Mac Miller's Family Explains Poignant Decision Behind Balloonerism's Posthumous Release

Long-time fans of the artist have long been aware of the project, but it only now has an official release.
Cover for Mac Miller's posthumous album Balloonerism next to a portrait of the late artist from 2018.
Courtesy of Warner Records, Clarke Tolton/Rolling Stone/Penske Media via Getty Images)

If you have been on the internet this past week, then you've probably seen that another Mac Miller posthumous album is headed our way. Now, the late star's family is explaining exactly why they've decided to release the new album in a new statement.

Following a teaser at Tyler, The Creator's Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival last week, the Mac Miller Estate took to Instagram on November 21 to announce the official release of Miller's upcoming album Balloonerism, which the rapper worked on in 2014, and explain the reasoning behind the release a decade after its creation.

LOS ANGELES CA  OCTOBER 28 Mac Miller performs on the Camp Stage during day 1 of Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival 2017 at...

Mac Miller performing on the Camp Stage during day 1 of Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival 2017 on October 28, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

Rich Fury/Getty Images

"Many of Malcolm's fans are aware of Balloonerism, a full-length album that Malcolm created around the time of the release of Faces in 2014. It is a project that was of great importance to Malcolm — to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it," the statement reads.

Miller's family admitted that "discussions concerning when [Balloonerism] should be released were had regularly," but “ultimately GO:OD AM and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence.” They also said Balloonerism is a representation of "both the breadth of [Miller's] musical talents and fearlessness as an artist."

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They continued: "Given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing Balloonerism was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world. With that in mind, we're happy to announce that Balloonerism will be released on January 17, 2025."

The date will mark the fifth anniversary since the release of Circles, Miller's first posthumous album. The album was a companion to the critically acclaimed Swimming from 2018.

The family's statement arrived alongside the album's official cover art and a trailer for an accompanying animated film produced by the creative studio Hornet and directed by Samuel Mason, which you can watch below. Balloonerism will arrive via Warner Records on January 17, 2025, in a variety of formats. Pre-orders and pre-saves are already open here.