Mac Miller is my favorite artist; this may be a bit biased because I don’t think Mac Miller would have ever been able to create a song that I hate or even dislike. As I heard the album for the first time, there was no doubt that it was emotional and deeply rooted with Mac Miller’s substance abuse. With him being my very favorite artist and knowing he will not be able to produce any more music due to his passing, just knowing he is not here with us makes me extremely sad. The album, called ‘Balloonerism’, focuses on substance abuse and has songs Vanessa and I believe to be truly impeccable.
DJ’s Chord Organ (feat. SZA):
Kaitlyn: This feels surreal, it went down to my core and it just felt like such a soulful song. I am not being dramatic in any way when I say this is so beautiful. The song itself is mainly SZA’s vocals as Mac Miller does not rap here. But, when we do get to hear his vocal part, it just makes the song feel angelic.
5 Dollar Pony Rides:
Kaitlyn: HIS VOCALS, OH MY. I have no critiques for this song. Again, this is so good. This will be repeated for the next three years in my AirPods.
Vanessa: I love the Jazz and mellow beat that flows. The lyrics intertwine with his feelings, which makes it more relatable. I loved the vibe but I felt a switch right in the middle when he started by saying, “Can I can I can I can I.” In saying that, this is the only part of the song that kinda throws me off-beat.
Tomorrow will never know:
Vanessa: Mac’s vocals are beautiful in this song. He starts with hard-hitting lyrics, “Do you fear that you’ll have no control?” The beat is strong and tense. I liked how the song gave a different vibe from the others
Mrs. Deborah Downer:
Kaitlyn: This is a very sad song, and considering what happened to Mac Miller, it creates an impactful view of the song that makes it even more depressing for everyone listening.
Funny Papers:
Kaitlyn: This song hits particularly hard for Mac Miller fans. One of the first lines of the lyrics says, “Didn’t think nobody died on a Friday.” This created such a jaw-dropping reaction from fans because Mac Miller passed away on Friday, September 7th, 2018.
Vanessa: Oh my god, literally my favorite song right now. The instrumental is beautiful and Mac’s voice is Chef’s Kiss. I love the piano and he sounds so clearly as if he were singing it to me. Love, love, love. Just like he said in this song, “Everything is quiet but the music.” This is exactly how I feel when I listen to this song.
These songs focus on the sense of comfort and security that can be present with substance abuse, and how much drugs have affected his life. As a Mac Miller fan, this album was both beautiful and depressing, and I would highly recommend listening to it.
