Overview: Circles, which was released on January 17, 2020, is American rapper Mac Miller’s 6th studio album and his first posthumous album. Miller tragically died from a drug overdose in September 2018 in the middle of Circles’ production, and producer Jon Brion handled the rest of production for the album afterward. Circles has been praised by many fans and critics alike as being one of the best posthumous albums ever created, as the project was handled with great care and respect for Miller and his vision. The album also has a remarkably complete sound despite Miller’s death, and it showcases an impressively cohesive collection of tracks. Circles has no listed features, but there are certainly contributions from various artists hidden throughout the album (For example, Baro Sura on “Hand Me Downs”). On the surface, the project seems quite straightforward when it comes to genre, as Circles is primarily a rap album. However, there are pop influences as well and perhaps even a little funk. In fact, Circles showcases a unique sound that is hard to fit into one genre, so it’s easier to just call it rap and move on. Overall, Circles has quite a “chill” sound, which was one of the first things I noticed on my first listen. There are of course several tracks that are a bit more lively, but Circles is very relaxing and mellow for the most part. I like the vibe that Miller created with Circles, and I found myself enjoying his unique style. More on that later though. 

Themes: Circles is quite an introspective album, with a preponderance of themes and messages. Healing, moving on, and finding peace are present as themes throughout the project. Finding peace is an especially interesting one, as Miller lays out his struggles with fame, addiction, and pain in several tracks. He never gets full closure, as the last song on the album, “Once A Day”, would suggest, but he strives towards a better future. It’s saddening to listen to all these songs about Miller’s struggles and hopes knowing he would overdose before releasing the album, and it really puts many of the tracks like “Good News” (in which he delves into his struggles with addiction and the world) into perspective. The themes in Circles hit hard, and they are unfortunately accentuated by Miller’s untimely death. There are many lessons to be learned and messages to mull over in Circles, so I would listen closely if I were you. 

Song Ratings and 1-Word Descriptions

1. “Circles” – (8.5/10): Calming

2. “Complicated” – (8/10): Electronic

3. “Blue World” – (10/10): VIBE

4. “Good News” – (8.5/10): Introspective

5. “I Can See” – (7.5/10): Dreamy

6. “Everybody” – (8.5/10): Chill

7. “Woods” – (7.5/10): Quieting

8. “Hand Me Downs” – (9/10): Friendly

9. “That’s On Me” – (8/10): Mood

10. “Hands” – (7.5/10): Lyricism

11.  “Surf” – (6/10): Sleepy

12. “Once A Day” – (6.5/10): Perspective 

Standout Tracks

My Standout tracks for Circles are: “Good News”, “Hand Me Downs”, and “Blue World”

"Good News": It was really hard to choose between this track and “Everybody”, as they are both excellent songs that deserve recognition. In fact, I very nearly rated both of those songs a 9, but just barely decided against it. When it comes down to it, though, “Good News” has a slightly more polished sound, which makes it more popular with the average music listener. That fact, along with the enthralling theme of “Good News”, gives it the slightest edge over “Everybody”. “Good News” highlights Mac Miller’s hardships in dealing with addiction and his mental health, which hits hard, considering his death. Even when not taking into account the song’s message, “Good News” is a vibe and is easy to listen to. Turn this track on when you want to chill and disassociate. 

“Hand Me Downs”: This track is the kind of song that makes you smile when listening to it. It has a “friendly” sound that helps the listener chill out and vibe, and though it’s hard to describe, it’s a fun song. “Hand Me Downs” is both a love song and a cry for help, as Mac Miller explores his wishes for a family and acknowledges his issues with his mental health. It’s not ultra complicated, but it gets the job done and serves as a welcome change of pace from the melancholy of some parts of Circles. 

“Blue World”: The song is simpy a vibe. I love just about everything about “Blue World”, from the interesting and unique beat to the confident lyricism to Mac’s solid flow throughout the song. When I first listened to the track, the beat drop had me in shock with how epic and fun it was. The fact is that Mac Miller, despite his often cool and mellow sound, knows how to make a fun song. A 10/10 is a high honor coming from me, but I am extremely confident in rating “Blue World” a 10. This track has played non-stop in my ear for weeks.

Stinker

My stinker for Circles is “Surf”. Now, let me make this clear from the start: “Surf” is NOT a bad song. In fact, I enjoyed it. It just happened to be a little less good than the other songs on Circles. There are several reasons for this. The most obvious one for me is the annoying high-pitched synth/guitar sound that plays during the chorus. I don’t know exactly what instrument makes the sound, but God does it take the listener out of the vibe. The track as a whole is very chill, with an acoustic guitar and drums doing most of the work musically and Mac mumbling/singing over the beat. The jarring sound kind of took me out of the groove whenever it played, and I just found it annoying. The song also drags on a bit towards the end, as it’s 5 minutes and 31 seconds long with most of the back end being instrumental. I’m not taking away from the message or lyrics of “Surf”, and I think that the song certainly can be a vibe at times, but it just didn’t stand out among all of the top-tier music on Circles. 

Conclusion

After listening to the album several times, I can confidently say that Circles is one of the few no-skip albums out there. For the uninformed, that is to say that there are no tracks on the album that I would skip. The quality of each song is incredibly impressive and consistent, with several options for standout tracks. Along with being consistent, Circles does a great job of keeping the listener engaged by implementing several genres and sounds. From the slow and introspective sound of “Circles” to the high-flying vibes of “Blue World”, this album truly does have something for everyone. Mac Miller’s musical style comes off as unique and interesting, with heavy use of the synth and the sprinkling of a preponderance of other instruments into each track. Furthermore, Miller taps into the emotions of the listener with his deep messages and themes while also making music that is heaven for the ear. It is easy to identify with Miller’s struggles, and his death certainly puts an edge on many of his lyrics. Circles has the strength of being consistent while also sounding unique and interesting, which is rare and powerful for an album.  

Final Conclusion: Circles, while being a posthumous album, has an incredibly fine-tuned and interesting sound. The themes hit hard, and the music hits harder. The low-lights of this album can serve as a lesser album's highlights, and the highlights of Circles are astounding. The album is a pleasure to listen to, and it's one of the most seamless listens I've had. I see no reason to give it anything less than a 10/10.