Balloonerism

Balloonerism
Studio album by
Mac Miller
ReleasedJanuary 17, 2025 (2025-01-17)
Recorded2014–2016[1]
StudioThe Sanctuary (Los Angeles)[1]
Genre
Length58:43
LabelWarner
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 studio album by American rapper Mac Miller, and his second posthumous album following his death in 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 named Delusional Thomas. Later the album received Grammy nominations for Best Recording Package in the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

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?7.4/10[15]
Metacritic77/100[16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[17]
Clash8/10[18]
The Independent[19]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[20]
The Observer[21]
Paste7.5/10[22]
Pitchfork7.4/10[5]
Rolling Stone[4]
The Standard[23]

Balloonerism was met with positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77 based on ten reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]

Year-end lists

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Billboard The 50 Best Albums of 2025 38 [24]
Consequence The 25 Best Rap Albums of 2025 20 [25]
HotNewHipHop The 40 Best Rap Albums of 2025 13 [26]

Commercial performance

In the United States, Balloonerism debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, behind Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos and SZA's SOS, earning 81,000 album-equivalent units (including 41,000 copies in traditional album sales) during its first week. This became Miller's eighth US top-ten album. [27][28] The album marked the highest debut of the week and was the best-selling album of the week, with 41,000 units sold, with 32,000 on vinyl marking Miller's his best sales week ever on vinyl and Balloonerism bows at number-one across multiple Billboard album charts, including Top Album Sales, Top Rap Albums, Vinyl Albums and Indie Store Album Sales.[29]

Track listing

Balloonerism track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Tambourine Dream"Malcolm McCormickLarry Fisherman0:33
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

  • ^[a] indicates an additional producer
  • "Friendly Hallucinations" contains excerpts and samples of "Just Rhymin' with Biz" written by Antonio M. Hardy and Marlon Williams.[1]
  • "Stoned" contains a sample of "Buffalo Gals" written by Malcolm McLaren, Anne Dudley, and Trevor Horn.[1]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[1]

  • Malcolm McCormick – lead vocals (all tracks), percussion (track 1), drums (track 6, 9, 11), recording (tracks 11, 13)
  • Thundercat – bass (tracks 2, 4–6, 9, 11, 13, 14), additional vocals (track 2)
  • Taylor Graves – keyboards (tracks 3, 5, 6, 9, 11), drums (track 5), background vocals (track 8)
  • Jameel Bruner – keyboards (track 4)
  • Ronald Bruner – drums (track 4)
  • SZA – additional vocals (tracks 2, 5)
  • Ashley All Day – additional vocals (track 6)
  • Dylan Reynolds – additional vocals (tracks 12, 13), guitar (track 13)
  • Josh Berg – recording, photography
  • E. Dan – mixing
  • Mike Bozzi – mastering
  • Alim Smith – cover
  • Rex Arrow – photography
  • Bráulio Amado – design, packaging

Charts

References

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  3. ^ a b c Kennedy, Mark (January 21, 2025). "Music Review: Mac Miller's lost album 'Balloonerism' is airy and experimental". Black Hills Pioneer.
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