Mac Miller's family has just released his posthumous album Circles, which was intended to be the companion piece to 2018's Swimming.
The 26-year-old died just weeks after releasing Swimming, and his family trusted producer Jon Brion (Spoon, Kanye West, Fiona Apple) to complete the album based on previous conversations he had with Miller before his untimely passing.
Miller was reaching his creative peak when he died. In his final years, the rapper was exploring bigger questions and pushing more musical boundaries. Circles showcases his potential, and serves as a fitting farewell for those who enjoy his music.
The album picks up where Swimming left off – and combined, the titles refer to the phrase "swimming in circles," which is a clear theme in Miller's lyrics. In the title track, Miller stresses about feeling directionless, a continuation of a verse from "So It Goes" off Swimming: "My god, it go on and on. Just like a circle, I go back to where I'm from."
Like most of his recent work, Miller's lyrics in Circles are confessional and raw, with subjects ranging from death and addiction to existentialism and the meaning of life. In "I Can See," he sings "Now I know if life is but a dream, then so are we."
Throughout the album's 12 tracks, Miller acknowledges his demons ("That's On Me") but looks past them to a brighter future ("Blue World") – hinting that maybe, in time, he could have healed.
This optimism is seen in "Good News," the first single released since his death. In the song, he makes obvious references to his past drug use and depression ("Can I get a break? I wish that I could just get out my goddamn way. What is there to say?"), but balances the darkness with rays of light poking through ("I’ll finally discover that it ain’t that bad").
But Miller knew the road to recovery would be a slow and painful one. "Before I start to think about the future, first can I please get through today?," he muses on "Complicated," a song about taking things one day at a time.
Circles continues Miller's mission of blurring the line between genres, resulting in a delicious blend of soft rock, emo rap and jazz. He even hops on bass during "Everybody," which is a cover of the 1972 song "Everybody's Gotta Live" by Arthur Lee.
He switches things up track by track, transitioning from the synth-heavy "Woods" to the warm and melodic "Hand Me Downs." Listening through, you can't help but grieve for the loss, but also appreciate the creativity he left behind.
Usually, posthumous albums give me the creeps. But Circles provides necessary closure to Miller's fans and the rest of the world. "This is a really complicated process that has no right answer, no clear path," his family wrote in a statement on Instagram.
"We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it."
If you look on Miller's Instagram page, you'll notice that fans still comment on his pictures, saying how much they miss him and how much of an impact he's had on their lives. Circles gives these fans something tangible to hold on to for just a little bit longer.
