By Mick Dillon / The Jambar
Malcolm McCormick’s estate, known professionally as Mac Miller, released his second posthumous album Jan. 17. The project has a runtime of over 58 minutes and features 14 songs.
“Balloonerism” signifies a ride through a hot air balloon, and conceptually ties together the practice of spiritually floating away to an unknown destination.
Debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 charts, “Balloonerism” is McCormick’s eighth top-10 charting album.
Miller recorded “Balloonerism” during a two-week period shortly after his 22nd birthday in 2014, but ultimately decided to shelve the album.
“Ballonerism” puts a dreamy spin on alternative hip hop and takes listeners through an emotional and psychedelic journey from start to finish.
The album bridges Mac Miller’s 2014 mixtape “Faces” and his 2015 project “GO:OD AM” together. It also offers a sense of clarity for his transitional period of music creation.
The album kicks off with a 32-second tambourine instrumental, which flows seamlessly into “DJ’s Chord Organ” featuring Solána Rowe, professionally known as SZA.
SZA is the only listed feature on the album, aside from Miller’s alter-ego Delusional Thomas. Her soothing vocals on “DJ’s Chord Organ” contribute to the dreamlike sound of the project.
Track three is the first time Mac’s voice is heard on the album, as he delivers hazy and poetic lyrics about his emotional struggles and battles with drug addiction.
These topics persist throughout the album and the general dreamlike vibes carry on to the nearly 12-minute outro track, “Tomorrow Will Never Know.”
Miller’s ability to bring taboo topics to the forefront of his music has kept his loyal fans coming back for each new release.
Tyler Fedor, a Mac Miller community member on X, formerly known as Twitter, had a visceral reaction to the album after his first listen.
“Listening to it now in the context of my life really let me see it for what it was. It’s really beautiful,” Fedor said. “It’s so good at meeting you where you’re at. No matter where or when you find it, it feels like it’s describing something you know.”
A common theme with Mac Miller fans is the shared appreciation for his willingness to tackle tough emotional subjects listeners can relate to.
Charles Pollock, an English teacher at Timberline High School in Boise, Idaho, said the album was critical to McCormick’s development as an artist.
“It feels a bit like ‘Balloonerism’ was the missing link between the frat rap and the spiritual [and] consciousness awakening,” Pollock said. “It seems like his whole fan base appreciates this release now, though. They’ve had time to mature.”
Miller’s tranquil, yet haunting lyrics throughout the album signify his peace with not knowing the final destination of the balloon’s journey.