TRACK BY TRACK: Mac Miller's 'Balloonerism'

The second posthumous album of the late rapper Mac Miller marks his continued legacy in the rap world. The album, Balloonerism, was originally recorded back in 2014, but now it has been officially remixed and mastered for streaming platforms, best recreated through Miller’s intentions. The album is a masterpiece, especially reflecting on the time it would have originally been released in 2014-2015. The album was an innovative approach to the rap genre, an approach that can be seen more only today. Let's break it down track-by-track!

1. "Tambourine Dream"

"Tambourine Dream" is exactly what it sounds like: a sprightly percussive track displayed by Miller’s own playing. It’s a great intro, taking us through the ethos of Miller’s sound and late spirit.

2. "DJ’s Chord Organ" (feat. SZA)

The second track begins with an instrumental lullaby, slowly accompanied by backing vocals from Miller and featuring singer SZA. The song does as promised, showcasing a lush organ backing the track, originally owned by musician Daniel Johnston. SZA sings with a melodious R&B style that was heard more during her early days when she released Z in 2014. This is due to this song originally being recorded back in 2013-2014. The song is heavy with double entendres, mostly toying with topics of drug use and Miller’s problems with these influences.

Favorite Lyrics: "I love when you smell like your car / Smell like you’ve been drivin’ for days..."

3. "Do You Have A Destination?"

This song introduces us to Miller’s world, leading us through his craft of rapping. Mac explores his feelings of fame and notoriety, ruminating on whether this is something he actually wants. He makes various references of his career and life, hinting at how these things are miniscule in the grand scheme of things, only happy his mom could see everything. He makes callbacks to past albums of his and touches on his mental health, letting it be known how he feels on these topics.

Favorite Lyrics: "Okay, I went to sleep famous and I woke up invisible / Rich as f*ck and miserable / At least I did Kimmel and Arsenio, my mom got it on video..."

4. "5 Dollar Pony Rides"

Introducing the lead track from the album, “5 Dollar Pony Rides” is a surprisingly upbeat track for the album. Surrounded by jazzy percussives and tasty bass licks, Miller portrays his forlorn for a failing relationship. The song hints at gratifying his girlfriend in the track, fulfilling a temporary solution to the fated end.

Favorite Lyrics: "I remember, girl, you used to have fun (Need), yeah / Now I ain’t seen a smile in a while..."

5. "Friendly Hallucinations"

Featuring another appearance from SZA, the fifth track on the album is another exploration of Miller’s world and sensibilities. The song is as dreamy as its lyricism, detailing the mystical allure of recreational drugs and how easy it is to fall in the same dreamscape of it as falling in love.

Favorite Lyrics: "She’s fallin’ for her hallucinations / What’s love without imagination?"

6. "Mrs. Deborah Downer"

Miller continues his skillful wordplay with “Mrs. Deborah Downer”, a slowed-down, jazzy downbeat used to further navigate listeners through his album. Miller laments on his struggles with addiction and dependency, using soulful interludes within the song to showcase his talent. The song features the talented vocals of Ashley All Day and surprising production credits by Thundercat.

Favorite Lyrics: "All roads lead to the same confusion (Same confusion) / I mean, all roads lead to the same conclusions (Same conclusions)..."

7. "Stoned"

Our next song is a Miller specialty, this time describing his mirrored relationship with another girl. Miller raps about seeing himself in his lover, sharing their described codependency on their addiction issues and, ultimately, each other. The beat in this song is electric, using an exhilarating staccato to raise tensions.

Favorite Lyrics: "She hates that she cries when she’s all by herself / And she’s always all by herself..."

8. "Shangri-La"

Miller continues his moody exploration in this track, rapping about his own addiction struggles and continuing his relationship dynamic with an unnamed lover. The song is a careful hum, almost following along with the meditation lyric he earlier states. The track is believed to be about the Shangri-La studio in Malibu that Miller would often visit to record and recover from his addictions.

Favorite Lyrics: "Don’t be afraid to put your two cents in / Might not be able to afford anything, but I’m always up for a bargain..."

9. "Funny Papers"

The meaning of this track is meant to be taken literally from the title. Miller contemplates his own avenue and focus in life through the eye of reading a newspaper. Miller uses less jazz in this track and more of a soulful influence, especially heard within the chorus. This song is one of the standouts from the posthumous album, reflecting how much a visionary Miller was in his time.

Favorite Lyrics: "Somebody gave birth to a baby boy / I saw his picture in the funny papers / Eleven pounds, named after his uncle Gabriel / His mother cried with her lips against his soft face..."

10. "Excelsior"

Miller reflects on his childhood, or rather the days of being a child, on this next track. We re-enter a jazz-influenced track with subtle touches of hip-hop added. There’s even slight pizzicato from a string orchestra and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tambourine in the ending of the song. Miller invites listeners to explore childlike fantasies in this track with his inclusion of what worries you tend to have at that age.

Favorite Lyrics: "All of this before the brainwash starts / Before they get polluted, start thinking like adults..."

11. "Transformations"

Miller, like many great artists of their time, toys with the concept of having alter egos in his music. A subtle reprieve for anything uncharacteristic for the rapper’s usual methods, and this concept is explored dutifully in this track. Here, Miller entertains egos such as "Delusional Thomas", meant to unleash Miller’s darker thoughts and feelings. In the track, Miller lets it be known it’s happening also by tuning his vocals to an obnoxiously known pitch. The song production is as chaotic as the lyrics as Miller makes another statement track.

Favorite Lyrics: "Put away your money, scrub, I ain’t doing no features..."

12. "Manakins"

Miller highlights his relationship with God in this track, mentioning him throughout. Miller mostly ruminates on his actions with the lingering thought that he’s always watching, wondering how things will reflect on him when his time is up. Featuring singer Dylan Reynolds for the chorus, the two elevate the track for a beautiful melody.

Favorite Lyrics: "Yeah, so I asked God to take me on a perfect day / Swear I saw Him crying, don’t know why everyone sure it’s rain..."

13. "Rick’s Piano"

This song is almost an ode to Rick Rubin from Mac Miller. Miller states occasional times through this album Rubin’s influence in helping Miller sober up, especially in "Shangri-La". This song is no exception, making use of his newfound inspiration to invite better days into his life and for people listening as well.

Favorite Lyrics: "I told her, ‘It get better soon’ / I probably should’ve told her when she was in a better mood..."

14. "Tomorrow Will Never Know"

We welcome our closer to the album with this track, inviting a heavy bass inclusion and psychedelic touches. The song is very reflective, making a full circle moment following this whole album. The song mostly reflects on where everyone goes when we die, questing how different life may be when we pass. He includes missed phone call automated messages to further show the passing of time and how fleeting our nature is.

Favorite Lyrics: "The moon made of water, you swim to the shore / You can try your best escaping, the universe is breaking..."