Imagine “good news” being the first thing you heard after Macs passing. Even someone who wasn’t even a fan of Macs singing (Anthony Fantano) was moved by the song. It just feels way too real. Amazing song and amazing album.
Yeah... I think this is really going to sink in over the next few days as I listen and read comments. I missed Mac's experience in real time, so I feel much more like an observant to this, but everyone else's input is going to make it much more real, I'm sure.
yeah unlike some other posthumous releases, there aren’t any points where it seemed like the producers were just trying to fill in an unfinished part of the song.
Mac's lyrics have such a n intangible and mystical quality to them but hit so close to home, it feels like he can articulate the messiness of our emotions and thoughts better than we can ourselves. Or at least that's how how I hear them lol.
This album always makes me feel like it's okay to not be okay, I think largely in part because of the contrast between chill/bright beats and less enthusiastic or sad lyrics. I was listening earlier today because I fell asleep to the early part of the album last night, and it was still in my Spotify queue. I had an amazing day, seriously a stand out and I'm not even in a bad spot, I just felt great and while I was driving around, this was playing in the background, and it made me so much happier than I ever expected it could. This album is so interesting to me, and I can't really explain the things it make me feel.
1:26:46 I think it's more about him not "coming down" from the high he's on because "so much of the world is above us" as in above us as humans maybe. Of course the high he's referencing might come from drugs but also love. So maybe she's high on love while he's high on drugs (or both). He promised they will figure it out (maybe their life maybe their relationship or smth else idk)after the high is over but he then says "I ain't coming down". She gets back to reality, he doesn't see why he shoule also do that. That's how I take it.
I have really appreciated your reaction to these two mac albums. I was just a couple years younger and found Mac when he released the mixtape KIDS. I became obsessed immediately and from there I grew up with him. As he matured and changed so did I. His passing rocked my world. And I just appreciate your appreciation for this beautiful soul.
got off my shift and just finished this video. love the dedication you always put to each song. can not wait for you to get to albums like GO:OD AM, divine, K.I.D.S, faces and everything else…. as always thank you for another amazing experience mr. pop!
Also fun fact the last note of “once a day” is the corresponding note for the first note of “circles” so yes it did matter that you took that into count when pointing that out.
Let’s go!!! I’m so pumped right now!! Mac millers family and Jon brion finished it for him but it was basically done. They’ve handled his music so great and with respect!! Can’t wait till you hear good a.m, watching movies with the sound off, divine feminine, Faces, and macadelic!!
the song circles is about his ex. she basically knew he was an addict and he warned her and she told him she was ok with it but later after he opened himself to her she left him for the very reason he trying to steer her away
On hand me downs he’s not saying he needs a reason he’s saying he needs someone with reason, meaning he needs someone with sense who can keep him sane because he’s unreasonable
Circles goes in a “musical circle” . The final track, Once a Day, ends on an incomplete note in music theory. The first note of the album, on Circles, completes the note creating a circle.
It's not an "incomplete note", it ends on a dissonant/unstable chord, which gets resolved by the first note/chord on the album. But you're right, it's a musical circle in that sense. :)
The album was 90% completed before Mac passed. All that needed to be fixed was some minor production tweaks to clean up, and it was good to go. It was supposed to be released a few months after swimming, as both albums were to compliment eachother, and together make "Swimming in Circles". Jon Brion cleaned up the rest of the production, and they waited 2 years to release it, due to his family not being ready, but eventually they gave the ok, and it was finally released in Feb. of 2020. Mac's last tweet he ever made was about the ending song of Swimming, where he notes "The end of so it goes is so beautiful man. I told jon brion to play the ascension into heaven, and he nailed it". So if the ending of swimming is meant to be the ascension of heaven, people have pointed out that in more ways in one, Circles IS heaven, which is so painfully fitting, and just adds to how haunting the album really is, and I think this theme was kept in mind, as some of the lyrics feel a little too on the nose in terms of talking about death and stuff like that. It's such a beautiful album, really it is, and I can't think of a better send off from one of the greatest to ever do it. I like to think of this album as Mac's album he wrote from the grave, his final message to his fans. And it almost feels like it was supposed to be written that way. But yeah, Circles is a masterpiece, and I think is a great example of how posthumous releases should be handled, not like these posthumous XXXTentacion albums where they put a beat over him barely rambling a phase, stuff thats barely music. This at least feels very appropriate to the vision Mac said, and they wanted it to be as close to his original vision as possible. Great album, RIP Mac
Also I agree with your interpretation of the last few lines of Good News... but I think thats what makes it that much more tragic... He's holding out hope for making it to the other side of this headspace he's in, holding out hope that he'll make it through this "circle" of addiction he's been going through. And I think that it's so much more sad that everyone knows he didn't, and he'll never get the opportunity. The weight of that song still crushes me.. one of the most tragic pieces of art
this album was already decently far into the works when mac passed away. The vision of it being a companion album to swimming was also thought of when it was barely being made. Once mac had passed Jon Brion (i think that’s his name) completed production based off of his time with Mac. So it’s like he completed macs vision and tried to do right by him.
I'm pretty sure he had the idea even around 2014-2015, as he references swimming and going in circles as a metaphor a lot even around that time. And his albums almost always form a circle, either musically or lyrically. Really cool.
Jon Brion was one of the producers on Frank Ocean's "Blonde", Kanye West's "Late Registration", and Mac Miller's "Swimming". He is also an accomplished film composer, doing scores for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Magnolia", "Punch-Drunk Love", "Lady Bird", "ParaNorman" and "Synecdoche, New York".
From the interviews John Brion had after Mac’s passing, it was clear that Mac always intended for Circles to be released. Brion did his best to add the final touches as Mac would have wanted and really put the time, effort, and consideration into it. Circles is a posthumous album done right and not a cash grab like we see all the time after a famous artist passes. Fun fact: Jon Brion was instrumental (pun intended) in adding the orchestral sounds for Kanye’s Late Registration!
“Man on the Moon keep playing” also refers to the Kid Cudi álbum which is interesting for a couple reasons. Kid Cudi and his singing and dream like states he has and also because while Cudi has saved a lot of people and has been an inspiration to so many people, just like Mac. Mac is similar in so many ways. 2 dudes who jumped into hip hop, did music their own way, jumping from hip hop into singing and have suffered from depression and maybe wanting to be not as big of stars as they are and carry the weight of others but yet so many of us look up to them. Both dudes fun loving dudes but also suffering from drug addictions. 2 honest dudes who bear their soul for us to see and damn does it resonate. I dunno, this line just hits me every time because they both just mean so much in the music space. Thanks for reacting to this masterpiece. 🙏
"The men on the moon keep playing practical jokes, planets of mirror and smoke that i fade away in". He's referring to the moon landing being faked and the illusion it creates. Interesting take I never thought about tho thanks
Good News always makes me cry and listening to it again, while you're listening to it, made me cry. Top 3 posthumous albums. 1. Blackstar by David Bowie 2. Spiritual State by Nujabes 3. Circles by Mac Miller
Faces is a great trippy album that goes deep into his substance struggles, probably my favorite. GOOD AM probably his best from a rapping perspective. Would highly recommend checking one of those out next to get a different style of Mac than Swimming/Circles
11:28 don’t remember where i saw him talking about it but i remember Mac talking about him not wanting his music to be labelled as rap but as it’s own genre
Please!! You need to do the album “faces”. you haven’t even scratched the surface on his rap abilities, Mac is a rapper first, and super talented But These last 2 albums were more experimental hip hop Also every album Since faces has been 80% produced by Mac himself Faces was all Mac Production A+ Lyrics A++
faces was not all mac earl did 2 beats, 9th wonder did one, and I think some others did a few however mac was an awesome producer and arranger and faces was incredible
This short interview with Jon Brion by Zane Lowe kind of goes into what he added to the songs already recorded by Mac before his passing: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-faEKDnNXt4o.html It’s a really good and short piece that you should check out.
We are finally here. So excited for this one. There is an interview on Mac Millers RU-vid with Jon Brion where he talks about how much work he did on the album. He doesn't tell exactly who did what and how much. But he does say which songs he did more and less on. Everybody is a cover actually. But that 3 song run is Good News, I Can See, Everybody. It's like Mac is letting us know he's watching over us still
I love that anecdote about those 3 songs, but you can even pull it out further, so that it’s “Complicated blue world, good news, I can see everybody”. It’s as if Mac is addressing everybody on the complicated blue world that is Earth.
I recommend Faces or Watching Movies With The Sound Off next whenever you hop back on the Mac train. It would’ve been awesome to see you start with K.I.D.S and work your way up chronologically like a lot of us fans did to see how much his music style changed. Never cried for someone’s passing that I’ve never met until mac, and this album broke me the first listen. Us fans will keep his music going forever, miss you everyday Malcolm 💙
I LOVE the way how in Blue World he says ‘we ain’t gotta let him in’ as a call back to the song Knock Knock from his early days. The beat even has the sound of someone knocking on the door when he says it. Such an amazing album.
Please please please bro listen to ”Phsychodrama” by Dave hes from Uk and started to go international around 2 years ago. You would appreciate the lyrical content a lot.
Yeah he should add that album and We're All alone to albums to react too. Dave is very conscious but he also got bangers, would be interesting to see how Bob responds to some of Dave's insight
22:28 that happens coz of anxiety. your mind always has that sort of uncertaininty in it, youre never really sure of anything. your mind will think of something and your body will do something else. its very hard for me to explain as ive suffered from it most of my life. the album really speaks to you in that sense. i really thank mac for such a great gift
Please Bob I implore you to make Watching Movies With the Sound Off your next Mac album. Faces is great and I'm sure many will want that next but Watching Movies is the better Mac album to start with because it's where he first started coming into his own after he faced all the backlash from his very poorly received debut Blue Slide Park. I'm fairly certain when it comes to subject, production, features and flows and stuff it will be top 3 favorite of Mac's for you personally.
Thank you so much for listening to the bonus tracks! The song “right” is my most listened to song of all time, and a favorite of mine. Makes me cry every time I hear it.
This album is incredibly powerful. I would love for you to react to his debut album Kids. Standing on its own it's a great coming of age project, in the context of his passing it's optimistic message is hard to swallow as a fan. If anything I just think it's worth a listen regardless.
Man I can remember the exact moment I found out about his passing. Where I was, what I was doing… I dropped everything and the rest of my day was dedicated to his discography. I love this man so much and I seriously can’t believe he’s gone even after 5 years. I love every single one of his songs. This is by far the best posthumous release ever, and I’m not exaggerating. Rest in peace
You should check out faces too. Super trippy but the production is my personal favorite atmosphere that any album/mixtape has ever put me in sonically. It's really dark but is a phenomonal project from start to beginning
Your breakdown of the chorus on Good News was very eye-opening. This is one of my favorite songs and I never thought of it that way and no other reactor has interpreted it that way but it seems so obvious now. well done.
YES bob, just started the video but i am so excited to see where this album takes you bc it’s helped me tremendously with so much in my life. much love
posthumous albums USUALLY suck ass but Circles is one of the major exceptions. Mac and Jon worked so closely and this was so close to being finished before Mac's untimely passing. Im at the beginning of the video, already got tears in my eyes. Hope u love it and can't wait for faces!!!!
theres one part of this listen that drove me to leave a comment, and thats a big thing for me because I am definitely an introvert. But when you gave your insight on the song "everybody", and you said does there need to be a reason to just simply exist...that really resonated with me..in a very a heavy way...I struggle with a lot of things mentally, and mac has helped me through that 100%. but when I can hear someone else's insight on those lyrics that I feel can truly understand it, it blows me away. but getting someone else's insight on that, especially someone who can read the lyrics/song in an in depth level is very therapeutic Bob. I genuinely thank you for that and wish we could talk about it. I consider music to be a second language in a certain regard and I can very well see that you can read that. I appreciate that and thank you. stay happy and healthy.
I always interpreted Swimming as the escalation into using and being high. Circles was always about those feelings after you begin to sober up, that remorse you feel for using but that hope that it might be your last time using. That's why Swimming has so many tone shifts and Circles is a little more optimistic but somber still
You absolutely have to watch the video for hand me downs, it's footage of Mac playing, keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, xylophone, and even cello I believe...
Real shit here. I always felt Mac Miller in a personal level in my older years like I did with Pac in HS. But with Mac it's different. I found some specific songs on shrooms and it's hard to listen to still. Deep as far as mental health and wealth. It's sad because I know for sure I lost what was next like from him like Pac. But hard in a way that he was ready for what's next too. He even told the dude who od'd him not to track #2 on GoodAM....😢
Hey Bob! Guy Lawrence is half of Disclosure (super popular house / garage EDM duo). Super chill dude. Disclosure has a Twitch channel they stream on from time to time. He has a full beat breakdown of how he made "Blue World" from a stream that's on RU-vid somewhere if you're into that kind of thing!
this album dropped while i was on a team bus going to a ski race in high school. i remember the bud being silent after it dropped. powerful stuff. rip mac.
POR FAVOR! Reaja ao album FACES! Please react to the album FACES by Mac ( ''THE INTERNET'' is the group playing the instrumentals, they are amazing!) Cheers from Brazil! Tamo Junto!! S2
Your perspective on the chorus for good news is really interesting! I never thought about it that way. I always thought he’s saying they don’t like it when he’s down/depressed, but when he’s happy/doing well it makes them uncomfortable. So what’s the difference? Honestly now I think you might be more on the point. Either way beautiful, beautiful song.
Listening to Swimming and Circles would only make you cry if you've heard most of his discography, especially imo from Watching Movies With The Sound Off where he gets into his relationship with drugs.
Ima spill some beans, Gong, Camembert Electrique and Angels Egg. Is what so much lifts from, I know it’s mainly rap but go be a lil kid for a sec n trip out on the earliest of rap rhythms:)
Good News has been my favorite song of all time ever since the first time I heard it. Every word hits deep. Absolute beautiful masterpiece of a record.
I believe the part of "running low on regret No tears, thats keeping you wet" of the song Once a day, means he's getting kinda numb at the pain he's going through, because that struggle has been a part of him.
I would definitely put this album in the genre of pop music... A lot of people disagree because of a perceived negative connotation, but the Beatles are technically pop music, so not all Pop music is radio garbage...
