In overwhelming news, we’re about to get a new Mac Miller album.
According to a statement made by Mac’s family earlier today, the late rapper was well into the process of making a new album when he passed away in 2018. He was working on a project called Circles which was set to be a companion album to his last LP, Swimming. The unheard project will see the light of day on the 17th of Jan. The note read, “Swimming in Circles was the concept… Two different styles complementing each other, completing a circle.”
Posthumous albums are always contentious when they’re released, often garnering mixed reviews from critics and fans. Posthumous albums from Michael Jackson, Lil Peep and XXXtentacion received backlash and were criticised for not following the vision of the artist or for being made as a cash grab. Mac’s family are seemingly aware of this, saying in the statement: “This is a complicated process that has no right answer. No clear path.”
As a result, this upcoming album seems different. Mac’s family seems to have his best interests at heart. The note read “We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it. One of the most difficult decisions in the process is how best to let people know about it, how to communicate meaningfully while keeping sacred what should be kept sacred.”
Furthermore, they put the project in the hands of Jon Brion who has been working with Mac Miller throughout the process. The Instagram post said “After his passing, Jon dedicated himself to finishing Circles based on his time and conversations with Malcolm. We are eternally grateful to Jon and to those who gave their best to the difficult and emotional task of putting out this body of work.”
Also, the family has come out and rejected any marketing gimmicks to promote the album; “this will be the only post on any of his channels.”
As a result, Circles seems like a posthumous album done right. Considering the project was meant to correlate to his previous efforts in a conclusive way, his family are ultimately fulfilling his vision and overall wish. Let’s take this album with a grain of salt, knowing that it’s not 100% Mac’s vision, but ultimately a gateway into the last few moments of his life.
Always be in the loop with our snackable podcast breaking the biggest story of the day. Subscribe to It’s Been A Big Day For… on your favourite podcast app.