Just when 2023 rolled around, Popcaan had his sights set on dominating the summer. The Jamaican dancehall singer kept his foot on the gas with a flurry of singles since releasing Fixtape. However, the singer continued to deliver anthem after anthem along with an influx of guest appearances as fans anticipated his next move. The thing is that the dancehall scene anticipates singles rather than albums but when Poppy slid through with Great Is He, the “Family” artist made it clear that there’s room for artists to create full bodies of work.
So, when he came out with Great Is He, Popcaan set out on a mission to come through with a cohesive album. The 17-song effort included high-profile collaborations alongside the OVO boss, Drake, who appeared on the lead single, “We Caa Done,” Burna Boy, and Chronic Law. As we continue to keep it on rotation, he came through with “Bend It Over” as he announced that the official deluxe edition of his latest album would arrive in March.
Popcaan Shares The Deluxe Edition Of His Latest Project
The latest release from Popcaan extends the tracklist to 25 songs in total. The dancehall artist takes the 17-song tracklist and tacked on an additional eight songs. For the most part, Popcaan holds it down on his own, though he enlists Black Sherif for “Celebrate.” Great Is He (Deluxe) showcases Popcaan experimenting further. While a record like “Millionz” sounds fitting for any summer bash, “No Expectations” finds him diving into drill-fluenced production with a soulful touch in his vocal prowess.
With the release of Great Is He (Deluxe), Popcaan could be reading to launch the next chapter of his career. Around the time he dropped the album, he hinted at going independent while fulfilling his deal with OVO Sound, who he signed to in 2018. We’ll keep you posted on that but for now, check out the deluxe edition of his latest project above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.
A lot of good music emerged out of Detroit in the past few years. Michigan, as a whole, had a strong grip on the sound of rap for the better part of the 2020s. However, in the past few weeks, a few legendary Detroit artists have come through with new music. Danny Brown teamed up with JPEGMAFIA for their new project, Scaring The Hoes Vol. 1. Now, Detroit heavy-weight Royce Da 5’9” is back in the fold with a brand new EP, The Heaven Experience.
Serving as an extension of his 2020 project, The Heaven Experience EP has been unofficially dubbed the “lost sessions. The six-track project is a strong depiction of Royce’s lyrical brilliance as he shares unreleased cuts from last year’s The Heaven Experience. Royce dropped off “Signs” earlier this week in anticipation of the EP’s release. However, he also enlists assistance from Redman, who appears on “Royce & Reggie” and Courtney Bell and Traxx Sanders for “Ion Wanna.”
Royce Da 5’9” Shares Unreleased Cuts On New EP
Last year, Royce Da 5’9″ delivered his latest body of work, The Heaven ExperienceVol. 1. The 15-song body of work was filled with a star-studded cast of collaborators, such as his Bad Meets Evil partner, Eminem, who opens the project up on “Rock City.” Additionally, Pusha T, Rick Ross, Black Thought, Big K.R.I.T., and more assisted Royce on the album.
In an announcement earlier this month, Royce revealed that The Heaven Experience: The Lost Sessions will include a virtual experience. Through the Heaven Experience pass, fans can gain access to exclusive releases, interviews, and more. “I have been searching for a better way to connect with my community for a while, but existing platforms haven’t lived up to my expectations,” the rapper said in a statement. “Passage delivers on all fronts.” Check out the latest project from Royce Da 5’9″ above.
Tracklist
1. “Signs (Freestyle)” (Produced By. S.T.R.E.E.T.R.U.N.N.E.R) 2. “Out The Barrell” (Produced By. DJ Pain One) 3. “Look At This (Uncle Joe)” (Produced By. JUSTICE League) 4. “Grown Ass Man” (Produced By. DJ Pain One) 5. “Royce & Reggie” (Produced By. DJ Pain One) 6. “Ion Wanna” feat. Courtney Bell (Produced By. DJ Pain One)
Larry June’s an interesting case study in hip-hop . His unique strain of luxury raps and versatile production choices have helped him develop a cult-like following. Projects like Orange Print and the Cardo-produced Into The Late Night played like the perfect 4/20 soundtrack but all of these releases have led to his highly anticipated joint project with The Alchemist, The Great Escape, which finally hit streaming services this morning.
June’s ‘lax matter-of-fact flow detailing real estate and green juices shines over The Alchemist’s dreamy production. Laced with 15 songs in total, The Great Escape brings Larry June’s baritone delivery and The Alchemist’s hypnotic loops for a body of work that will undoubtedly stand as one of the best releases of 2023 so far. Throughout the tracklist, the two enlist a strong roster of collaborators, largely from the blog era. Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Action Bronson, Curren$y, Joey Bada$$, and more appear across the tracklist for The Great Escape.
“The Great Escape” Is A Perfect Union Of Larry June & The Alchemist
In the past few weeks, Larry June and The Alchemist shared a promising series of singles to lead the campaign for The Great Escape. First, they unveiled “60 Days,” and then, “Porsches In Spanish.” However, the release of “Palisades, CA” ft. Big Sean left fans thrilled for what’s to come on their joint project. The record marked Big Sean’s first time rhyming over The Alchemist’s production but the Detroit rapper and June’s similar focus on health and wellness turned the record into an immediate highlight that fans hope will lead to further collaborations in the future.
The new project extends The Alchemist’s impressive run over the past few years that includes Alfredo with Freddie Gibbs, The Elephant Man’s Bones with Roc Marciano, and several projects alongside Boldy James. However, in an interview with Billboard, he explained that he hopes Great Escape with Larry Juneis discussed in the same regard. “I don’t want this to be like a slept-on record, or it gets just credibility — we need to push this s–t on,” says Alchemist. “Put it up next to all the other s–t that’s out there on the high level and let it compete.”
Take a look at the past two years of the rap game. It’s hard not to identify the massive influx of rappers who’ve partnered with DJ Drama for their own Gangsta Grillz mixtape series. Though we could credit Tyler, The Creator’s Grammy-award-winningCall Me If You Get Lost for reminding fans of DJ Drama’s significance, the Philadelphia native partnered with rappers like Jim Jones and up-and-comers like Symba, for the Gangsta Grillz resurgence.
However, with the newfound acclaim, DJ Drama prepared to capitalize on it with his album. It’s been a few years since the release of Quality Street Music 2, and a whole new generation of rappers has emerged since. Drama even launched his label Generation Now to highlight the young stars of today. So, when it came time to deliver his new project, I’m Really Like That, Drama had no shortage of talent to choose from, from the OGs that helped him usher inthe Gangsta Grillz era to newcomers like Jack Harlow and Lil Uzi Vert, who he delivered to the masses.
DJ Drama Claims His Stake On “I’m Really Like That”
There’s no denying how much weight DJ Drama’s name carries in hip-hop but he certainly put that on full display with I’m Really Like That. The star-studded tracklist boasts appearances from a wide-range of collaborators who he curates for unexpected records. Tyler, The Creator, who released Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale this morning, opens up the project. Meanwhile, the regular rotating cast of Southern staples, including Lil Wayne, T.I. Jeezy, and more, appear across the tracklist.
The most significant collaboration comes early on with the Nipsey Hussle-assisted, “Raised Different.” The posthumous verse from the late West Coast legend arrives on the anniversary of his death. Drama pairs Nipsey with Jeezy and Blxst for an unexpected banger that celebrates his legacy. However, Drama also ensured that Trouble, who passed away last year, is also celebrated as he appears posthumously with Boosie Badazz and OMB Peezy on “Iron Right”. Drama didn’t disappoint with his latest effort. Press play above and sound off with your thoughts on I’m Really Like That in the comment section below.
With a career that spans nearly three decades, Lil Wayne is a definitive artist in pop culture as a whole. From his days of carving out the Cash Money legacy with the Hot Boyz to a flourishing solo career that broke records and influenced a generation, it’s impossible to deny what Lil Wayne brought to the table. However, in recent months, his status as an icon has come into question. When he didn’t land at #1 on the now-infamous Top 50 Greatest Rappers list, he made it clear that he earned that spot with his DMX-assisted single, “Kant Nobody“.
However, as we approach the sixth installment in Tha Carter series, Lil Wayne came through with a surprise drop, I AmMusic. His first real compilation project celebrates his expansive career, specifically within the last 20 years. Lil Wayne’s “greatest hits” go as far back as Tha Carter and include records as recent as Tha Carter V (i.e. “Mona Lisa ft. Kendrick Lamar). Additionally, I Am Music includes massive collaborations with Drake, Eminem (via Rebirth), Jay-Z, Detail, and more.
Lil Wayne’s Greatest Hits
The release of I Am Music comes on the cusp of something big. Lil Wayne hasn’t confirmed a release date for Tha Carter VI, though the pre-save link went live last summer after announcing the project at OVO Fest. But in the months that followed, Weezy didn’t provide much of an update on when we could expect it. However, he’s currently ramping up for the upcoming Welcome To Tha Carter tour which will find him performing in significantly smaller venues than expected. The intimate setting seems to relate to the release of I Am Music and provides day-one fans of Lil Wayne with an up-close-and-personal experience.
It seems as though we could expect Lil Wayne to bank off of nostalgia in the next little while. The rapper brought his iconic No Ceilings mixtape to streaming services last year. However, DJ Drama recently confirmed that Lil Wayne’sDedication 2 will follow suit. The Gangsta Grillz founder, who just released his new project, I’m Really Like That, recently confirmed that the second installment in the Dedication series will also hit DSPs in the near future. No timeline of when that will be but at least, one of Lil Wayne’s greatest pieces of work will be widely available in the future.
We can hardly believe it, but the final New Music Friday (March 31) of the month is upon us, bringing some seriously noteworthy new releases. Of course, singles from Quavo and Gucci Mane are already causing a stir online, and we have a strong selection of albums to share with you too. Tyler, The Creator’s updated version of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST and Chlöe’s debut solo project, In Pieces, are already on our site, and now, Juicy J’s Mental Trillness is joining the ranks.
On the 18-track project, the Memphis native works with a handful of collaborators, including Finesse2tymes, Xavier Wulf, and La Chat. Another artist, Aleza, appears on two titles – “Ain’t Cool” and “No Rapper” with Slimeroni and K Carbon. Additionally, Juicy J paid tribute to the late Gangsta Boo with a posthumous feature on the second last title, “Follow Home Robbers.” While her verse isn’t actually new (it originally appeared on 2014’s “Come Off Dat”) it’s still a thoughtful way for the 47-year-old to remember his friend.
Juicy J Honours Gangsta Boo with “Follow Home Robbers”
As TMZ notes, the producer snuck another shoutout to his fallen Three 6 Mafia teammate into “Work Out,” his joint effort with Finesse. Landing on the tracklist ahead of “Follow Home Robbers,” Juicy J samples Gangsta Boo’s “Where Dem Dollas At” only the quickly emerging fan favourite. As you may recall, the female rap legend tragically lost her life on New Year’s Day after an evening of partying. Her believed cause of death is a drug overdose, marking yet another talented artist taken too soon due to substance abuse.
Check out Juicy J’s posthumous Gangsta Boo collaboration, “Follow Home Robbers” on YouTube above. Afterward, you can find the full Mental Trillness album on Spotify or Apple Music. For more new release recommendations, check back later this weekend for our Fire Emoji playlist update.
Chlöe is an artist who many fans have been anticipating music from. Of course, she is known for her work with her sister Halle. Now, however, both sisters seem to be pursuing their own avenues. For instance, Halle is going to be in The Little Mermaid. Meanwhile, Chlöe has been teasing solo music, all while appearing on the new show Swarm. Needless to say, they are both booked and busy and showcasing that they can hold their own in the entertainment world.
In terms of Chlöe and her music, the artist has been teasing her debut solo album, In Pieces. In the leadup to this album, we get some singles such as the title track, and “Body Do.” Moreover, the artist was able to debut “Cheatback” while on the late-night circuit. All of these tracks did their part in drumming up hype for the full-length release. On Friday, Chlöe officially came out with her album, which contains 14 tracks that possess a little something for everybody.
Chlöe Is Here To Stay
If you are a fan of r&b with some pop sensibilities, then this album will most definitely be for you. Furthermore, there is a nice injection of hip-hop in this project as Future appears on the song “Cheatback.” In terms of the other features, we get just two more. Chris Brown is on the song “How Does It Feel” while Missy Elliott appears on “Told Ya.” These are features that add some nice variety to the project and we’re sure fans will appreciate them.
Overall, this is a very solid debut effort. If you are familiar with Chlöe’s work, then you understand just how important this new album is for her career. Hopefully, she is able to continue showcasing tremendous growth with each subsequent effort. Let us know what you think of In Pieces, in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news from the music world.
Tyler, The Creator is easily one of the best artists in this current generation of hip-hop. Overall, he has showcased tremendous growth over the last few years. Starting with Flower Boy, Tyler was able to completely change up his style. Subsequently, he went in a whole new direction with Igor, which many consider to be his magnum opus. Then, in 2021, he came through with Call Me If You Get Lost which was another phenomenal project.
Since last week, Tyler, The Creator has been teasing fans with a brand-new effort. Firstly, he dropped the single “DOGTOOTH” which was a whole lot of fun. That same day, he revealed on Twitter that he would be dropping a brand-new deluxe album called Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale. This is a project that would feature some extra tracks that were left on the cutting room floor. Of course, fans were very excited about this, especially as Tyler added to the hype with “SORRY NOT SORRY.”
Tyler, The Creator Returns
Today, the deluxe album finally dropped and it features a total of eight new songs, including “DOGTOOTH” and “SORRY NOT SORRY.” With this new slate of tracks, Tyler has secured some features. For instance, we get to hear Vince Staples on the song “STUNTMAN.” Furthermore, “WHARF TALK” has the likes of A$AP Rocky while “BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND” has a YG feature.
If you are a big fan of Tyler, The Creator, then you will definitely appreciate this latest effort. Overall, there are some amazing songs here, and it is hard to believe these didn’t make an official album. Let us know your favorite new Tyler track, in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from the music world.
Mac Miller‘s death sent tidal waves through the music community. Heavily touted as a unique talent and intimate soul, his journey was left tragically unfinished. Openly addicted to drugs and dealing with depression, Mac was an example of why artists often struggle with the limelight. However, the flawed figure had a noticeable impact on any collaborator he worked with. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Miller was born to a creative family that enhanced his musical interests. By age six, he was already learning the drums and the piano.
The rapper was spitting rhymes on the school bus by his freshman year of high school, orchestrating random jam-out sessions where his buddies acted as impromptu drum sets or hi-hats. The Pittsburgh outfit would continue to hone his craft, releasing his breakout mixtape K.I.D.S at only 18 years old. Soon, making large-scale connections and signing a record deal with Rostrum Records, he released his debut studio album, Blue Slide Park, in 2011.
For all of Mac’s faults, he was one of the most influential artists of our generation. Mac was more than just a rapper, improving leaps and bounds as a vocalist or multi-instrumentalist throughout his career. With his last few albums being his best work, Mac is one of hip-hop’s biggest “what if” stories.
10. Blue Slide Park
His debut studio album, Blue Slide Park is a noticed maturation from the lyrical and production sound of his mixtapes. Mac is impressively able to find his distinctive voice throughout the 46-minute record. The project is famously known for receiving a scathing 1.0 mark from Pitchfork. However, that rating has since been disproven. Employing a timeless sound, tracks like “Party of Fifth Ave” or “PA Nights” still sound just as fresh today.
Additionally, the record sold 145,000 in its first week, shooting straight to #1 on the Billboard charts. Blue Slide Park is full of egotistical, party-rap bops. While it’s far more surface-level than his later releases, it’s an admirable full-length debut. A direct shoutout to his upbringing in Pittsburgh, it’s a transition album from his fun mixtapes to his later, more mature records.
9. Best Day Ever
The follow-up mixtape to his hit day-view mixtape K.I.D.S, Best Day Ever saw Mac Miller strip down his sound to appeal to his hoards of new fans. Bringing in fellow Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa, the mixtape was ultimately an attempt to mold himself into a household mainstream rapper. The result is mixed from front to back, as cringeworthy choruses and forced verses are undeniably present throughout the album.
However, Best Day Ever still features much of what made early-era Mac Miller great. It’s braggadocios, groovy, and has plenty of timeless bangers such as “Donald Trump” and title track, “Best Day Ever.” While Best Day Ever is mixed better while seeing Mac improve on his technical songwriting chops, it’s missing the uniqueness or nostalgic bite of K.I.D.S.
8. K.I.D.S
Iconic, nostalgic, and downright fun. The debut streaming mixtape from Mac, K.I.D.S is a coming-of-age collection of boom-bap rap and jazzy beats. Even on his early mixtapes, he had proved that he wasn’t in the game to sound like everyone else. Sampling the likes of Empire of the Sun and Nas, he displayed an inherent knack for utilizing great sounds.
Throwing the listener in the headspace of a sunny day riding a bike with friends, K.I.D.S is a 47-minute middle finger to what’s to be expected of him. Ditching high school or the traditional college route, Mac idolizes smoking weed or being with women. He and his friends are driving around town without a destination, searching for the next high of childhood. Purposefully goofy, he flexes as any other indulgent teenager would.
Clearly listening to hip-hop from the West to the East Coast, Miller integrates the two styles into an eclectic blend. Tracks such as “Nikes On My Feet” and “Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza” are much the latter, with Joey Bada$$‘s influence written all over them. However, tracks such as “Knock Knock” and “The Spins” very much contain the freedom or spontaneity of a West Coast track. While he hasn’t found his distinctive sound, Mac still finds a way to make K.I.D.S sound uniquely him.
7. Macadelic
While Blue Slide Park was largely devoid of features, Macadelic saw him work with plenty of collaborators. From Lil Wayne to Kendrick Lamar, Mac sounds far more comfortable when able to rely on the energy of others to create in comparison to Blue Slide Park. Taking a noticeable step up in the lyrical department, he comes off as a rapper who’s more confident about the subject matter he’s rapping about.
Mac Miller is unsettlingly dark and pensive on Macadelic, talking about his addiction to codeine and questioning religion. He puts it all on the table, throwing away the façade that his drug and fame-filled lifestyle was an endless fever dream. Some of Mac’s essential hits appear on the record, such as “Loud” and “Fight the Feeling.”
Macadelic suffers from the common theme of Mac’s early records of being far too long. Surpassing the hour mark, it’s a tedious front-to-back listen. However, he’s able to use the run-time to express more stylistic range than ever. Hopping from Soul to Trap-based influences, it was his most unpredictable record to date.
6. Watching Movies With The Sound Off
Mac’s second studio album, Watching Moves with the Sound Offwas his most experimental record. Playing around with ethereal beats and vocal pitch shifting, it was his most psychedelic record, as well. Mac recruited the likes of Clams Casino and The Alchemist to curate his sound. In an interview with Complex, Mac described the record as “very introspective and very personal, so it’s kind of throwing it all out there and seeing what happens.” After settling into the “weed rapper” persona for a few years, the 2012 release marked a significant crossroads in his career, where he could distinguish his narrative from that stereotype.
With guest features from the likes of Action Bronson, Earl Sweatshirt, and Schoolboy Q, Mac was an established force in the music industry by this time. Additionally, the features seemed to compliment his grittier narratives far better than on previous projects. He focuses far more on his vocal delivery on the project, which he’d been struggling with previously. Initially aspiring to be a singer before becoming a rapper, it’s no wonder he began venturing into different vocal pallets at this career stage.
While Watching Movies with the Sound Off is a little lengthy, plenty of memorable moments remain stuck in my head ten years later. You have Earl’s verse on the back end of “I’m Not Real,” or the trippy summertime vibes of “Someone Like You.” There’s no question that some of his best tracks appeared on this album. From warped reverb guitars to psychedelic synths, the record was his most cohesive and mature project.
5. The Divine Feminine
Mac’s fourth studio album,The Divine Feminine, ties together grandiose vocal harmonies and airy piano chords for his most pleasant-sounding record to date. Featuring some absolute slappers, we have some great features from Anderson Paak and Kendrick Lamar. Full of earworm choruses, “Dang!” and “God is Fair, Sexy Nasty” are two of his best tracks. Mac focuses more than ever on his psychedelic blend of jazz and hip-hop on The Divine Feminine. In many ways, the production techniques on this record would be fully realized on Swimming.
As is implied by the title, Mac is narratively focused on his relationships with women throughout The Divine Feminine, or as he puts it, “the feminine energy of the planet.” Referencing his past relationship with Nomi Leasure in contrast to his current relationship with Ariana Grande, he reflects on the subtle differences between the two experiences. Grande later confirmed that “Cinderella” was about her.
The Divine Feminine is a sonic and narrative contrast to Good A:M. Peeling back the many layers of love, it replaces hard-hitting bops with introspective grooves. In retrospect, it feels like the project that cemented Mac as a multi-creative force rather than just your other mainstream MC.
4. Good A:M
A banger-filled follow-up to Watching Movies with the Sound Off, the project sees Mac noticeably progress in terms of his ability to create a narratively engaging project. While he remains fully engaged in the pure hip-hop era of his career, Good A:M would be the last (relatively) straightforward rap project from Mac Miller. In many ways, Good A:M is a homecoming to his early rap days. The production mirrors his early mixtapes, showcasing a significant improvement from Mac.
In his most cohesive record up to this point, he discusses topics regarding addiction, fame, and personal growth. Mac states: “White lines be numbing them dark times / Them pills that I’m popping, I need to man up / Admit it’s a problem, I need a wake up / Before one morning, I don’t wake up.” In retrospect, it’s another harrowing line that showcases how he was self-conscious about his shortcomings.
Good A:M bounces from beautiful jazz-rap samples to reverb-filled trap bangers. He recruits the likes of Chief Keef and Lil B for the latter, who each deliver a refreshing change of pace on their respective tracks. While the project suffers from a common thread of overstaying its welcome, this doesn’t weigh down the record to the same extent as past projects. Good A:M is a pleasant mix of moody and hype songs that signaled his outstanding growth from Blue Slide Park to the Fall of 2015.
3. Faces
Initially released in 2014, Faces was re-issued to streaming services in 2021. A firm fan favorite, the mixtape was finally released as a retrospective celebration of his life. As Mac Miller’s astounding eleventh (and best) mixtape, the record is peppered with topics surrounding our mortality and his personal struggle to discover meaning. Up to this point, Faces sees Mac as more unfiltered and raw than ever.
While Faces is officially a mixtape, it certainly feels like a full-length experience. Running just past the 90-minute mark, the jazz-adjacent jams feature iconic Miles Davis samples and bass guitar riffs from close friend Thundercat. Oddly enough, the album feels more relevant now than in 2014. The leisurely and abstract nature of the production better mirrors present-day hip-hop styles than those relevant back when Faces was released.
An even more tragic listen when consumed with the context of Mac’s death, it almost feels as if Mac is accepting of his approaching demise on the record. “Grand Finale,” the final track off of the mixtape, sees Mac claim that it would be the final song he would ever put out. Full of fantastic features, we see common contemporaries such as Earl Sweatshirt and Vince Staples on the record. Hauling in a West Coast collective of MCs, Mac’s pen game is at its peak on the mixtape.
2. Swimming
Mac Miller’s fifth studio album, Swimming, was his most vulnerable record. It had been a rough six months leading up to the record’s release. Mac was arrested for a DUI, as he references in “Hurt Feelings.” Recently breaking up with Ariana Grande, the album contains a definite “me against the world mentality.” Mac explores his loneliness amidst a pool of emotions, feeling as lost as ever at 26.
There’s an apparentTo Pimp a Butterflyinfluence on Swimming, as Mac integrates groovy jazz basslines on the likes of “Ladders” and “Self Care.” Of course, this isn’t the first time Mac toyed with Jazz or Soul influences. In fact, Swimming feels like a project he had built up to throughout his career trajectory. Take The Divine Feminine, where Anderson Paak and Kendrick Lamar-featured tracks add in falsetto horns and rapid tempo drums.
Swimming is a fully realized version of the eclectic blends of Jazz-Rap that Mac Miller had been going for in the past. The record is so fascinating in that, in many cases, the sound directly contrasts with Mac’s lyricism. The music acts as a therapeutic escape for him, masking him from the reality of his mental state. However, this isn’t a concurring theme from start to finish. “Perfecto” is far more melancholic, as Mac references Grande with the line, “She put me back together when I was out of order.” “2009” features earnest, piercing piano chords as he sighs, “I don’t have it all, but that’s alright with me.” Swimming is arguably the best sounding project in his discography.
1. Circles
It’s both tragic and beautiful that Mac’s only posthumous release would be his best project. Circles is precisely that. Reflective and harrowing, the record was intended to be a narrative companion to Swimming. He completed the vast majority of the project before his sudden passing. It took composer-producer Job Brion to complete the mixing process of the record. On Circles, Mac Miller is swimming in a despondent loop, living on a high tossing him into the same fortuitous cycle of drug use and depressive episodes.
While Mac seems wholly lost on Swimming, Circles seems to see him find his footing a bit more. He’s more conscious of the inherent ebbs and flows of life or accepting the trends that have led him to his current mental state. On “Surf,” he states, “It’s more when I’m standin’ in crowds that I’m feelin’ the most on my own.” He continuously references this juxtaposition throughout Circles, repeating “good news is all they wanna hear” on the isolating “Good News.”
Circles was meant to symbolize a new sonic direction for the Pittsburgh-born rapper. Dreaming of one day being a singer before his rap career took off, the record felt like a new stage in his astounding evolution as an artist. Predominately indie-folk, Mac Miller raps less than ever on the record. The one exception is “Blue World,” a rare moment of clarity and contentment amidst stuttering vocal samples. In retrospect, Circles is the best form of closure fans could’ve asked for.
