The posthumous album release by Mac Miller has finally dropped. Mac unfortunately left us on September 7th, 2018 because of an overdose, about a month after his release of Swimming. On the album—Miller’s fifth—he revealed his feelings of staying afloat in a time of darkness.
Following his death, it wasn’t known if the McCormick family would release anymore of his music to the world. There was hope they would, especially in a time where posthumous records were being released left and right. Soon, rumors started to circulate that Mac had an album in the works that tied in with Swimming.
Well, it just so happened that Mac was working with composer, Jon Brion. Brion had the job of finishing the new album, and just like that, came Circles.https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/5sY6UIQ32GqwMLAfSNEaXb?wmode=opaque
It was clear that the buzz was true about how it tied together with Swimming. Labeled as a companion album to its predecessor, Circles, has that same infectiously smooth sound that ties into the message he was preaching on Swimming. The intro, the self-titled track “Circles,” gives off this vibe that he knew what was going to happen to him. Mac opens the new album with the lyrics “Well, this is what look like right before you fall/ Stumblin’ around, you’ve been guessing your direction/ Next step, you can’t see at all.”
He continues to speak about similar topics, like struggling to get through life and find happiness. For example, on “Complicated,” he sings about getting through the day before seeing what the future holds. “Good News”, the lead single, talks about Mac being in his own head and just trying to get out of his own way.
Whatever Mac was struggling with, he had a way to make it seem beautiful. The light production on “Hand Me Downs” combined with the wonderful singing throughout the track makes this song an amazing listen. The final track on the album, “Once a Day,” is the biggest example of making something simple sound so stunning. Mac is speaking about the fact he is trying to find his inner-peace and his soft vocals make it sound angelic.
The best way to describe this album is that it was Mac Miller’s way of foreshadowing. It almost felt like he made this album in heaven, the production across the board is divine. The rapper delivered an honest message and he even had a bit of fun, with songs like “Hands” and “Blue World.” As a Mac fan to my core, this album gave me that closure I was seeking. It was soothing to the soul and overall a truly beautiful listen from front to back.
Score: 9.2/10