During the summer between leaving college and heading to university, I ended up taking a paper round out of boredom and desperation for money. That lackadaisical summer was spent pedalling around Leicester, delivering newspapers and exploring my taste in music for the first time ever. The biggest revelation was that I enjoyed rap and hip-hop, which was born from my discovery of an up and coming artist called Mac Miller.<\/p>\n
His debut mixtape, Best Day Ever, including killer single Donald Trump hooked me instantly and his talent for writing a banger continued throughout his career until his final album, Swimming.<\/p>\n
The album received a good deal of press in the run-up to its release, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. Mac had recently broken up with mega-starlet Ariana Grande and had been involved in a recent DUI arrest. Many expected the album to be Mac\u2019s thoughts on the breakup or maybe even an attack on his ex. Instead, Mac released a thoughtful. reserved and introspective album that takes bold experimental risks whilst exploring his headspace. Now, in light of his recent death, the album very much reads like his sign off.<\/p>\n
Album opener Come Back to Earth<\/em> sets the tone.\u00a0Mac\u00a0experiments with singing over synths and keys, whilst he\u00a0lays out his regretful mindset and his need for a break. \u201cI just need a way out, of my head\/I\u2019d do anything for a way out, of my head.\u201d<\/em> Hurt Feelings<\/em> feels like Mac accepting the flow of life \u2013 a force that can\u2019t be resisted, no matter what a person does. He also addresses that the fact that, no matter who he\u2019s with or working with, just because they might disregard him, this doesn\u2019t negate his worth as a person.<\/p>\n Swimming<\/em>‘s true worth comes from the experimentation and growth on show. Mac\u2019s efforts to detail his struggles, mindset and attempts to improve himself were touching upon release and feel all the more tragic following his death. What\u2019s The Use<\/em> is one of the album\u2019s first true standouts. Mac shows his talent as an artist, rapping over the top of a funk track. His lyrics deal with his history with\u00a0addiction and the existential fears that feed into his battle. Does he need drugs and alcohol? Does it matter if he relapses? Does it affect his talent in a positive or negative way or can it be both? The album\u2019s other standout, Self Care<\/em> is widely perceived to be a response to Ariana Grande\u2019s comments about her \u201ctoxic relationship\u201d with Miller, in which she mentions that he is incapable of looking after himself. Rather than the usual trade of barbs via a track, Mac details his efforts to get better at taking care of himself. The track and its haunting music video featuring Mac buried alive now have a feeling of a premonition about them.<\/p>\n The album is by no means\u00a0perfect. In my opinion,\u00a0its about\u00a0three tracks too long, with some of the mid-album tracks like Wings<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>tripping\u00a0up the pacing of the album. That being said, there are a few tracks after the first half like Small Word<\/em> & Jet Fuel<\/em> that are worthy of note.<\/p>\n Swimming<\/em>‘s true worth comes from the experimentation and growth on show. Mac\u2019s efforts to detail his struggles, mindset and attempts to improve himself were touching upon release and feel all the more tragic following his death. It\u2019s a true joy to see an artist, who could easily have been written off as\u00a0another bro-down rapper all those years ago, showing off his talents as a vocalist as well as his taste, which makes Swimming<\/em> one of the most enjoyable and poignant albums of the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During the summer between leaving college and heading to university, I ended up taking a paper round out of boredom and desperation for money. That lackadaisical summer was spent pedalling around Leicester, delivering newspapers and exploring my taste in music for the first time ever. The biggest revelation was that I enjoyed rap and hip-hop, which was born from my discovery of an up and coming artist called Mac Miller.
\n– Sam Brookes<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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