Mac Miller’s Music Was More Than Just Music

I have been putting off writing this, because I never thought I’d have to. I never thought you would be gone from us so soon, Mac.

In tenth grade, I started listening to you– “Knock, Knock” and “Kool-Aid and Frozen Pizza,” in particular. They fit my life situation: running around with my friends, being a teenager. I’m not going to say I didn’t have a care in the world, as the cliche suggests, but your music made me feel that way.

I got a little older. Life changed. I went from listening to your K.I.D.S. album to moving onto something more somber–your Faces mixtape. It came out in 2014, and I would argue that it was one of your best, if not the best. You can’t go wrong with jams like “Insomniak”–Rick Ross is the man, and his contribution helps. But you could have done it all on your own.

Sorry, Rick Ross. Still love you.

Or what about “Colors and Shapes”? I think that one, with its trance-like aura and flowy lyrics, had to do with the Illuminati, but you will have to check it out for yourself.

I remember when I suffered through my first heartbreak, and you were there for me through that, too. As soon as I plugged in my headphones, the rest of the world became obsolete; I faded into a reality I could call my own. Songs like “Remember” and “Clarity” caught me during these times, made me feel like things were going to even themselves out.

Even if they didn’t.

I fell in love again. The Divine Feminine came out, and my girlfriend and I listened to it all the time. We still do. It has an entirely spiritual element to it that most artists cannot even grasp or try to sustain. I knew you had that side to you, even when others said you didn’t.

We blasted songs like “Soulmate” and “Cinderella” as loud as we could on our way to Lake Erie–me, my girlfriend, and my best bud. You don’t forget about these moments.

This summer wasn’t as great, but Swimming came out, and I cried along to the lyrics. They weren’t as uplifting, but they portrayed what you were feeling, and that makes you a hell of a good artist, Mac.

For our two-year anniversary, my girlfriend bought us tickets to your concert in November. We won’t be going. They gave us the money back.

It’s like we were friends, Mac.