Mac Miller’s posthumous album, “Circles,” was released on Jan 17. It is his first published work since his accidental drug overdose in 2018. “Circles” is the artist’s sixth and final studio album. The album has been met with positive reviews, and many say it offers closure. There’s something both unsettling and heart-warming about listening to music released after an artist’s death. It almost feels like eavesdropping on a conversation you’re not sure you were ever meant to hear.
Miller’s family reached out to his producer, Jon Brion, and requested he finish the album in Miller’s honor.
In a statement released on Instagram, his family said finishing the album was a complicated process with no clear path.
“We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it,” the post read.
“Circles” was not only the sequel to his 2019 album, “Swimming,” but was supposed to be the second work of a trilogy.
Brion explained the concept was inspired by an aquatic theme after noticing multiple lyrics Miller wrote about water. “Swimming” is a hybrid of hip-hop and more acoustic song forms. “Circles” was planned to be acoustic-based, while the third album was theorized to be primarily hip-hop. I think this concept was supposed to compare the fluidity of water to the versatility of artists who sing different types of genres and have multiple passions.
Brion said he aimed to change as little as possible in Miller’s unfinished songs as he produced the album. Three tracks were already completed before Brion had a chance to hear them: “Blue World,” “I Can See,” and a cover of Arthur Lee’s “Everybody’s Gotta Live.” Other songs had to be finished without him, but it is unclear just how much Miller had completed himself. Regardless, the album sounds wholeheartedly complete and does justice to the singer.
“Circles” isn’t Miller’s most innovative work, but it’s the most impactful to his fans. While “Swimming” showed an artist struggling with anxiety, what we hear in “Circles” is an artist who approaches his anxiety from a more positive standpoint, knowing it’s something to work on and overcome.
Lo-fi beats and elements of indie-folk drive the album, with limited tracks featuring Miller’s ever-so-clever raps. “Hand Me Downs” and “Hands” are the only rap songs, assuring that just because he’s embraced other styles doesn’t mean he doesn’t love his musical roots.
The general tone of the album is soothing. Miller’s relaxed, groggy voice delivers confidence as he maturely sorts through his feelings. In “Good News,” Miller sings about how people and the media only want to hear good news, even if it’s not authentic. He compares cleaning out his mind to spring cleaning and takes an optimistic approach to his mental health, singing “Wake up to the moon, haven’t seen the sun in a while / But I heard that the sky’s still blue.”
In the title and opening song, “Circles,” Miller sings about letting go of a past love. The circle represents the patterns in the relationship, as well as his patterns with mental illness. The album, which Miller sings in a new style and a new mindset, serves to break the cycle.
My favorite lyrics from the album are found in “Surf,” where Miller sings, “And I know that somebody knows me / I know somewhere, there’s home / I’m starting to see that all I have to do is get up and go.” These lyrics share a powerful message that even though it is easy to feel lonely, there are always people who care for you. This was especially true in Miller’s case with his enormous fanbase.
Even if you weren’t a fan of Miller while he was alive, I think we can all learn a lot from this album. The lyrics are thought-provoking, and I enjoyed listening to it. “Circles” is a perfect sense of closure to the life of an artist many loved and respected.
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