![]() Paak, CeeLo Green and Ariana Grande, “The Divine Feminine” signaled a complete change in his musical style that was alluded to in previous works, diving deeper into jazzy blends of funk and hip-hop. Featuring collaborations with Thundercat, Anderson. The album shifted away from the boisterous wonderings of a young kid and instead examined the emotional dynamics of love. The release of “The Divine Feminine” marked a turning point in Miller’s evolution. With a bright future ahead of him, Miller has positioned himself for career longevity, so long as he can keep his demons behind him.” A review published on HipHopDx wrote, “If Miller’s second album was a stepping stone that allowed him to climb above his partying past, ‘GO:OD AM’ serves as a wakeup call for those that think his music is still best suited for frat parties. The album reckons with addiction and Miller’s experience within the limelight, exploring introspection in the journey of recovery. Miller’s third album, “GOOD:AM,” contemplated dying, while also approaching his inner demons with an enduring form of optimism. Alongside this came lyrics that considered his own death. The subject matter of Miller’s work grew darker, including more frequent images of heavy drug use. Rolling Stone rated “Faces” as the 18th best rap album of 2014. In 2013, Miller released “Faces,” a mixtape that toyed with jazz sonics and portrayals of addiction and its relationship to morality. Once lighthearted and carefree musings became symphonies of jazz melded with hip-hop, artful collaborations that told intricate stories of growth, change and loss. The heavy balance of learning to find joy among deep sadness was something that began to center itself throughout his discography as Miller became more vulnerable with his audience. Most notably, his friendship with musician Thundercat brought Miller’s sound into a new era. Miller’s friendships with other musicians were another aspect of his evolving styles, and it’s another aspect of his persona that reached so many. Producers ranged from Pharrell, Earl Sweatshirt and Jay Electronica - initiating the beginning of Miller’s blend of the unlikely. In 2013, Miller released “Watching Movies With the Sound Off,” an album that Pitchfork referred to as “a quantum leap in artistry” from his previous full-length release. ![]() As Miller grew up, his unfiltered love and passion for creating music and art as a whole became abundantly clear. The evolution of Miller’s music tells the story of finding oneself while managing to remain true to one’s roots. ![]() ![]() It was the music you listened to on the brink of adulthood, on the nights you felt were the beginning of something special. It is a project that celebrates the shenanigans of an 18-year-old, exploring relatable narratives of growing up that felt warm and familiar. The following year, Miller released his debut album, “Blue Side Park,” an album that followed similar motifs as “K.I.D.S.,” furthering the vibrant, youthful aura of wanting to make it big. The mixtape muses through parties, hometown memories and ambitions featuring hip-hop samples, and songs like “Kool Aid and Frozen Pizza” and “Senior Skip Day” that solidified Miller as the friend we all grew to know from afar. Miller’s earlier music was alluringly rowdy, yet full of warm nostalgia. At 18, Miller signed with the independent record label Rostrum Records and released the mixtape “K.I.D.S.,” a confident introduction into Miller’s commitment to his artistic craft. And it was a passion that could be felt completely. 7 marked the two-year anniversary of Miller’s death, both the legacy and the evolution of his music are things that won’t leave my mind.Īs he began to find his place in rap at 14, music has always been something that belonged to Miller’s purpose. “Circles” is a sublime encounter with the way in which life and death interact with musical legacy, and as Sept. It was called “Circles” - the companion project to Miller’s previous project, “Swimming.” A gift to the still-grieving, the release of “Circles” was a testament to not only Miller’s talent, but his inherent empathy for the world around him. Last January, I, and the world alike, were given what I thought we would never get to experience again: a new Mac Miller album.
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