Balloonerism

Last updated
Balloonerism
Mac Miller - Balloonerism.png
Studio album by
Mac Miller
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2025 (2025-01-17)
RecordedMarch 2014 [1]
StudioThe Sanctuary (Los Angeles) [1]
Genre
Length58:43
Label Warner
Producer
Mac Miller chronology
Circles
(2020)		Balloonerism
(2025)
Singles from Balloonerism
  1. "5 Dollar Pony Rides"
    Released: January 9, 2025
  2. "Funny Papers"
    Released: January 17, 2025 [9]

Balloonerism is the seventh and final studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It is his second posthumous album since his death in September 2018. Miller recorded the album in 2014, around the time his mixtape Faces was released. The album was released on January 17, 2025, under license to Warner Records, exactly five years from the release of his first posthumous album Circles , and features guest appearances by SZA and his alter ego Delusional Thomas.

Contents

Background

Balloonerism was teased on November 16, 2024, at Camp Flog Gnaw with an animated trailer. [10] Days later, on November 21, Miller's estate formally announced the album on social media. They released a statement that the album had great importance to Miller, and that he had commissioned artwork for the album and regularly had discussions concerning its release prior to his death. Familiarity of the project within his fanbase, due to unofficial versions circulating online for years, contributed to the decision to release the project in an official manner. [11]

The album was recorded in 2014, around the time Miller released his mixtape Faces . [11] The cover art features a painting of Miller by artist Alim Smith. [12] Balloonerism was released by Warner Records on January 17, 2025. [11] A short computer-animated film based on the album and directed by Samuel Jerome Mason was also released the same day on Amazon Prime Video. [13] [14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.5/10 [15]
Metacritic 77/100 [16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Clash 8/10 [18]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Pitchfork 7.4/10 [5]
Paste 7.5/10 [21]

Balloonerism was met with positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on eight reviews. [16]

Track listing

Balloonerism track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Tambourine Dream" Malcolm McCormick Larry Fisherman 0:33
2."DJ's Chord Organ" (featuring SZA)
Fisherman5:15
3."Do You Have a Destination?"
  • McCormick
  • Taylor Graves
  • Fisherman
  • Graves
3:24
4."5 Dollar Pony Rides"
3:42
5."Friendly Hallucinations"
  • Thundercat
  • Graves
4:45
6."Mrs. Deborah Downer"
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
  • Graves
  • Ashley Sousa
  • Fisherman
  • Thundercat
  • Graves
4:04
7."Stoned"
  • Fisherman
4:03
8."Shangri-La"
  • McCormick
  • Graves
  • Fisherman
  • Graves [a]
2:49
9."Funny Papers"
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
  • Graves
  • Fisherman
  • Thundercat
  • Graves
4:23
10."Excelsior"McCormickFisherman2:23
11."Transformations" (featuring Delusional Thomas)
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
  • J. Bruner
  • Graves
  • Fisherman
  • Thundercat
  • J. Bruner
3:04
12."Manakins"McCormickFisherman3:09
13."Rick's Piano"
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
  • Dylan Rectenwald
  • Fisherman
  • Thundercat
  • Dylan Reynolds
5:08
14."Tomorrow Will Never Know"
  • McCormick
  • S. Bruner
Fisherman11:53
Total length:58:43

Notes

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Balloonerism
Chart (2025)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [22] 12
Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA) [23] 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [24] 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [25] 11
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [26] 5
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [27] 10
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [28] 3
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [29] 36
French Albums (SNEP) [30] 33
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [31] 8
Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) [32] 33
Irish Albums (OCC) [33] 19
Italian Albums (FIMI) [34] 45
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [35] 3
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [36] 24
Scottish Albums (OCC) [37] 11
Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [38] 9
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [39] 6
UK Albums (OCC) [40] 16
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [41] 1
US Billboard 200 [42] 3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [43] 2

Related Research Articles

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (1988 Fleetwood Mac album) 1988 greatest hits album by Fleetwood Mac

Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 21 November 1988 by Warner Bros. Records. It covers the period of the band's greatest commercial success, from the mid-1970s to the late-1980s.

<i>The Heist</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

The Heist is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It was released on October 9, 2012, by Macklemore LLC, distributed under the Alternative Distribution Alliance. The album was independently self-produced, self-recorded and self-released by the duo, with no mainstream promotion or support. After the album's release, the duo hired Warner Music Group's radio promotion department to help the push with their singles for a small percentage of the sales.

<i>Faces</i> (mixtape) 2014 mixtape by Mac Miller

Faces is the eleventh mixtape by American rapper Mac Miller. It was independently released for free download on May 11, 2014. The mixtape is the follow-up to Miller's second studio album Watching Movies with the Sound Off (2013), and is considered by many to be his magnum opus for its dark and personal exploration of Miller's struggle with drug addiction and mental illness. On October 15, 2021, Faces was commercially released on streaming platforms and vinyl.

<i>Motion</i> (Calvin Harris album) 2014 studio album by Calvin Harris

Motion is the fourth studio album by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris, released on 31 October 2014 by Fly Eye and Columbia Records. The album includes collaborations with Ellie Goulding, Gwen Stefani, John Newman, Tinashe, Big Sean, Alesso, R3hab, Ummet Ozcan, Firebeatz, Hurts, Haim and All About She.

<i>GO:OD AM</i> 2015 studio album by Mac Miller

GO:OD AM is the third studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released on September 18, 2015, by REMember Music and Warner Bros. Records. The album features guest appearances from Ab-Soul, Chief Keef, Lil B, Miguel, and Little Dragon.

<i>Starboy</i> (album) 2016 studio album by the Weeknd

Starboy is the third studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, released on November 25, 2016, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, and Future. As the album's executive producers, the Weeknd and Doc McKinney enlisted a variety of producers such as Diplo, Cashmere Cat, Metro Boomin, Frank Dukes, and Labrinth, among others.

<i>Ctrl</i> (SZA album) 2017 studio album by SZA

Ctrl is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released on June 9, 2017, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, James Fauntleroy, and Isaiah Rashad. Production was handled by Craig Balmoris, Frank Dukes, Carter Lang, Scum, and ThankGod4Cody, among others. The album was supported by five singles: "Drew Barrymore", "Love Galore", "The Weekend", "Broken Clocks", and "Garden ", all of which are certified Double Platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SZA discography</span>

The discography of American singer-songwriter SZA consists of 2 studio albums, 1 reissue album, 3 extended plays (EPs), 1 live album, and 48 singles.

<i>?</i> (XXXTentacion album) 2018 studio album by XXXTentacion

? is the second studio album by American rapper and singer-songwriter XXXTentacion and his last studio album to be released before his death. It was released through Bad Vibes Forever, Caroline Distribution, and Capitol Music Group on March 16, 2018, and primarily produced by frequent collaborator John Cunningham, it includes a wide range of guest appearances from PnB Rock, Travis Barker of Blink-182, Joey Badass, Matt Ox, Rio Santana, Judah, and Carlos Andrez, and also succeeds the release of his debut studio album 17 (2017) and the extended play A Ghetto Christmas Carol (2017).

<i>Swimming</i> (Mac Miller album) 2018 studio album by Mac Miller

Swimming is the fifth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released on August 3, 2018 by REMember Music and Warner Bros. Records. Miller produced the album himself, with Jon Brion, Dev Hynes, J. Cole, ID Labs, Dâm-Funk, DJ Dahi, Tae Beast, Flying Lotus, and Cardo, among others. The album has no credited features, but contains vocal contributions from Dâm-Funk, Dev Hynes, Snoop Dogg, Syd, Thundercat, and JID. Miller died on September 7, 2018, making Swimming his final album to be released during his lifetime.

<i>Here Comes the Cowboy</i> 2019 studio album by Mac DeMarco

Here Comes the Cowboy is the fourth full-length studio album by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mac DeMarco, released on May 10, 2019, through Mac's Record Label.

<i>Tim</i> (Avicii album) 2019 studio album by Avicii

Tim is the third and final studio album by Swedish DJ and producer Avicii, released on 6 June 2019, following his death on 20 April 2018. A sole posthumous album release, it was supported by four singles "SOS," "Tough Love", "Heaven" and "Fades Away", and charted over Top 10 in numerous countries.

<i>Igor</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Tyler, the Creator

Igor is the sixth studio album by the American rapper Tyler, the Creator. It was released on May 17, 2019, through Columbia Records. Produced solely by Tyler himself, the album features guest appearances from Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Solange, Kanye West, and Jerrod Carmichael. Following the release of Tyler's previous album Flower Boy (2017), the album was primarily recorded in California, with recording sessions also being held in Lake Como, Italy, and Atlanta between 2017 and 2019. It is a hip hop and neo soul album, which incorporates R&B and funk influences. Critics have noted the album's use of synthesizers and lo-fi vocals. Thematically, Igor follows a narrative of a love triangle between the titular character and his male love interest. The album employs the "Igor" literary archetype to explore themes associated with love, such as heartbreak, loss, and jealousy.

<i>Hollywoods Bleeding</i> 2019 studio album by Post Malone

Hollywood's Bleeding is the third studio album by the American singer Post Malone. It was released on September 6, 2019, by Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from DaBaby, Future, Halsey, Meek Mill, Lil Baby, Ozzy Osbourne, Travis Scott, SZA, Swae Lee, and Young Thug. The production was handled mainly by Louis Bell, with contributions by Andrew Watt, BloodPop, Brian Lee, Carter Lang, DJ Dahi, Emile Haynie, Frank Dukes, and Malone himself, among others.

<i>Circles</i> (Mac Miller album) 2020 studio album by Mac Miller

Circles is the sixth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller, released posthumously on January 17, 2020, through REMember Music and Warner Records. Circles was being worked on by Miller before his death in September 2018 and was created as a companion piece to his fifth studio album, Swimming (2018). Production was completed by Jon Brion.

<i>Legends Never Die</i> (Juice Wrld album) 2020 posthumous studio album by Juice Wrld

Legends Never Die is the third studio album by American rapper Juice Wrld. It was posthumously released by Grade A Productions and Interscope Records on July 10, 2020. The album follows Juice Wrld's death from a drug-related seizure approximately seven months prior, on December 8, 2019. It features guest appearances from the Weeknd, Trippie Redd, Marshmello, Polo G, the Kid Laroi, and Halsey.

<i>Heroes & Villains</i> 2022 studio album by Metro Boomin

Heroes & Villains is the second studio album by American record producer Metro Boomin. It was released through Republic Records and Boominati on December 2, 2022. The album contains guest appearances from John Legend, Future, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Nudy, Young Thug, the Weeknd, Mustafa, ASAP Rocky, the late Takeoff, and Gunna. Production was mainly handled by Metro himself, alongside TM88, DJ Moon, Peter Lee Johnson, Johan Lenox, Allen Ritter, David x Eli, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Scriptplugg, Prince85, Oz, Nik D, D. Rich, DaHeala, My Best Friend Jacob, Elkan, Simon on the Moon, and Xz.

<i>The Essential Foo Fighters</i> 2022 greatest hits album by Foo Fighters

The Essential Foo Fighters is a greatest hits album released on October 28, 2022 by American rock band Foo Fighters. It is part of Sony Music's The Essential series. It was the first Foo Fighters release after the death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins on March 25, 2022.

<i>SOS</i> (SZA album) 2022 studio album by SZA

SOS is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter SZA. It was released on December 9, 2022, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. SZA worked with a variety of record producers and songwriters such as Babyface, Jeff Bhasker, Rob Bisel, Benny Blanco, Darkchild, DJ Dahi, Ant Clemons, and Lizzo. It serves as the follow-up to SZA's debut album Ctrl (2017).

"5 Dollar Pony Rides" is a 2025 posthumous single by American rapper Mac Miller and the fourth track from his seventh studio album, Balloonerism. The track was released January 9, 2025, under Warner Records, but was recorded eleven years prior in 2014. The song is the only song from the album to be released as a single prior to Balloonerism's release. The song features production and bass-playing by Thundercat. The song, prior to its official release, was available online in the form of leaks.

References

  1. 1 2 "Balloonerism - A Film Based On The Album By Mac Miller (Trailer)". Jan 16, 2025. Retrieved Jan 18, 2025– via YouTube.
  2. 1 2 "Mac Miller's 'Balloonerism': A posthumous masterpiece unveiled seven years after his passing". The Economic Times . January 17, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Kennedy, Mark (January 21, 2025). "Music Review: Mac Miller's lost album 'Balloonerism' is airy and experimental". Black Hills Pioneer .
  4. 1 2 Georgi, Maya (January 17, 2025). "Mac Miller's 'Ballonerism' Offers a Hazy Sense of Solace". Rolling Stone . Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Strauss, Matthew (January 22, 2025). "Mac Miller: Balloonerism". Pitchfork . Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  6. ↑ Cruz, Charlie (January 21, 2025). "Review: "Balloonerism" is a graceful tribute to Mac Miller's legacy". The Rice Thresher .
  7. ↑ Kase, Isabel (January 22, 2025). "Mac Miller's 'Balloonerism' is an Experimental Rejection of Drug Culture". The Heights . Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  8. ↑ MacArthur, Greg (January 20, 2025). "Every Mac Miller Album Ranked". Screen Rant . Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  9. ↑ De Rosa, Gianluigi (January 17, 2025). "Funny Papers – Mac Miller". EarOne (in Italian). Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  10. ↑ Jenke, Tyler (November 17, 2024). "Camp Flog Gnaw Trailer Teases Release of Posthumous Mac Miller Album, Balloonerism". Billboard . Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 Strauss, Matthew (November 21, 2024). "New Mac Miller Album Balloonerism Announced". Pitchfork . Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  12. ↑ Horowitz, Steven J. (November 21, 2024). "Mac Miller's Balloonerism Album Release Date Announced". Variety . Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  13. ↑ Bernstein, Elaina (January 16, 2025). "Mac Miller's 'Balloonerism' Film To Land on Amazon Prime Tonight". Hypebeast . Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Balloonerism - A Film Based On the Album by Mac Miller". Balloonerism.film. January 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Balloonerism by Mac Miller reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  16. 1 2 "Balloonerism by Mac Miller Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . January 17, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  17. ↑ Staff, TiVo (17 January 2025). "Balloonerism - Mac Miller | Album". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  18. ↑ Murray, Robin (January 17, 2025). "Mac Miller – Balloonerism". Clash . Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  19. ↑ Empire, Kitty (January 17, 2025). "Mac Miller: Balloonerism review – poignant second posthumous album". The Guardian . Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  20. ↑ Brown, Helen (January 17, 2025). "Mac Miller's posthumous album is a wonderful, if unsettling, reminder of a talent lost". The Independent . Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  21. ↑ Green, Gavyn (January 27, 2025). "Mac Miller Floats Above Reality on Balloonerism". Paste . Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  22. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. January 27, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  23. ↑ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. January 27, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mac Miller – Balloonerism" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mac Miller – Balloonerism" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Mac Miller Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Album Top-40 Uge 3, 2025". Hitlisten . Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mac Miller – Balloonerism" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Mac Miller: Balloonerism" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Top Albums (Week 4, 2025)". SNEP . Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  31. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mac Miller – Balloonerism" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  32. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – Vika 4 – 2025" [The Music – Albums – Week 4 – 2025] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on January 24, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  33. ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 4 (dal 17.01.2025 al 23.01.2025)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Official Top 40 Albums". Recorded Music NZ. January 24, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  36. ↑ "Album 2025 uke 04". VG-lista . Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  37. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  38. ↑ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 4" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved January 25, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Mac Miller – Balloonerism". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  40. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  41. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  42. ↑ "Mac Miller Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  43. ↑ "Mac Miller Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.