On January 17, 2025, Mac Miller’s long-awaited album Ballonerism was released to honor what would have been his thirty-third birthday. Considered one of the greatest artists of his time and a notable Pittsburgh Allderdice alum, Mac is a fan favorite at the school.

After passing away in 2018, fans across the world were devastated over the loss of a long-time hero. However, to provide fans with one last listen, Balloonerism embraced the trend of releasing music from artists who passed away, which perfectly envisioned Mac’s style and rhythm. The album provides a sense of relaxation while giving the listener something to be excited about. Balloonerism was Mac’s ninth album and came out exactly five years after his critically acclaimed album Circles dropped. With a total of 14 songs and  58 minutes and 43 seconds of listening time, it was well worth the wait. While it was released in 2025, the album was mainly recorded in 2014, when his album Faces was released. To commemorate Balloonerism, I have decided to pick my favorite and most meaningful songs on the album.

1. DJ’s Chord Organ (featuring SZA)

As the second song on the album, DJ’s Chord Organ (featuring SZA) can be considered the ladder between Tambourine Dream and Do You Have a Destination. The song evokes a mellow and laid-back theme with no real vocals coming in until the one-minute and fifty-second mark when SZA starts singing the chorus. However, as you near the end of the song, Mac takes over the vocals. This creates the feeling that the album is about to graduate from its introductory phase and move into a more upbeat tempo. While it can be easily placed in the “background music” category, I like to think of the song almost like the elevator from the hit TV show Severance; it's that final transition before you are fully immersed in the world of Mac Miller.

1. Do You Have a Destination

Do You Have a Destination immediately begins with a jubilant vibe and follows that feeling for the majority of the song. This song is an excellent representation of the changes in Mac’s life and the path of his career. When isolating the music, you can tell it's energetic and upbeat, similar to his earlier albums such as K.I.D.S. and Blue Slide Park. However, when focusing on the lyrics, you can see it is a story of the problems he faced from drug abuse to depression. This provides an interesting combination for the listener and gives them a closer look into his life.

1. 5 Dollar Pony Rides

Regarded by many as the best song on the album, “5 Dollar Pony Rides” is great in every way. From its meaningful lyrics about wanting to provide for those around him to the authentic Mac tune seen across his discography, 5 Dollar Pony Rides is just a blast to listen to. When the lyrics end, Mac gives you around a full minute to digest the song before it ends. This minute seems to exemplify how he was reflecting on his life, accompanied by some buoyant background music.

1. Funny Papers

Another great song, “Funny Papers,” is a reflection on Mac’s life and the fame that came with it. The playful tune is combined with lyrics of reflection on the treatment he endured in the public eye. One of the lyrics specifically calls out how people treat him like he's in the newspaper, saying, “Yeah, I’m in your funny papers, but this life ain’t always a joke.”

1. Tambourine Dream

“Tambourine Dream” is the first song on the Ballonerism album and is fairly self-explanatory. It's a thirty-three-second bit containing tambourines (as expected) and has no vocals. While it sounds a little strange and does not exactly follow the flow of the album, it's a very Mac Miller thing to do. It seems like it is there to focus the listener and prepare them for the journey they are about to embark on. Mac follows a similar trend with other interludes like “Mad Flava, Heavy Flow” on his album K.I.D.S. Overall, it is an exciting start to the album and gets the listener absorbed.

1. Tomorrow Will Never Know

Almost a complete switch from the album's kickoff song, “Tomorrow Will Never Know,” ends the album with a nearly 12-minute song, and the last six minutes and forty-five seconds contain an eerie instrumental. It decides to break away from any recent ideas formed around Mac Miller and is mostly just whispering into the microphone. Lyrically, many messages are sent to the listener without clear answers. Mac could either be continuing the story he has strung along throughout the album, or it could be his way of saying goodbye. While the listener will have to come to their own conclusion, it is interesting to see the style change he decided to use.

Overall, Balloonerism is a very enjoyable album and complements Mac Miller's style accordingly. If you are a die-hard Mac fan or just listening for the first time, Balloonerism won't disappoint. As we celebrate Mac Miller’s 30th birthday, we can only wonder if this is the last we will hear from him or if something new is on the way.