Swimming
Mac Miller's 2018 album "Swimming" was beautiful. This was his final album before he died of an overdose in September of last year. I know most of the posts I've written on this blog have been about certain albums or artists, and that's only because I feel that the media that truly influences youth and relates to teenagers most is music. This album especially has a tone and mood throughout it that appeals to newer techniques and feelings while also capturing a timeless emotion that many can relate to.
Mac being only twenty-six when he died, he still had the youthfulness that teens have, and the angst of our generation and time period.
First, I wanted to point out the cover art. Malcolm is sitting in a upright coffin in a pink suit barefoot. at first thought, I wanted to believe that it was a representation of his escape from the suicidal thoughts and mental health issues he had struggled with throughout his life. His actions in September said otherwise. I believe this album, down to his cover art, was Mac's goodbye to the world.
The first track, "Come Back to Earth" talks about the feeling of detachment he feels from his actions and from the world. The song opens with the line "my regrets look just like texts I shouldn't send". This means he often regrets reaching out to people, possibly because he feels like a burden to them or he knows it will end badly. He follows that line with "And I got neighbors, they're more like strangers, we could be friends". Again, he does not want to start relationships he knows are going to end, or are going to be superficial and fake, or that would take a toll on either party. He says "I'll do anything for a way out of my head". The overthinking that comes with depression, anxiety, bipolar- it gets you trapped in the same pattern of thought. By sharing his desire to get out of his thoughts, he relates to everyone else who has that same feeling and desire. Music is a way to focus that nervous energy and change one's way of thinking. The tone to this song is so calming and honest I believe it does just that.
The way Malcolm raps and sings is different than other rappers nowadays. Though he is crude occasionally, and he does talk about the drugs and women that are a part of a famous person's lifestyle, he has an authenticity that other rappers don't have. You know he's talking about his
experiences, not just an ideal. Being able to stick to what's truly you, displaying a sound that no one else has, that's what attracts listeners.
The other song I wanted to mention is "Self Care". The music video for this song is similar to the album cover. Mac starts in a coffin, trapped, and carves "momento mori" into it before punching his way out and literally rising from a pile of ashes. Like a rebirth. "Momento mori" is Latin for something along the lines of "Remember you will die". What message does this send to the youth that are listening to this song and watching this video?
It's a fascinating concept, really. Keeping mortality in mind always can have one of two effects- extreme caution or extreme recklessness. Mac showed the ladder. "Self Care" was almost a poke at the culture of pampering and health that has been created in the past couple decades. In the music video, he's also smoking a cigarette, and in one of his previous songs he commented "I'll probably be dead soon, inhaling cigarette fumes". In all his music, he says that drugs are harmful and bad, yet his lifestyle never changes. This acceptance of harm to himself also showed how little he cared about his well-being. This is not a great representation of the 2000s so far, but I feel like it's an extremely accurate one. Around 80% of teenagers smoke or vape, and while Mac isn't condoning this, he's showing the reality of the situation.
The recognition of mortality and harm in this album gives people a true picture of his lifestyle and the world in general. His goodbye was honest. And that's the most important thing.
A couple months after Mac died, two songs he had recorded in the Spotify Studio were released. One was a stripped version of a song from Swimming called "Dunno". This was about his relationship with Ariana Grande, but I think it was also about modern relationships in general. Not just with a significant other, but with oneself. The chorus is "Until, until there is no longer, let's get lost inside the clouds". I think this is talking about not taking things too seriously and enjoying what we have while we have it. The bridge and by far the most meaningful part of the song is when he says "I think we're gonna be alright".
I think more than anything else, Mac wanted everyone to be okay. Swimming was a way for people to escape from their troubles and come to terms with themselves and the world. It was the calmest album and most universal. Mac couldn't have given a better parting gift to his fans.
RIP Mac. Thank you.
Swimming:
https://open.spotify.com/album/5wtE5aLX5r7jOosmPhJhhk
Mac being only twenty-six when he died, he still had the youthfulness that teens have, and the angst of our generation and time period.
The first track, "Come Back to Earth" talks about the feeling of detachment he feels from his actions and from the world. The song opens with the line "my regrets look just like texts I shouldn't send". This means he often regrets reaching out to people, possibly because he feels like a burden to them or he knows it will end badly. He follows that line with "And I got neighbors, they're more like strangers, we could be friends". Again, he does not want to start relationships he knows are going to end, or are going to be superficial and fake, or that would take a toll on either party. He says "I'll do anything for a way out of my head". The overthinking that comes with depression, anxiety, bipolar- it gets you trapped in the same pattern of thought. By sharing his desire to get out of his thoughts, he relates to everyone else who has that same feeling and desire. Music is a way to focus that nervous energy and change one's way of thinking. The tone to this song is so calming and honest I believe it does just that.
The way Malcolm raps and sings is different than other rappers nowadays. Though he is crude occasionally, and he does talk about the drugs and women that are a part of a famous person's lifestyle, he has an authenticity that other rappers don't have. You know he's talking about his experiences, not just an ideal. Being able to stick to what's truly you, displaying a sound that no one else has, that's what attracts listeners.
The other song I wanted to mention is "Self Care". The music video for this song is similar to the album cover. Mac starts in a coffin, trapped, and carves "momento mori" into it before punching his way out and literally rising from a pile of ashes. Like a rebirth. "Momento mori" is Latin for something along the lines of "Remember you will die". What message does this send to the youth that are listening to this song and watching this video?
It's a fascinating concept, really. Keeping mortality in mind always can have one of two effects- extreme caution or extreme recklessness. Mac showed the ladder. "Self Care" was almost a poke at the culture of pampering and health that has been created in the past couple decades. In the music video, he's also smoking a cigarette, and in one of his previous songs he commented "I'll probably be dead soon, inhaling cigarette fumes". In all his music, he says that drugs are harmful and bad, yet his lifestyle never changes. This acceptance of harm to himself also showed how little he cared about his well-being. This is not a great representation of the 2000s so far, but I feel like it's an extremely accurate one. Around 80% of teenagers smoke or vape, and while Mac isn't condoning this, he's showing the reality of the situation.
The recognition of mortality and harm in this album gives people a true picture of his lifestyle and the world in general. His goodbye was honest. And that's the most important thing.
A couple months after Mac died, two songs he had recorded in the Spotify Studio were released. One was a stripped version of a song from Swimming called "Dunno". This was about his relationship with Ariana Grande, but I think it was also about modern relationships in general. Not just with a significant other, but with oneself. The chorus is "Until, until there is no longer, let's get lost inside the clouds". I think this is talking about not taking things too seriously and enjoying what we have while we have it. The bridge and by far the most meaningful part of the song is when he says "I think we're gonna be alright".
I think more than anything else, Mac wanted everyone to be okay. Swimming was a way for people to escape from their troubles and come to terms with themselves and the world. It was the calmest album and most universal. Mac couldn't have given a better parting gift to his fans.
RIP Mac. Thank you.
Swimming:
https://open.spotify.com/album/5wtE5aLX5r7jOosmPhJhhk
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