friendly Hallucinations’ is the first track without a distinct warm underlying tone to it. This track feels a bit harsher and less welcoming than the songs that precede it. The melody for this one, which is driven by a groovy and dark bassline and is complemented by a weirdly pitched keyboard riff and various sound effects, is sort of grating. There’s a warm element to it that sort of links it to the track that precedes it, but overall it is not so saccharine. Mac’s flow and tone on this one are very easy-going and decisive, going well with the beat and driving the song along steadily. In ‘Friendly Hallucinations,’ Mac talks about drug abuse and being stuck in your head while trying to navigate through his rocky relationship. ‘Mrs. Deborah Downer’ is the most low-key instrumental of the project so far. The melody for this one is a lot less complex than what we get on the first several sounds. This track is mainly driven by a pretty melancholy bassline that is put on top of a very soft and choppy beat. There are some chime-like sound effects that complement the melody which do brighten the track up a bit, but for the most part, it is fairly dreary. Mac raps with an even-keeled, somewhat monotone tone and flow in ‘Mrs. Deborah Downer,’ and it matches the overall feeling of the instrumental. On ‘Mrs, Deborah Downer,’ Mac is talking about abusing antidepressants to try to take away the despair that occupies his mind. ‘Stoned’ is a track that brings back the warmth we felt at the beginning of the record. This is probably the most hazy and most atmospheric song here so far, which is obviously saying quite a bit. The guitar riff and synths that drive this melody are very cozy, but also very heavy. The heaviness provided by this melody is added to by the pounding nature of the drums. This song has a more punchy beat than most of the songs before it, giving the track so much depth. Unsurprisingly(given the title), Mac’s vocals are very smooth and dreamy in ‘Stoned;’ his singing and rapping on this one fit the nature of the instrumental super well. On ‘Stoned,’ Mac talks about getting high with his significant other and becoming more and more infatuated with her.
‘Shangri-La’ has a pretty similar sonic tone to the song that precedes it. Like that one, this song makes me feel like I am floating when I listen to it. The melody is a bit lighter than the one in ‘Stoned,’ and has a bit more texture as well. It is slightly groovier and slightly zanier, but equally as ethereal. Like the beat on ‘Stoned,’ the beat for ‘Shangri-La’ is pretty punchy. This gives the song an element that almost feels like it is pinning me down as a listener. Mac’s flow and tone are very relaxed on this one(almost too relaxed). I would probably say this is the least captivating vocal performance of the project so far. On ‘Shangri-La,’ Mac raps about living a fast life and becoming infatuated with a woman who does the same.
‘Funny Papers’ is a calmer and less heavy song than the couple that precedes it. This one brings back the more balmy and light feeling we got towards the beginning of the record. The bassline and piano riff that drive this melody are so bright and sweet. When I hear this melody, I think of going on a bike ride on a warm summer morning. Mac Miller’s vocals on ‘Funny Papers’ fit the feeling of the melody and beat super well. He sings and raps with a soft, pleasant tone, making this one feel all-encompassing. In ‘Funny Papers,’ Mac talks about some of the downfalls he sees in his life and the lives of his peers. The tone of the song is ironic considering its lyrical tone. ‘Excelsior’ has a super intrepid and downtrodden tone compared to ‘Funny Papers.’ In fact, this may have the gloomiest sound of the record so far. This melody does not feel inviting at all. Instead, it feels pretty anxious and forlorn. This feeling is definitely amplified by the choppy drum pattern on ‘Excelsior.’ Mac still raps with his easygoing tone and flow on the song, but his vocal style has a bit of an off-tone to them as well. On ‘Excelsior,’ Mac talks about the innocence he felt when he was young, and how becoming older makes life become more difficult and less fun. ‘Transformations,’ which featured Delusional Thomas(a pseudonym for Mac), almost feels like an interlude of sorts. This is sort of like a scattered, heavily distorted jazz break in the record. Like the song before it, the melody and beat for this track are pretty anxious-sounding. This anxiety in the instrumental is amplified by the mix, which is very pitched down and buzzy. The vocals sort of contrast the mix on the instrumental, as they are very pitched up and almost squeaky. Giving the song a very weird texture. On ‘Transformations,’ Mac raps through his alter-ego in a braggadocious and brash manner.
‘Manakins,’ which features Dylan Reynolds, has one of the more complex and all-over-the-place instrumentals of the record, which is definitely saying a lot. The instrumental for this track starts off pretty low-key and soft but picks up depth and emphasis as the song progresses. The melody of this song feels melancholy and cozy at the same time. The synths that drive this one are balmy, but also feel a bit dark. The further we get into the song and the bigger the instrumental gets, the less inviting it feels. This may be Mac’s most pronounced and rangey vocal performance of the project so far. I really like the tone that he sings with on the hook and the way that it contrasts the monotone way he raps the verses. On ‘Manakins,’ Mac Miller raps about trying to come to terms with himself and relationship with god. ‘Rick’s Piano’ is one of the most simple and sweet songs on the record. Compared to most of the tracks before it, this one feels pretty soft and straightforward. The instrumental consists of a charming piano riff that is complemented by a deep bassline that is put on top of some Jazzy drums with a bit of a crashing feeling to them. Though the instrumental is a bit lighter than a lot of the rest of the record, the vocals are pretty pronounced and all over the place. Like ‘Manakins,’ Mac demonstrates how diverse of a vocalist he can be, singing and rapping with a variety of tones and flows that give this song many interesting textures. In ‘Rick’s Piano,’ Mac Miller raps about being close to death due to his mental health and substance abuse. He is teetering on the edge of despair but is not willing to give up yet. Mac closes out the record in a hell of a manner with ‘Tomorrow Will Never Know.’ This track is by far the longest of the record, coming in at a whopping 11:53. Unsurprisingly, it is also the most complex, providing a ton of different feelings and textures as it moves along. The overarching element that reigns throughout this track is that it is very heavy. The melody and beat for this track are looming and trippy. They almost feel like a very bad psychedelic trip. Mac’s vocals certainly match this sentiment, and give the track a sense of hopelessness. In ‘Tomorrow Will Never Know,’ Mac Miller doubts himself and continues to search for meaning in his life. This is a powerful way to end Balloonerism and certainly sends this out on a desperate note.
As I said in the introduction, Mac Miller’s Balloonerism is a project his fandom has long been anticipating. A lot of people have known about the supposed creation of it for many years and wanted to see what it was all about. Admittedly, as high-quality as it is sonically, Balloonerism was a bit of a challenging listen for me; especially considering the context around Mac’s life and public persona around the time it was recorded(around 10 years ago), the sound and content make this album feel very calamitous and hefty. Sonically, this is a huge, complex piece of music where Mac really shows off his abilities as a producer, composer, and vocalist. Each instrumental is deep and vast. When listening to this record, the instrumentals almost feel like they are taking me deeper and deeper into Mac’s mind. This idea is more than amplified by the lyricism on Balloonerism. Mac Miller’s life and struggles were pretty well documented when this record was released, and everything he was going through is prevalent on the record. Mac struggles, with drug abuse, with relationships with a significant other, his family and friends, and God, and with overall mental health and self-love at this time. All of this is palpable when listening to the record. Overall, Balloonerism is a very good record where Mac Miller demonstrates he was near the peak of his artistry when it was released. It is a worthy way to close out his career and provides closure for his fans.
EAST SIDE VIBES 