It’s the second posthumous album release from the rapper
A new Mac Miller album has been released alongside a short film, more than six years after his death in 2018.
Balloonerism was released today (January 17), and is the second posthumous record from the late rapper, following on from 2020’s Circles.
The album was released alongside an animated short film on Prime Video, directed by Samuel Jerome Mason.
Balloonerism is made up of 14 tracks, which were created around the time of the release of Miller’s 2014 album Faces.
Among the highlights on the record are a feature from SZA on the second track ‘DJ’s Chord Organ’, a rare appearance from his own alter-ego Delusional Thomas on the song ‘Transformations’, and the 12-minute closing song ‘Tomorrow Will Never Know.’Balloonerism was announced by the rapper’s estate last November. They said the album is a “project that was of great importance to Malcolm – to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly, though ultimately ‘GO:OD AM’ [2015] and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence.”
They continued: “We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist. Given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing ‘Balloonerism’ was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world.”
The official synopsis for the accompanying short film, also called Balloonerism, says the film follows a group of school friends who are transfigured by the music of a chord organ and launched into a shadow world.”
“Swallowed by the turtle of time, they must plod through the underbelly of adulthood.”
Miller died on September 7, 2018, at the age of 26 following an accidental overdose. The artist was found dead at his California home after an accidental overdose of counterfeit, fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills. An autopsy of his body found alcohol, cocaine and fentanyl in his system.
In May 2022, the man who supplied Miller with the fentanyl-laced pills was sentenced to 17-and-a-half months in prison.
