by Aydia Triggs
Swimming, an album released on August 3rd of 2018, (58 minutes long), by Mac Miller, is easily in my top five favorite albums. Mac seems to effortlessly put his trials and tribulations of heartbreak, addiction, and self reflection into one big beautiful flow state. The lyricism is outstanding, (as per usual), but on this album it sticks out to me with most songs being so upbeat and happy sounding. If you listen closely, you can hear gut wrenching lyrics behind a mix most would dance to.
The album starts off with my favorite song, “Come Back to Earth.” In my opinion, the most heartbreaking of them all. With lyrics like “My regrets look just like texts I shouldn’t send,” as well as “And I was drownin’, but now I’m swimmin’ through stressful waters to relief.” This song shines a light on Mac’s inner mental health struggles, and is more of a sing-song piece for him than a rap piece. The raw emotion stands out to me, and is such a unique start to an album.
Track three is another favorite of mine, “What’s the Use?” This song features Thundercat on bass, and brings such a strong wave of funk to the album, you can’t listen to this song without at least tapping your foot along!
Overall, this album was put together in such a thoughtful way. It depicts Mac’s hardships, as well as his successes and personality. Each song tells a story, and the best way to listen to it is start to finish, as each song blends beautifully into the next.
Featuring many amazing musicians, as well as a variety of instruments, some would describe this album as “Jazz-rap.” Swimming can be for anyone, with a variety of genres, as well as relatable lyrics, there is so much to love. This was the last album Mac released during his lifetime as well, which adds a layer of emotion and strong appreciation.
My track list rating goes as follows: “Come back to Earth”, “What’s the Use?”, “2009”, “Dunno”, “Self Care”, “Small Worlds”, “Ladders”, “So It Goes”, “Jet Fuel”, “Perfecto”, “Hurt Feelings”, “Wings”, “Conversation Pt. 1”.