Mac Miller is back with his fifth studio album SWIMMING. It’s his first project since his 2016 album The Divine Feminine, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Mac released the album trailer on July 12 via the TreeJTV YouTube channel. He put out three singles from the project prior to its full debut: “Self Care,” “Small Worlds,” and “What’s the Use?” Production on the 13-track project is handled by the likes of Carter Lang, DJ Dahi, Tae Beast, and frequent collaborator ID Labs.
In his recent interview with Zane Lowe, Mac Miller addresses how this project took longer than usual for him to put together. “I went on a journey with it,” Mac says about SWIMMING. “It took a long time to even figure out what it was. Usually, I finish a record and the next week, I know exactly what I’m doing next. That’s why I’ve been able to come every year. This time, it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to say."
In May, Mac Miller surprised fans with a trio of new tracks: “Buttons,” “Programs,” and “Small Worlds,” with only the last track appearing on the new album. These releases broke the silence of a seemingly rough time period for the Pittsburgh rapper, who was fresh off a break up with singer Ariana Grande and also a highly publicized DUI car crash and arrest. Earlier this week, Mac Miller dropped a live performance video “Inertia,” a Thudercat-assisted track where he addresses the break up, his struggles with alcohol abuse, and his current state of mind.
