Seven years after his tragic death, Pittsburgh Rapper Mac Miller released his second posthumous album, Balloonerism. Originally recorded around 2014, Miller ultimately shelved the album and became in favor of his major-label debut, GO:OD A.M. After GO:OD A.M.’s release, Miller expressed his desire to release Balloonerism because it showcased his musical talents. A decade later, the late rapper’s estate honored his wishes. The album was released on Jan. 22, two days before his birthday. Miller would be 33 today.
GO:OD A.M. heavily contrasts with Balloonrism’s sound. Try comparing feel-good, uptempo songs filled with swagger to downcast, melancholy, downbeat music with themes of hopelessness that can leave listeners teary-eyed. In previous works, sadness lurked in Miller’s songs about partying and never growing up. Miller was always both, and Balloonerism showed his duality.
Balloonerism’s production sounds often jazzy and psychedelic while showcasing Miller’s versatility. The album is filled with introspective lyrics touching on themes of self-reflection, mental health, and personal growth. Producers on the album include Miller as his alter ego, Larry Fisherman, and Thundercat. SZA is the only artist featured in Balloonerism and is on the track, “DJ’s Chord Organ.”
After Tambourine Dream’s introduction, DJ’s Chord Organ begins with lo-fi pioneer Daniel Johnston. A voice names out chords with soulful responses from an organ gifted from Johnston to Miller. While the chords hold their note, SZA vocalizes harmonious sounds with Thundercat as a supporting cast. The chords are bridged with silence and the song instantaneously unpauses with SZA ending her job on the album with a brief verse.
Miller raps “Do You Have a Destination?” with psychedelic bars that bring out lyrical themes. An example is, “I gave my life to this s***, already killed myself.” This lyric perfectly highlights the theme of Mac dedicating his life to music and the industry with it, and the music industry is taking him with it. This song encapsulates Mac’s life, only dedicating himself to music while neglecting himself, and continues the album’s ongoing pendulum of hope and hopelessness.
The next song, “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” sounds upbeat and uptempo but is lyrically somber. In this track, Miller reflects on a complex, emotionally distant relationship. Additionally, the track temporarily comforts the album’s mood. The title serves as a metaphor for fleeting pleasures, highlighting the emptiness of quick fixes. With a mix of longing and frustration, Mac’s lyrics bring themes of loneliness, missed opportunities, and difficulty connecting with a significant other.
Four tracks later, Miller reaches his apex in this album, “Funny Papers.” The track starts with Miller in a silly old Hollywood accent asking, “Did no one ever teach you how to dance? Nobody ever taught you how to dance?” Immediately, Miller starts rapping about a recently divorced banker who drove off a bridge with his wedding song playing in the car.
Miller continues to repeat the same theme rapping about an infant who passed away prematurely. The characters in the track are themes reflected by the title. Miller takes the negatives and positives of what one may read in a newspaper–sometimes called “funny papers.” The term “funny papers” gives a sense of simplicity reciprocated in the song. Towards the end, Mac asks, “Why does it matter at all?” nodding to the essential truth that every obstacle in life is temporary, but not always simple.
The album ends with the track “Tomorrow Will Never Know.” The track begins with a phone ringing eerily in the background. Hauntingly abstract, the track brings a foreboding tone further driven by the ringtone and automated voicemail playing. The missed call is reminiscent of Miller’s former partner Ariana Grande allegedly calling him 928 times at the time of his death.
The track continues with the same haunting and abstract theme while being psychedelic. With the psychedelic theme, the title could be referenced to “Tomorrow Never Knows” by the Beatles. The Beatles’ title suggests boundless opportunity and potential when a life is cut short.
Balloonerism encapsulates Mac’s feelings and is the missing link between the earnest rapper he was and the evocative songwriter Miller would become. The album is not just a project from a creative and productive era of the late rapper’s life. It is something that listeners have waited for, for a very long time.
The album’s intimacy makes it a comfortable and comforting listen, not some boring collection from a beloved artist who was gone too soon. Miller was a natural talent and captivating songwriter who used Balloonerism to put it on display.
