“Balloonerism” is Mac Miller’s seventh studio album, and the second album released posthumously. The album was released Jan. 19, despite being originally recorded in 2014. “Balloonerism” and Miller’s sixth studio album “Circles” were both released by Miller’s estate.
The album was the perfect gift to start the new year with creatively enticing songs paired with lyrics that are thought-provoking. I found myself having to set everything aside to truly dig through the lyrics and the song's meanings because after the first listen, I was confused.
Miller grew in popularity in 2010 after the release of his mixtapes “K.I.D.S." in 2010 and "Best Day Ever" in 2011. Miller’s work is known for his honest lyrics that discuss his struggles with substance abuse and mental health.
Tragically, Miller died in 2018 at the age of 26. His death was from an accidental overdose and he left behind a legacy as one of the most influential contemporary hip-hop artists of all time. Fans are still moved by his work and close friends and family still openly discuss the impact he had on their lives.
“Balloonerism” is introduced with the song “Tambourine Dream,” a 32-second intro played only on tambourine with no vocals. To many listeners, the sound of this unique instrument may seem a little out of the ordinary, however, the tambourine has made its way into many of Miller’s previous songs, including “Bird Call,” “Angel Dust” and “Malibu.” After listening to the album completely, it’s clear that the sole tambourine in the introduction was intentional. The tambourine is sprinkled throughout the entire album and curates an overall tempo. The beat of the tambourine accelerates throughout the song, clashing louder and louder, until it finally falls silent. Each song that follows marches to the same beat of beautiful yet utter chaos.
Two songs off the album are features, “DJ’s Chord Organ (featuring SZA)” and “Transformations (featuring Delusional Thomas).”
“DJ’s Chord Organ” was created on a chord organ, an instrument similar to the accordion. The song begins with five notes played slowly, emulating the sound of a semi-truck's horn. While this is odd in the beginning, it later makes more sense during the song’s only verse, sung by SZA.
Lyrics like “Smells like you’ve been drivin’ for days” and “You ain’t even stop for gas” connect to the song's intro. The verse references telling the truth about how ruthless drug use can be. Driving for days, not sleeping or stopping to rest can feel like a drug-induced haze with the slow notes at the beginning acting like an alarm to shake you awake as the following vocals float you back into a dream-like state.
Later in the album, “Transformations” makes its debut. The beginning seems like it is just a muffled speech covered in too much autotune, but after following the lyrics, it’s a full conversation. The conversation revolves around hopes that the song takes the hip-hop world by storm and getting a drink to move the recording process along. Miller reveals his passion and how seriously he took his work, wanting to create art that influenced hip-hop in a new way.
It is important to note that Miller called himself a “psychopathic thinker” and compared himself to many famous people within the song including, Henry Winkler, well-known for playing “Fonzie” in the TV show “Happy Days,” American baseball player Curt Schilling and American poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. The heavy high-pitched autotune and eerie track seem to mirror what songwriting and recording were like in Miller’s mind. It’s possible the song is what Miller truly thought of himself.
There are three tracks that I think are incredibly notable and share more about Miller’s genius. These tracks are “Do You Have A Destination?,” “Manakins” and “Friendly Hallucinations.” They are easier for casual listening on a walk to class or doing homework, but the rest of the album is a bit too dense.
“Do You Have A Destination?” is featured as the third track on the album. The lyrics and instrumentals are vastly different from each other; however, they are good in their own ways. The lyrics discuss how fame and fortune have made Miller miserable overnight. He even shares that he knows that he needs to stop using drugs. These heavy lyrics are sugar-coated with instrumentals and backing vocals that can only be described as heavenly.
The instrumentals of “Friendly Hallucinations” are a bit more playful than the rest of the album. There are a lot of interesting sounds mixed into the instrumentals that are almost science fiction in nature. The chorus highlights Miller’s singing voice, which is very slow and passionate.
By far the eeriest track on the album is track twelve, “Manakins.” Right from the jump, you hear what sounds like a harp with an intense beat that gradually grows behind it. The two sounds are a bit jarring together, but in the end, they mix well with Miller’s vocals.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed “Balloonerism.” The conversations that take place within the lyrics are remarkably creative and take a deeper approach to themes that are commonly discussed in hip-hop. While I think that this album is great both lyrically and sonically, the album is not very casual-listener-friendly. Each lyric, note and vocal are all deeply connected, making the album deeply complex and more difficult for the casual listener to turn on and enjoy.
“Balloonerism” is a deeply profound narrative, discussing Miller’s drug addiction and how it played a role in his career as a musician. The captivating tracks and the sincerity of the lyrics only highlight why Miller was and still is a hip-hop genius.
