Mac Miller - Circles ALBUM REVIEW
The world was shocked to find out that Mac Miller had passed away in September 2018, not even a month after his last album, Swimming. It sent ripples throughout the music industry, tributes pouring in from everyone that knew him best. Like me, a lot of people were devastated by Miller’s passing, and if I’m being honest, I heard no talk of any type of posthumous release, but that was okay. Then, at the end of 2019/beginning of 2020, Miller’s estate announced Circles, a companion album to Swimming that was near completion before his death. Legendary producer Jon Brion came in to apply the finishing touches onto the album. Miller’s estate did end up confirming that there wasn’t a lot of recordings that he left after his death, so Circles could very well be Mac Miller’s final album. Let’s break it down and see how it is.
Although Mac was a hip-hop artist, Circles is by no means a hip-hop album. I could classify it as a singer-songwriter album with hip-hop, soul, and pop influences. I bet that I’m not the only one that started crying when I hit the play button on the first track, the title track. Once I started listening, the emotions came flooding in. I knew that he was gone but throughout the record, it seemed like he was here. For a second, I forgot that he had died, and I was able to listen to this. I feel like if Miller hadn’t passed away, the emotional impact that Circles has wouldn’t be affected in the least. His previous album, Swimming, was somber and touched on topics such as depression, which Mac had struggled with himself. Circles is a contrast to that; subject matters like overcoming addiction and just staying positive in general are sprinkled across the record. Then, it’s over. The final track, “Once A Day,” is actually a track that Miller had performed on livestreams for a while, especially before his death. As the track comes to a close, it doesn’t feel like an ending. It feels like a transmission dying out when his message was finished. It’s an abrupt finish that takes you back into the real world, where Miller isn’t around anymore.
It’s also worth noting that in these times, posthumous albums aren’t always… great. Yes, there are the great ones. Biggie’s Life After Death and Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York are the first that come to my mind, but modern posthumous albums haven’t had that extra oomph. XXXTENTACION’s estate have been using him and his name to gain streams and money, and it’s very shameful. Plus, the albums that have been put out in his name have been pretty bad as well. While Lil Peep’s estate has been kinder and his documentary was pretty great, his music just doesn’t have that same feel. Mac Miller’s estate have put true care and effort into making this something worth remembering. This isn’t just another Mac Miller album, this is an event on the lines of something that may never happen again.
Circles is one of the best posthumous releases of all time. This is a rare treat for the music world, hearing that Mac Miller is at peace during times where things aren’t even close to peace. His maturation from the start of his career to now is truly astounding and is nothing like any other artist out there now. It’s sad that we’ll most likely never get to hear any more of Mac’s recordings, but for fans of Miller, Circles is the best sendoff possible.
9/10
Stream Circles here
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube Music
Although Mac was a hip-hop artist, Circles is by no means a hip-hop album. I could classify it as a singer-songwriter album with hip-hop, soul, and pop influences. I bet that I’m not the only one that started crying when I hit the play button on the first track, the title track. Once I started listening, the emotions came flooding in. I knew that he was gone but throughout the record, it seemed like he was here. For a second, I forgot that he had died, and I was able to listen to this. I feel like if Miller hadn’t passed away, the emotional impact that Circles has wouldn’t be affected in the least. His previous album, Swimming, was somber and touched on topics such as depression, which Mac had struggled with himself. Circles is a contrast to that; subject matters like overcoming addiction and just staying positive in general are sprinkled across the record. Then, it’s over. The final track, “Once A Day,” is actually a track that Miller had performed on livestreams for a while, especially before his death. As the track comes to a close, it doesn’t feel like an ending. It feels like a transmission dying out when his message was finished. It’s an abrupt finish that takes you back into the real world, where Miller isn’t around anymore.
It’s also worth noting that in these times, posthumous albums aren’t always… great. Yes, there are the great ones. Biggie’s Life After Death and Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York are the first that come to my mind, but modern posthumous albums haven’t had that extra oomph. XXXTENTACION’s estate have been using him and his name to gain streams and money, and it’s very shameful. Plus, the albums that have been put out in his name have been pretty bad as well. While Lil Peep’s estate has been kinder and his documentary was pretty great, his music just doesn’t have that same feel. Mac Miller’s estate have put true care and effort into making this something worth remembering. This isn’t just another Mac Miller album, this is an event on the lines of something that may never happen again.
Circles is one of the best posthumous releases of all time. This is a rare treat for the music world, hearing that Mac Miller is at peace during times where things aren’t even close to peace. His maturation from the start of his career to now is truly astounding and is nothing like any other artist out there now. It’s sad that we’ll most likely never get to hear any more of Mac’s recordings, but for fans of Miller, Circles is the best sendoff possible.
9/10
Stream Circles here
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube Music
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