Mac Miller’s estate releases “Balloonism” The late rapper’s second posthumous album following his death in 2018, accompanied by a short film directed by Samuel Jerome Mason on Prime Video.
From the loose-jazz feel of the single “5 Dollar Pony Rides” to the hazy, twangy 12-minute finale “Tomorrow Will Never Know”, “Balloonism” is Miller in experimental mode. “Balloonism” has been a subject of lore for years, as fans speculated that Miller originally recorded this project around the time he released 2014’s “Faces”. Various songs from “Balloonism” reportedly leaked onto the web, and fans assembled their own versions of the album on streaming services, although nothing resulted.
But in November, “Balloonism” was teased during the Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles, including “DJ’s Chord Organ” featuring SZA, initially thought to be its title. Will be “The Song That Changed Everything”, as SZA referred to it – deleted tweet.
In a social media post last November, Miller’s estate described the project as “very important to Malcolm – to the extent that he created artwork for it and regularly discussed when it should be released. , although eventually ‘GO:OD’AM’ and subsequent albums came to be preferred.
The post further stated, “We believe this project showcases both the breadth and fearlessness of his musical talent as an artist.” “Given that unofficial versions of the album have been circulating online for years and that releasing ‘Balloonism’ was something Malcolm often stated was important to him, we felt it was most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world.”
Miller’s estate also planned to release a short film on Prime Wise alongside the album release. The film was released in the United States on Wednesday and internationally on Thursday. It was produced by Miller’s indie label Remember Music in association with Warner Records and Hornet Studios, and was directed by Mason, who directed Miller’s 2021 video for “Colors and Shapes”. Executive producers include Michael Feder, Greg Bedard and Hana Shimizu, and the project’s creators are Heather Hardin and Stephanie Demoutis.
Listen to “Balloonism” below:
