Courtesy of Pitchfork

Mac Miller’s new album Balloonerism lives up to the hype.

Mac Miller’s family is keeping his spirit alive by releasing his unreleased album Balloonerism. Balloonerism was recorded during a period in Miller’s life when he was just starting to “come to his own.” Released on January 17th, 2025, Miller’s fans are excited to continue his legacy through his music.

Miller died at the age of 26 on September 7, 2018, due to an accidental drug overdose. In 2014, Miller wrote and recorded most of Balloonerism. Balloonerism was released five years after the release of Miller’s first posthumous album, Circles. Miller’s album style has evolved over the years but always mainly incorporates hip-hop, jazz, and R&B. In his earlier career, his hit albums, such as Blue Slide Park, had a more upbeat vibe, with playful beats and catchy lines. Slowly, Miller started experimenting with slower tempos, such as jazz and funk. All while integrating more personal themes such as mental health, love, personal growth, and death.

Balloonerism can be described as one of Miller’s more abstract albums, but it includes heavy themes, including his vulnerabilities, mental health, and death. The vibe of Balloonerism is mellow, moody, and emotional. The album begins with “Tambourine Dream, ” essentially just a 33-second song of a tambourine beat. This instrumental song didn’t particularly capture my attention, that was until the second song on the album started playing, “DJ’s Chord Organ (feat. SZA).” This song possesses an experimental vibe. It felt spooky and hunting, yet extremely nostalgic. These two songs created a strong introduction to Miller’s album.

Miller embodies emotion using repetition in “Rick’s Piano.” The repetition of the line “the best is yet to come” serves as an affirmation, a sense of hope, and a forward-looking perspective, past all the negative struggles of life, fame, and identity. “Rick’s Piano” reflects on Miller’s journey, navigating his challenges and the pressures that come with fame and success. “Rick’s Piano” drew me in and again a feeling of nostalgia clouded my mind. The repetition he uses gives the song a deep, emotional tone that is hard to describe. It has grown to be one of my favorite songs on the album due to all the emotion behind it.

In “5 Dollar Pony Rides”, one of the most popular songs on the album, Miller creates a more upbeat rhythm compared to the rest of the songs on Balloonerism. It is playful and jazzy but still has that experimental tone that is seen throughout Miller’s album. It explores reflection deeply but isn’t necessarily emotion-heavy. Although this wouldn’t be my first choice on the album, I could see the appeal of its popularity. It reminded me of earlier Mac Miller songs and I feel that’s why Miller fans grasped onto it.

Overall, Balloonerism feels like a snapshot into Miller’s life of fame while battling these mental barriers. This album feels like a personal journal of Miller’s life and a testament to his creativity. Balloonerism did not disappoint me whatsoever, and I feel it perfectly encapsulated the struggles Miller has gone through, making it difficult for me to say there was a “bad song.” The album as a whole lived up to the hype and perfectly aligned with Miller’s evolution within his music.