With the release of Mac Miller’s posthumous album Balloonerism, SZA took to social media to honor the late rapper, who she says believed in her music before she became a star.
On Friday, January 17, SZA, 35, shared her feelings on X, writing, “I love my friend I miss my friend.” She added, “Grateful he saw something in me before most and treated me w love from day 1. Wish he could see how right ab everything he truly was. Please go stream Balloonerism RIGHT NOW.”
In November, the Mac Miller Estate announced that the album would be released on January 17, 2025, via Warner Records.
“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 and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly, though ultimately GO:OD AM and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence,” the family shared in an Instagram post.
They continued, “We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist.
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 17th, 2025.”
The family explained that the album was born from the same creative period in which Mac was working on Watching Movies with the Sound Off, Delusional Thomas, Faces, and more, highlighting his ambition across various musical genres.
The 14-track album features only two collaborations: one with SZA and the other with Miller’s alter ego, Delusional Thomas.
After Miller’s tragic death from an accidental overdose in 2018, his family revealed he had been working on a companion album to Swimming, which was released after his passing. In January 2020, Miller’s “final” album Circles came out with the support of his close friend and fellow artist Jon Brion.
SZA and Miller’s connection goes back years. The two performed together at Red Bull Studios in Los Angeles in 2014, and during the period Balloonerism was being recorded, Miller produced two tracks on SZA’s EP Z: “Ur” and “Warm Winds.”
“I don’t think this young lady knows how amazing she is,” Miller said of SZA in 2014, as quoted by Red Bull.
After Miller’s death, SZA performed at a tribute concert alongside Chance the Rapper, Travis Scott, John Mayer, and others.
On the second anniversary of his passing, the “Saturn” singer honored him again on X, quoting Thundercat’s post and writing, “I love you both so much and miss my family every day. Thank you for allowing me in your space to discover myself and believing in me the entire time… I could never repay you.”