Mac Miller’s estate has released ‘Balloonerism’, the second posthumous album from the late rapper since his death in 2018, along with a short film directed by Samuel Jerome Mason on Prime Video.
“Balloonerism” is Miller in experimental mode, from the loose jazz feel of single “5 Dollar Pony Rides” to the hazy, meandering 12-minute finale “Tomorrow Will Never Know.” “Balloonerism” has been the stuff of lore for years, as fans speculated that Miller originally recorded the project when he released 2014’s “Faces.” Various songs purported to be from “Balloonerism” leaked onto the web and fans collected their own versions of the album on streaming services, although nothing materialized.
But in November, “Balloonerism” was teased during Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles with “DJ’s Chord Organ” featuring SZA, originally thought to be titled “The Song That Changed Everything” after SZA mentioned it in a then- deleted tweet.
In a social media post last November, Miller’s estate described the project as “of great importance to Malcolm – to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions about when it would be released were held regularly, but ultimately ‘GO:OD AM’ and subsequent albums took precedence.
“We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist,” the post continued. “Given that unofficial versions of the album have been circulating online for years and that the release of ‘Balloonerism’ was something that Malcolm often expressed was important to him, we thought it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world. “
Miller’s estate also released a short film about Prime Viceo to coincide with the album release. The film was shown in advance on Wednesday in the US and Thursday internationally. It was produced by Miller’s indie label Remember Music along 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 Shimuzu, and producers for the project are Heather Hardin and Stephanie Demeautis.
Watch the movie on Prime Video and listen to “Balloonerism” below:
