Mac Miller’s estate has released “Balloonerism,” the second posthumous album from the late rapper since his death in 2018, in tandem 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 around the time he released 2014’s “Faces.” Various songs that were alleged to be from “Balloonerism” leaked to the web, and fans assembled their own versions of the album on streaming services, though nothing came to fruition.
But in November, “Balloonerism” was teased during Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles featuring “DJ’s Chord Organ” featuring SZA, initially thought to be titled “The Song That Changed Everything” after SZA mentioned it in a since-deleted tweet.
In a social media post this past November, Miller’s estate described the project as being “of great importance to Malcolm — to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly, though ultimately ‘GO:OD AM’ and subsequent albums ended up taking 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 circulated online for years and that releasing ‘Balloonerism’ was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world.”
Miller’s estate also put out a short film on Prime Viceo in tandem with the album release. The film screened in advance on Wednesday in the United States and Thursday internationally. It was produced by Miller’s indie label Remember Music alongside 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 film on Prime Video and listen to “Balloonerism” below:
