Mac Miller’s Posthumous Album Marks

Pleading Encouragement of Introspection

(Mac Miller works in his studio on final album, Circles)

7.6/10
The sudden release of posthumous album, Circles, left the fanbase of Malcolm McCormick—
better known by alias, Mac Miller—with a bittersweet conclusion to his life, after his unfortunate
passing from a drug overdose. The album implores you to explore your own life as Miller shares
his personal story through soulful and stylistically embellished melodic arrangements and a
tasteful scattering of rap lines throughout, highlighting his unique scope of creativity.

Mac presents a level of authenticity in the album that displays his personality in a way that is
rarely seen in the music industry, an aspect that shows his voice and individualism. The
posthumous release of Circles is particularly special because of our opportunity as listeners to
understand what Mac was going through at the time of his death. Although Circles may not
embody the same qualities that many industry-leading rap or hip-hop albums do, it allows for
genuine personal connection with Miller due to his openness in discussion of his drug problem,
inclusion of both his ups and down, and substantial lyrics that encourage introspection and
induce thought as we learn about his view of life.

Once known for freestyling and old-school rap, Mac Miller’s music progresses significantly
since his humble beginnings. The upbeat and fast paced party-rap found in debut album, Blue
Slide Park, resembles traditional styles of the genre; this evolved with the gradual addition of
sophisticated ornate instrumental arrangements in his later work. As Miller’s platform grew, he
began working with a wide array of musicians, ranging from Ariana Grande (his ex-girlfriend) to
Ty Dolla $ign. With the input of these other musicians Mac Miller’s music adopted different
sub-genres in later years. While Mac continued to branch out and appeal to a greater audience
the loyalty of his fanbase heightened.

On his wall Mac Miller displays Jay Z’s tweet, “Too many ..Fab , black people really magic .
Mac Miller nice too though,” which was Jay Z’s way of thanking his biggest inspirations. Mac
Miller’s style does not match that of other creators in the genre. His non-traditional exploration
of different music genres creates an interesting dynamic that has rap fans questioning his
validity. With this industry partial toward black artists, Mac’s early potential fame had to
compensate for lack of traditional appeal.

Maybe this explains Miller’s transparency throughout his music, but regardless, he is respected
and regards others’ praise towards him highly. He held an incredible appreciation for his fans,
and they reciprocated. Fans shared their reactions to his passing, “Mac Miller impacted me heavy
through the roughest, but greatest time in my life,” one wrote, while another shared, “I only wish
I could have gotten to thank Mac for all of himself that he gave to us.”

From the first beat you can tell that Circles is not a traditional rap album. Its opening song,
“Circles,” is soft singing accompanied by a slow-paced instrumental arrangement about the
cyclical tendencies of life, effectively setting the mood. Highlight “Good News” is particularly
stand alone. The presence of rhetorical questions and astute observations about life and society
are written and delivered like a monologue, which gives the illusion that you are being spoken to
directly. Another fan favorite “Blue World” is a more upbeat song backed by synths that nicely
complement its slow feel.

Largely absent of common topics in rap and hip-hop albums, Circles may not directly appeal to
the avid rap/hip-hop fan, however, its charm stems from Mac’s willingness to share both his best
and worst personal experiences. In “Good News” he sings, “Oh, I hate the feeling, when you’re
high but you’re underneath the ceiling. Got the cards in my hand, I hate dealing.” These personal
details expose both the positives and negatives of Mac’s personality and intuitions. Similarly, in
“Hands” he sings, “No reason to be that upset. I’m busy tripping ‘bout some shit that still ain’t
even happen yet.” In addition to exposing his personal life, Miller also incorporates lyrics that
apply to many situations and teach you about your own life and goals.

Although not regarded as his best work, the album Circles was a largely supported project and
lets us look into his life and thoughts about life at his time of death. In Danny Schwartz’s review
for Rolling Stone he notes Miller’s distinct style in this particular album, “The songwriting is
comparatively languid and often carries the feeling of a dream, as Miller constantly retreats into
his head, a refuge and a prison, to nurse his battered spirit.”

In Sheldon Pearce’s review for Pitchfork he writes “Both [Circles and Swimming] are about
working through depression, how the bad days are long and the good days feel fleeting, but the
tone is more optimistic here,” rating the album an overall 7.4 out of 10. He notices Miller’s
personality which emphasizes genuine connection, “When a young rapper dies too soon, fans
start listening to their music much more closely, combing over their lyrics to find the writing on
the wall. With Miller, you don’t have to dive too deeply.” In other words, his lyrics do not have a
deeper, hidden meaning, rather they are already meaningful.

The timing between Mac Miller’s death and the content of the album is almost too connected to
be coincidental. Pearce explains concisely, “It’s only appropriate that Mac Miller’s final musical
act be one of self-reformation,” which parallels the leaps Miller took in rehabilitation in what
would be the final chapter of his life. The event of his death is forever attached to Circles which,
in a way, acts as a symbol for drug abuse among musicians.

Mac Miller first smoked marijuana in middle school where he was introduction to drugs. With
rigorous scheduling and production Miller turned to harder drugs to calm himself. He opens up
about this transition in documentary Stopped Making Excuses, “At one-point weed didn’t relax
me from everything. It made me more paranoid about all the shit happening. So like, I needed to
get a drug that was a little more numbing, if you will.” Consumption of one such hard drug
commonly known as “lean,” a euphoric drug made from mixing cough syrup; soda; and alcohol,
became routine for Miller, “I think that’s really what sparked me doing other drugs,” he says, “I
hate being sober. I wanted a drug to do.”

There will sadly never be another Mac Miller album, however, the Mac Miller Fund, created to
continue Mac Miller’s legacy, continues to operate. This fund focuses on supporting youth
through art and the community, as well as the provision of resources for specifically adolescents
and young adults who are undergoing drug addiction. Managed by The Pittsburgh Foundation,
donations can be made here. Additionally, a portion of proceeds from select Mac Miller
merchandise will be donated to the fund. Mac Miller’s music and legacy will forever be in our
hearts and his foundation will represent his spirit as it works to make the world a better place,
and we can too with the purchase of a shirt, sweatshirt, or album from his store.

Works Cited
Blended, Team. “Fans Respond to Mac Miller’s Untimely Death.” BLENDED, BLENDED, 19
Sept. 2018, blendednyc.com/music/2018/9/18/fans-respond-to-mac-millers-untimely-
death.
Brown, Scott and Ian Smith, directors. Larry King Now. Youtube, Ora TV, 2015,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdO3SqZXDCg&ab_channel=LarryKing.
Chowdhury, Rishita Roy. “Mac Miller Producing in Studio.” SundayGuardingLive, 5 Sept. 2018,
www.sundayguardianlive.com/culture/mac-miller-made-personal-struggles-centre-music.
Hyman, Dan. “Mac Miller's Last Days and Life After Death.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 16
Nov. 2018, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/mac-miller-legacy-loss-756802/.
Land, Cady. “Jay Z Tweets Thanks to Rappers for Songwriters Hall of Fame.” Time, Time, 16
June 2017, time.com/4821417/jaz-z-thanks-rappers/.
Live Nation Merchandise. Mac Miller Store, 2020, shop.macmillerswebsite.com/.
Pearce, Sheldon. “Mac Miller: Circles.” Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 17 Jan. 2020,
pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/mac-miller-circles/.
PR Newswire. “‘Mac Miller: A Celebration Of Life’ Concert To Benefit The Launch Of The
Mac Miller Circles Fund.” PR Newswire US, 2 Oct. 2018. EBSCOhost.
Schwartz, Danny. “Mac Miller's Posthumous Album 'Circles' Is a Fitting Coda to His Career.”
Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2020, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-
reviews/mac-miller-circles-review-939375/.
Semmer, Rob, director. Stopped Making Excuses. Youtube, The Fader, 5 Feb. 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=UQ3w99trVUk&list=FLAemRrjCmzhiH81eVukth7Q&index=1025&ab_channel=TheF
ADER.