Swimming, the last Mac Miller release in his life time, was released on August 3rd, 2018, a little over a month before his tragic passing. Reaching number three on the Billboard 200, Swimming was critically acclaimed and nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammys. This album had three singles released prior to the album, those being: “Small Worlds,” “Self Care,” and “What’s the Use?” These three singles are three of the best songs on the album, and definitely built serious hype for its release. Mac constructed this album by himself, however, he attributes parts of the production to many others, including J. Cole. He also has multiple non-marked features, headlined by the likes of J.I.D. and Snoop Dogg. The album features 13 tracks, with a total runtime of just over 58 minutes. All this in mind, does Mac leave an endless impression on his fans with this project?
Yes, he certainly does.
Introduction
Yes, this was my first time EVER listening to Mac Miller. And yes, I find that as a mistake. This album was outstanding in nearly every aspect. The production here was amazing, and I found it very interesting. The inclusion of many different instruments on a hip-hop album was certainly a wonderful choice. In addition, Mac’s vocals are one of his highlights. They stand as one of the best performances in the entire genre. While this is all cool, I feel that Mac’s meaning behind this album is the best aspect here. Between his lyricism and choice of titles, he proves himself as a genius. Every little thing in this album has meaning, and I could write an entire book analyzing everything. All in all, this album is a masterpiece and establishes Mac amongst the greats forever.
Backgrounds
Mac’s willingness to connect everything he has felt throughout the past years of his life is illustrated here. Almost every song shows either what fame has done to his life or the depression he has faced. Songs like, “Dunno” and “Perfecto” illustrate his thoughts on his break up with fellow musician, Ariana Grande. Of course, he highlights the positives of his relationship with her in these songs, especially “Perfecto.” He also dives into his depression, and subsequently his drug abuse, as well as his past issues in life. He delves into his desire for self-acceptance in songs, such as “Come Back to Earth.” His meanings behind all the songs here provide an in depth perception he has on his own life, which really gives the listener a grasp on how Mac was feeling. Not to mention his cleverness in his lyricism on depicting these meanings in his songs, which I will get more into depth later.
Production and Vocals
Mac truly excelled at production on Swimming. While it wasn’t truly just him, he masterfully created a vibe on this album that is unmatched. With an average song runtime of four and a half minutes, this album never truly bores me. The different styles of songs contribute to this. Mostly, the songs are slower and sadder, but a few of the songs have a distinct style. Take, for example, “So It Goes,” where it has a futuristic beat, which is something never explored at any other point. In addition, his usage of different instruments, such as drums and strings, is wonderful. In the same boat, Mac’s vocals are outstanding throughout. His ability to change from, what I believe to be three different styles of his voice is amazing. His vocal performance is one of the best things here.
Lyricism and Titles
Finally, his lyricism is very intelligent. Many of his words have double meanings throughout. Not to mention, I find his clever usage of the album title, “Swimming,” to be top notch. He just drops subtle lines like the one in “Come Back to Earth”: “Some alternate reality/And I was drownin’, but now I’m swimmin’.” This is just one instance of his cleverness, as it also appears in something as simple as the title of the song. Spanning from the use of “Jet Fuel” to represent drugs as his fuel, to the usage of “Ladders” to show that the higher you are, the more fear you have while the better the view are just some examples of this. All in all, Mac’s cleverness was on full display throughout, which, to me, really built the foundation for this album to truly succeed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Swimming is a strong display of lyricism and production, that proves Mac Miller genius. In a year full of great albums, like that of Astroworld and KOD, Mac establishes quite some competition for those titles. This album is a 8.6/10, and there is definitely some room for error on that rating. Finally, take the song rankings with a grain of salt, as the first 12 songs, I could revisit and thoroughly enjoy almost all the same.
Weakest Track: The weakest track here is “Conversation Pt. 1” and easily. The production here is odd. Mac definitely tried something different, but swung and missed. His vocals don’t match what he was trying to go for here, which made the whole track fall flat.
Strongest Track: The strongest track to me is “What’s the Use?” It stuck with me on first listen, and has continued to stick with me. The song features a lot of real aspects, and the meaning behind the song is very relatable. In addition, Mac’s flow and vocals here, matched with the slower beat, headed by a fantastic use of drums, makes this song the best on a very stacked project.
Song Rankings:
- “What’s the Use?”
- “Self Care”
- “Jet Fuel”
- “Small Worlds”
- “Ladders”
- “Hurt Feelings”
- “Perfecto”
- “Come Back to Earth”
- “Wings”
- “2009”
- “So It Goes”
- “Dunno”
- “Conversation Pt. 1”
Final Notes:
Song rankings are always subject to change over time, so don’t take these too to heart. They also are just my opinion. With that being said, I would love to hear your opinions, so leave them in the comment section below. We also suggest subscribing to our blog. To do so, go under the tab “Contact” and fill out the form. That will allow you to receive emails of new blogs and maybe get them ahead of time. Finally, go give Swimming a listen for yourself, as I highly recommend this album to anyone interested in slower hip-hop, and looking for an album to relax with.