Mac Miller - Circles

Sound Audits

Coming on the scene with a throwback style that betrayed his years, Pittsburgh-based rapper and producer Mac Miller combined languid vocals, playful rhymes, and hypnotic production influenced by OutKast, Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, and Lauryn Hill. A pair of non-album singles ("Buttons" and "Programs") kept Miller busy into 2018, when he issued his fifth album, Swimming. Debuting at number three on both the Billboard 200 and R&B/hip-hop charts, the set included the songs "Small Worlds," "Self-Care," and "What's the Use?" A month after the release of the effort, Miller died from a suspected drug overdose in his San Fernando Valley home. He was 26 years old. Following his death, seven of his albums posthumously charted on the Billboard 200, including the debut appearances of Best Day Ever and Macadelic. In early 2020, his first posthumous set was released. Intended as a companion to Swimming, Circles featured vocals recorded for this eventual project, which was completed by producer Jon Brion.