Musical Hugs: 6
Mac Miller - Swimming
This month’s musical hug comes from a more masculine artist than usually graces this section (and my ears…). Being honest, I have only gotten into Mac Miller posthumously, after the singer sadly passed away last month. This doesn’t change the fact that his music is, objectively, always going to be relatable, calming and grounding.
I had heard his music before, on the radio or in the background when I’ve been at friend’s houses. It’s only been the past couple of weeks that I’ve become captivated by his last album ‘Swimming’. He produced all of his songs as well as rapping on them, and his words and sounds have the ability to make me feel less alone in the often hard and lonely world of living with mental health problems. Miller was open and honest about his longterm difficulties with mental health and addiction, and it was sadly the latter that took his life in the end. His honesty and vulnerability is tangible throughout most of his music, but especially on his final album. He found the perfect balance between allowing us to feel melancholic and hopeful at the same time. His songs remind me that I am not alone when things get hard - that others have been there and others have lived through it. It was generally known how kind and genuine Miller was, and this can be heard throughout his art. He was a light in the darkness of modern times; he showed us the kindness of masculinity as opposed to the needlessness of toxicity.
Even though he didn’t survive through the hardships he was dealing with, he gave hope and love to so many people, and those virtues live through as we listen to his music now. If you’re looking for an album to relax to, to unwind to, to think to or to love to - Swimming is here.
Image used: IG @yurga.vas
