Balloonerism, by Mac Miller, was released on Jan. 17. It is the second posthumous album released by his family-managed estate. The project, made in 2014, was shelved in favor of the release of Faces, a project he worked on simultaneously. Balloonerism is especially unique due to how experimental it is compared to his other work.
“5 Dollar Pony Rides” is the lead single from Balloonerism, and opens with a soft, jazzy, instrumental that continues throughout the song. The laid-back beat combined with the romantic lyrics paint an image of a carefree love story surrounding the metaphor of a pet pony—a popular request from any young girl as a birthday or Christmas present.
The album opens with “Tambourine Dream,” a 32-second song of tambourine percussion. Lyricless, it prepares the listener for the experimental nature of Balloonerism.
The second track, “DJ’s Chord Organ (feat. SZA),” has an ethereal sound punctuated by the listing of scales: “B-flat / F / B-flat / F/ D.”
“I’ve been runnin’, runnin’, runnin’ / Running ‘round,” sing SZA and Miller, harmonizing with one another.
SZA takes the lead in the second verse, describing the effects of using cocaine. This song feels like a complete rejection of drug culture, acknowledging the various downsides of using—something Miller struggled with throughout his career.
“You’ve been up for three days with one nap / I know you miss the nighttime,” SZA sings.
A slower, more low-tempo song, it acknowledges that the first step of recovery is an awareness of the problem. The simplicity of the song allows for the message to be taken as it is written: “Cocaine is ruthless.”
“Do You Have A Destination?” is the third track and one of the more classic Miller-sounding pieces on the album. This is the type of song his fans will be most excited about, as it provides the same feeling listening to his other projects does—a sense of comfort and ease.
“Friendly Hallucinations” on the other hand, is a rejection of the norm, following the experimental sound akin to the rest of the album. One of the more lyric-intensive songs, the title alludes to hallucinogens. The song imparts the idea that they are viewed as more “friendly” than other hard drugs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are any safer.
The album is a hard listen at times when acknowledging this was Miller’s reality. He was trying to escape his problems through drugs, and it is ultimately what killed him, despite his awareness of the risks.
“Stoned” and “Shangri-La” both describe a romantic relationship burdened by the presence of drugs. “Stoned” talks about using drugs to escape the negativity in one’s life, while “Shangri-La” talks about running away from problems and trying to find a better way to live. The message of both songs is depressing and often haunting.
“If I die young, promise to smile at my funeral,” Miller sings on “Shangri-La.”
“Manakins” is perhaps the most impressive song on the album. It opens with an ethereal harp strum, which serves as the basis for the rest of the instrumental backing. Interestingly, the song feels simultaneously hopeful and pessimistic.
“’Cause I see the light at the end of the tunnel / It feels like I’m dyin’, dyin’, dyin’ / I’m dead,” sings Miller.
Miller juxtaposes feeling like things are finally starting to get better with the depressing realization that it may not be the case. This duality feeds into the final two tracks: first about hope, then about fear.
The penultimate track, “Rick’s Piano,” at first feels like a triumph against the pervasive negativity in the album. The song seems to take an optimistic route, repeatedly stating, “The best is yet to come.” Within the context of the song though, this “best” refers to whatever comes after death. This produces an extremely chilling and bleak sort of hope. It ends with a long piano outro, giving the listener plenty of time to reflect.
The final track, “Tomorrow Will Never Know,” ends the album by posing a philosophical and theological question. Miller opens with a verse questioning his existence, the lyrics are particularly jarring when realizing Miller used drugs to ease his anxiety about the unknown.
“You wonder when God will just listen and give you a break / And He says, ‘See, living and dying are one and the same,’” Miller sings.
The lyrics end, leaving an almost seven-minute instrumental outro featuring some anxiety-inducing chants and dial tones. The listener is ultimately left wondering about the same questions Miller was asking.
Overall, Balloonerism is exactly what it has been branded as—an experimental album. The lyrics range from haunting to hopeful, taking the listener on an introspective journey. Miller asks a lot of hard, even unanswerable questions that provide a sense of comfort in their essential humanity.
