Mac Miller, born Malcolm James McCormick, worked on Balloonerism during a prolific period from 2013 to 2015, a time that also saw the release of albums like Watching Movies with the Sound Off, Delusional Thomas, Faces, and GO:OD AM. According to his family:
“Many of Malcolm’s fans are familiar with Balloonerism, a full-length album he created around the same time as Faces in 2014. This was a project that held deep personal significance for Malcolm—he even commissioned artwork for it and had frequent discussions about when it should be released. Ultimately, albums like GO:OD AM took precedence, but Balloonerism was always close to his heart. We believe it captures the full scope of his musical vision and his boldness as an artist. While unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years, we know how important it was to Malcolm to officially release it. So, it’s with great pride that we present the official version to the world.”
Mac Miller tragically passed away in September 2018 at the age of 26, just after the release of his critically acclaimed album Swimming, which was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards. In 2020, his family released Circles, a posthumous companion album to Swimming, on January 17—two years after his passing.
