Though refreshingly candid about his issues, Miller has re-emerged with a new confidence in the past year or so. Early on, the “Donald Trump” rapper took his critical lumps dealt with the challenges and scrutiny of being a white rapper with a growing national profile and struggled with insecurities, depression and a well-chronicled drug addiction that threatened to not only sabotage his career, but had people worried for his life. No doubt Miller’s six-year rise since signing with Pittsburgh’s Rostrum Records in 2011 hasn’t been without its hurdles.
MAC MILLER THE DIVINE FEMININE MAC
Mac Miller & Ariana Grande Collab On Slow Jam: ‘My Favorite Part’
But The Divine Feminine is, in Miller’s words, the result of the artist telling his fears and insecurities to “get the f- outta here.” The tone expressed is yet another side of Miller’s eight-sided dice that I predict listeners will use in their own role-playing games for many days to come.Singing more, working with analog instruments and giving in to R&B impulses are all things Miller has long toyed with in his head. Traces have worked their way texturally into past releases, including 2015’s ode to finding sobriety GO:OD AM, which came out almost exactly a year ago. While it’s rare for any mainstream artist to produce an entire body of work steered toward this sort of expression, especially within hip hop (Drake excluded), Miller does it without sacrificing the demeanor and attitude his fans expect, know, and adore. The Divine Feminine is as sexy and soft around the edges as the femininity to which it eludes. Grande’s top tier vocals and Lamar’s charm offer just enough to enhance, but allow Miller to remain the star of the show. The songs feature Ariana Grande and Kendrick Lamar respectively and each artist turns in a performance worthy of their own solo projects. The two kingmakers, “My Favorite Part” and “God is Fair, Sexy Nasty” conclude the fare, and the track selection/ordering couldn’t have been more satisfying.
The high production value becomes increasingly evident with each track by way of what appears to be a deliberate dedication to the fusion of modern technique and traditional instruments.
“Dang!” continues the theme but gives you something to bounce to in (for my money) what’s easily the most repeat-able selection of the 10. Once Bilal has finished well… being Bilal, Miller sits on the other side of a soulful violin bridge with a conversation-like emotional appeal. “Congratulations” could best be interpreted as a serenade with a backdrop of cascading piano keys. In a departure from earlier records and mixtapes, and even 2015’s “GO:OD AM,” which felt less alternative than usual with its heavy drum beats, aggressive rhymes, and hardcore lyrics, Miller’s most recent outing shows us a maturing, far post-collegiate musician.įeminine listens like a carefully crafted love letter and, opening with “Congratulations” featuring Bilal, it wastes no time in setting the mood. As an artist who has established a reputation for balancing vocal melody with hip hop, in addition to his ability to write for and appeal to the most current desires of rap audiences, Mac Miller has again replied to your missed calls.
0 kommentar(er)
