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Balloonerism

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Balloonerism
Studio album by
Mac Miller
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2025 (2025-01-17)
RecordedMarch 2014[1]
StudioThe Sanctuary (Los Angeles)[1]
Genre
Length58:43
LabelWarner
Producer
Mac Miller chronology
Circles
(2020) 		Balloonerism
(2025)
Singles from Balloonerism
  1. "5 Dollar Pony Rides"
    Released: January 9, 2025

Balloonerism is the seventh studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It is his second posthumous album since his death in September 2018. Miller recorded the album between 2013 and 2014, around the time his mixtape Faces was released. The album was released on January 17, 2025, under license to Warner Records, exactly five years apart from the release of his first posthumous album Circles, and features guest appearances by SZA and his alter ego Delusional Thomas.

Background

[edit]

Balloonerism was teased on November 16, 2024, at Camp Flog Gnaw with an animated trailer.[4] Days later, on November 21, Miller's estate formally announced the album on social media. They released a statement that the album had great importance to Miller, and that he had commissioned artwork for the album and regularly had discussions concerning its release prior to his death. Familiarity of the project within his fanbase, due to unofficial versions circulating online for years, contributed to the decision to release the project in an official manner.[5]

The album was recorded in 2014, around the time Miller released his mixtape Faces.[5] The cover art features a painting of Miller by artist Alim Smith.[6] Balloonerism was released by Warner Records on January 17, 2025.[5] A short film based on the album also released the same day on Amazon Prime Video.[7][8]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic75/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[10]
The Guardian[11]
The Independent[12]
Rolling Stone[13]

Balloonerism was met with positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 5 reviews.[9]

Track listing

[edit]
Balloonerism track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Tambourine Dream"Malcolm McCormickLarry Fisherman0:33
2."DJ's Chord Organ" (featuring SZA)
Fisherman5:15
3."Do You Have a Destination?"
  • McCormick
  • Taylor Graves
  • Fisherman
  • Graves
3:24
4."5 Dollar Pony Rides"
3:42
5."Friendly Hallucinations"
  • Thundercat
  • Graves
4:45
6."Mrs. Deborah Downer"
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
  • Graves
  • Ashley Sousa
  • Fisherman
  • Thundercat
  • Graves
4:04
7."Stoned"
  • Fisherman
4:03
8."Shangri-La"
  • McCormick
  • Graves
  • Fisherman
  • Graves[a]
2:49
9."Funny Papers"
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
  • Graves
  • Fisherman
  • Thundercat
  • Graves
4:23
10."Excelsior"McCormickFisherman2:23
11."Transformations" (featuring Delusional Thomas)
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
  • J. Bruner
  • Graves
  • Fisherman
  • Thundercat
  • J. Bruner
3:04
12."Manakins"McCormickFisherman3:09
13."Rick's Piano"
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
  • Dylan Rectenwald
  • Fisherman
  • Thundercat
  • Dylan Reynolds
5:08
14."Tomorrow Will Never Know"
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
Fisherman11:53
Total length:58:43

Notes

  • ^[a] indicates an additional producer
  • "Rick’s Piano" features uncredited vocals by Josh Berg
  • "Friendly Hallucinations" contains a sample of "Just Rhymin' with Biz" performed by Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie
  • "Stoned" contains a sample of "Buffalo Gals" performed by Malcolm McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team

Personnel

[edit]
  • Mac Miller – lead vocals, percussion (track 1), drums (track 6, 9, 11), recording engineer (track 13)
  • Thundercat – bass (tracks 2, 4–6, 9, 11, 13, 14), additional vocals (track 2)
  • Taylor Graves – keyboards (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9, 11), drums (track 5), background vocals (track 8)
  • Jameel Bruner – keyboards (track 4)
  • Ronald Bruner Jr. – drums (track 4)
  • SZA – additional vocals (track 5)
  • Ashley All Day – additional vocals (track 6)
  • Dylan Reynolds – additional vocals (tracks 12, 13), guitar (track 13)
  • Josh Berg – recording engineer
  • E. Dan – mixing engineer
  • Mike Bozzi – mastering engineer

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJlaX3_hMug
  2. ^ a b "Mac Miller's 'Balloonerism': A posthumous masterpiece unveiled seven years after his passing". The Economic Times. January 17, 2025.
  3. ^ "Mac Miller's 'Balloonerism' Offers a Hazy Sense of Solace". Rolling Stones. January 17, 2025.
  4. ^ Jenke, Tyler (November 17, 2024). "Camp Flog Gnaw Trailer Teases Release of Posthumous Mac Miller Album, Balloonerism". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Strauss, Matthew (November 21, 2024). "New Mac Miller Album Balloonerism Announced". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  6. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (November 21, 2024). "Mac Miller's Balloonerism Album Release Date Announced". Variety. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  7. ^ Bernstein, Elaina (January 16, 2025). "Mac Miller's 'Balloonerism' Film To Land on Amazon Prime Tonight". Hypebeast. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  8. ^ "Balloonerism - A Film Based On the Album by Mac Miller". Balloonerism.film. January 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Balloonerism by Mac Miller Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. January 17, 2025. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  10. ^ Murray, Robin (January 17, 2025). "Mac Miller – Balloonerism". Clash. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  11. ^ Empire, Kitty (January 17, 2025). "Mac Miller: Balloonerism review – poignant second posthumous album". The Guardian. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  12. ^ Brown, Helen (January 17, 2025). "Mac Miller's posthumous album is a wonderful, if unsettling, reminder of a talent lost". The Independent. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  13. ^ Georgi, Maya (January 17, 2025). "Mac Miller's 'Ballonerism' Offers a Hazy Sense of Solace". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
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