Mac Miller’s “Circles”: A Posthumous Album Done Right
photo courtesy of Miguel Á. Padriñán Pexels
September 7, 2018. The day the music world lost one of it’s most promising young musicians, Malcolm James McCormick aka Mac Miller. After dying of a drug overdose, the 26-year-old rapper, producer, and musician continues to be mourned by many. Miller’s tragic death even sparked a benefit concert titled Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life.
Mac Miller was truly an artistic genius. Throughout the course of his career, he stemmed from pop-rap to experimental hip-hop to jazz and R&B. His many talents and his passion for music were displayed in a variety of ways through his work. When he passed too soon, the world thought they had heard the last of Mac Miller. They were wrong.
Hot off the release of his album, “Swimming”, Mac had planned to work with producer Jon Brion (known for “Punch-Drunk Love” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) for a companion album titled, “Circles”. Mac had recorded all of his verses and was almost complete with the initial production of the album when he died. With the permission of the estate, Brion upheld Mac’s wishes and completed the album.
In a way, “Circles” is Mac’s most introspective album. It delves deep into his head, displaying his constant mental struggles for the whole world to see. The production of “Circles” was quite a brave task for someone who Brions described as being quite shy. In a recent interview, the producer discussed how he often had to leave the room in order to get Mac to be comfortable playing what he intended his songs to sound like. Brions even went as far as to discuss how much he cried as he heard the beginnings of “Once a Day” from the hallway of the studio. This producer-artist relationship is exactly what separates “Circles” from the many exploitative posthumous albums in the industry. Mac had a clear vision for this album and trusted Jon Brions to deliver this vision. Contrastingly, artists such as XXXtentaction’s posthumous albums are merely money grabs by their estates based on extremely unpolished samples and demos. “Circles” should undoubtedly be the last Mac Miller album because it follows the artist’s exact intentions from before he passed away.
While songs like “Blue World” deliver on Mac’s traditional rap roots, “Circles” comprises passionate singing with heavy jazz influences, a genre that Mac always loved exploring. It’s clear through tracks like “I Can See” and “Circles” that Mac was ready to usher in a completely new era of his music. While we will ultimately never hear Mac’s intended musical revolution, “Circles” still leaves us with a piece of his heart. Mac was self-aware of his struggles with addiction, singing “shit like this ain’t made to last, I might just fade like those before me,” on the track “Woods”. The entire album provides an in-depth look into the struggles the artist faced in his life.
“Circles” is a beacon of hope.
Much like Mac Miller himself, “Circles” serves as a light into a very dark world. Mac often used his music to give exposure to issues he was facing and this album is no exception. “Circles” is a look into the life of a troubled yet beautiful soul. If you take anything away from this album, it should be, “don't you put any more stress on yourself, it's one day at a time”.
If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, reach out to the Drug Abuse Hotline at 1-844-289-0879.