Balloonerism
By Bruce Haring
The Mac Miller Estate has released “Balloonerism,” an album that Miller created in 2014 from the same creative period that birthed his mixtape, “Faces.”
After being initially teased with a cryptic trailer at Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival this past fall, “Balloonerism” was preceded by the single, “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” released last week. The album arrives alongside “Balloonerism – A Film Based On The Album By Mac Miller,” directed by Samuel Jerome Mason and produced by Hornet.
Presented by Remember Music & Warner Records, the film represents a long-form companion to the album that further illuminates the world showcased by the album’s trailer and is available to stream globally via Prime Video now.
“I was first approached by Miller and Karen to work on a music film to accompany Mac Miller’s unreleased album, “Balloonerism,” in 2023, says director Mason. “I began by trying to find a thematic thread running through the album, which features illustrative lyrics that tell beguiling and tangential stories. The line, “but do you feel as big as your shadow,” struck me, and it became the thesis of sorts for the video.
“Understanding the album to be about growing up, I set out to make a film that meditates on time—racing time and losing innocence. The roles that children adopt and how those roles ossify into adults who at their cores are still those shadowy children. The main character, Timmy, takes on the role of the wizard or storyteller, the one who summons a vision of the future for his group of friends. In racing ahead, the children play out their darker instincts, letting their shadows run wild. In trying to fly they fall. But that journey is life itself, and the wisdom of older age resides in the newfound empathy we can extend to our younger, clumsier selves.
“This interplay between gravity and light hopefully echoes the emotional effect of Malcolm’s music. He captured the way we all feel at times—lost, confused, and small—with humor, humility, and honesty. This album immortalizes Malcolm’s distinct spirit—as all wizards live forever through their magic—and I tried to do his legacy justice.
The album is available now digitally as well as in a variety of physical formats including CD, cassette and vinyl. The vinyl, which was designed by Bráulio Amado with Mac’s commissioned cover art by Alim Smith, is available as a two-LP release across two exclusive variants only available through balloonerism.com – a one-time, limited edition deluxe pressing that features a rainbow foil-wrapped slipcase with white splatter cloud vinyl and a 32-page color booklet featuring photos and lyrics, as well as a limited one-time pressing that features clear vinyl.
Watch Balloonerism – A Film Based on the Album by Mac Miller