Everything We Know About Mac Miller’s ‘Balloonerism’

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Mac Miller’s much-anticipated lost project, titled “Balloonerism,” is nearly here, set for its formal studio release within a few days. This long-awaited project was initially created over a decade ago.

Released primarily in 2014, the album titled “Balloonerism” is the second posthumous LP by the musician. It’s scheduled to drop this coming Friday, January 17th, which happens to be two days before Mac’s 33rd birthday and exactly five years since his first posthumous album, “Circles“, was released.

Backstory

Known as Mac Miller’s “unreleased project,” Balloonerism, is not a recent creation. This collection of songs was actually produced between the years 2013 and 2014, falling within the gap between his albums Watching Movies With The Sound Off and Faces mixtape. According to Mac’s close collaborator E. Dan from ID Labs (as mentioned in a deleted Reddit post), most of the tracks recognized as Balloonerism were crafted within a week, emerging from jam sessions. He did indeed abandon this project, using some songs for Faces and never returning to it.

Rollout

Suitingly, the concept of Balloonerism was unveiled during Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival last November; Mac Miller graced the stage and consistently backed the Tyler, the Creator-led event annually. Initially teased with only its cover art and a short audio clip, Balloonerism was unexpectedly announced for release in some form during a two-and-a-half minute video that aired between Sampha and The Alchemist & Friends’ performance. “Soon” was indicated as “5 Dollar Pony Rides” played in the background.

92tilinfinity, Mac’s estate Instagram account, shared a post on November 21st confirming the release of a significant project. The statement reads: “This was a project that held great significance for Malcolm. He even commissioned artwork for it and often discussed its release, but other projects like ‘GO:OD AM’ came first. However, as unofficial versions of this album have been circulating online for years and releasing ‘Balloonerism’ was something Mac himself emphasized, we decided to make an official version available to fans worldwide.

Tracklist

The 14-track album, titled “Balloonerism,” consists entirely of previously unreleased songs. Kicking off with the pre-release single “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” the majority of this project is a solo creation by Mac, featuring only one collaboration from his longtime friend and partner, SZA.

1. Dream of the Tambourine

2. SZA’s collaboration on DJ’s Chord Organ

Do You Have a Final Destination?)

4. $5 Pony Rides

5. Amiable Hallucinations

6. Deborah Downer, the Woman

High as a Kite)

Comical Headlines)

10. Excelsior! (Excelsior is a Latin phrase that means “ever higher” or “onward and upward”)

11. Delusional Thomas’s Transformations

12. Manakin Birds (Manakins are a group of small, brightly colored birds native to Central and South America)

13. Rick’s Piano Keys

The Future Remains a Mystery)

Mac x SZA

As a dedicated fan, I’m thrilled to share that Mac Miller and SZA have teamed up for their first-ever studio collaboration, titled “DJ’s Chord Organ.” This piece is a testament to years of friendship and informal collaborations between the two artists. Interestingly, Mac had the opportunity to contribute his production skills to several tracks on SZA’s X album.

“DJ Chord Organ,” as Josh Berg describes in Donna-Claire Chesman’s book The Book of Mac: Remembering Mac Miller, was crafted using the chord organ of singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston, which Mac acquired after serving as an executive producer for Johnston’s biographical film Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston?

Additional production and contributions were made by Thundercat on this track, which SZA herself referred to as “The Song That Changed Everything.

Other Notable Tracks

Prior to any official release, many of the tracks from the upcoming album “Balloonerism” have already been heard in some form online. The album is expected to begin with a brief 30-second tambourine interlude titled “Tambourine Dream,” hinting at its opening track. This tambourine piece is believed to be one of several tracks featuring Mac playing the instrument, with others like “Angel Dust,” “Bird Call” and “Malibu” also included. Some eagerly anticipated leaked tracks such as “Funny Papers,” “Mrs. Deborah Downer,” and “Thundercat” have reportedly contributed to the production of various songs on the album, including “Friendly Hallucinations” and “5 Dollar Pony Rides.

Rick Rubin

In late 2014, Mac spent a considerable amount of time near Rick Rubin, and two tracks from this period ended up on Balloonerism’s studio version. It’s believed that the song “Shangri-La,” possibly recorded in the summer of 2014, was produced at Rick Rubin’s Malibu recording studio, Shangri-La. Towards the end of the album, there’s a track called “Rick’s Piano,” which, as per Genius, was originally titled “Rick Rubin’s Piano.

Who is Delusional Thomas?

Mentioned as the second “headlining” artist is Delusional Thomas: one of Mac’s character personas he adopted for his 2013 Delusional Thomas mixtape. This project, freely available as a digital download, pushed the rapper towards darker themes and subjects. With “Transformations”, Delusional Thomas is credited officially on a Mac Miller track for the first time.

The Cover Art

The artwork for the album “Balloonerism” was inspired by a post on Instagram. Artist Alim Smith had shared a self-portrait he’d painted on his account, and approximately a month before his passing, Mac commented, “I need this.

The Film

Prior to the album’s release, a film titled “Balloonerism: A Film Inspired by Mac Miller’s Album” will be shown in several cities worldwide, including Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where Mac was born. This film is directed by Samuel Jerome Mason, who also directed Mac’s “Colors and Shapes” music video. The film, described as a companion piece, is an animated production that takes inspiration directly from the album’s lyrics. According to the film’s official website, it tells the story of a group of school friends who are transformed by a chord organ into a shadow world. Caught in the jaws of time, they must navigate their way through the underbelly of adulthood.

Look forward to the release of Mac Miller’s album ‘Balloonerism’ on all streaming platforms this coming Friday, January 17. Remember to check back then when it becomes available.

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2025-01-15 17:56