Circles: An Album

By: Emily Eade

Circles by Mac Miller is his sixth and final studio album, and a posthumous release following his passing on September 7, 2018. Circles was meant to follow up Mac Miller’s previous studio album Swimming, that album being one in which he showcased his struggles in life, and how he was learning to move past his then demons to become the better person he wanted to be. The two albums put together were meant to create the phrase, “Swimming in Circles”. 

Mac seemed to have envisioned Circles to be a completion of the loop. Mac raps on the album Swimming closing song “So It Goes”, “My God, it go on and on… Just like a circle, I got back to where I’m from.” Swimming was created to explain being seen as fine on the outside, but on the inside being anxiety-ridden; whereas Circles is about knowing there’s something to be done about it. The creation of imagery of his depression-filled, cluttered mind was seen throughout Mac’s final songs as an artist. 

“Circles” is the first track off the album and picks up where the last track of Swimming left off. On this track, Mac creates a vision of being directionless, showing listeners how he feels as if his life is going in circles and he cannot do anything about it. The mixture of the slow melodic beats that perfectly contrasted with Mac’s voice gives a feel in which listeners can connect to what is trying to be conveyed throughout the song. Mac’s lyrics, “And I don’t have a name, I don’t have a name, no. Who am I to blame? Who am I to blame though? And I cannot be changed, I cannot be changed, no. Trust me, I’ve tried, I just end up right at the start of the line… Drawin’ circles,” was Mac’s way of saying he is one with his universal consciousness and no matter what, he ends up at the start of the line drawing circles, living his lives through reincarnation. 

“Good News” is the first single and fourth song of the album. On this track, Mac creates a similar theme that has been seen in his previous album Swimming. He explains his feeling of no reprieve from his negative feelings in life while having people around him wanting him to say he’s doing good and wanting him to suppress the negative feelings he has built inside of himself. “There ain’t a better time than today. Well, maybe I’ll lay down for a little, yeah. Instead of always tryin’ to figure everything out, and all I do is say sorry. Half the time I don’t even know what I’m sayin’ it about,” are lyrics that perfectly describe the feeling of how today can feel like the day to fix all your problems, and yet, the lasting change cannot happen if you’re tired from all your stress. Mac also recognized that he always apologizes without changing his actions. He understands that he should grow from these experiences instead of merely apologizing. 

“Hand Me Downs” is the eighth song on the album in which Mac reflects on his headspace and the methods he uses to cope. “I made it, but I hate once I build it, I break it down,” are lyrics that express Mac’s way to sum up Circles in a nutshell. Using his lyrics to show his self-destructive nature in which he constantly is building up and then breaking down is his way of completing the circle in which he is swimming. The instrumental features a thumping beat, melancholy strings, and synth flourishes throughout the song. 

“Surf” is the second to last track on the album. It’s an excellent overview of not only Mac’s problems, but also his mental state. Mac creates a way to allow listeners to view his perceived ‘craziness’ but also his self-esteem issues. Using slow melodic beats between bass, drums, and guitar contrasts well with his raspy voice, which conveys the exact way you’re supposed to feel while listening to this song. In the lyrics, “I’m startin’ to see that all I have to do is get up and go,” Mac is saying that if you want to make progress, you need to start. No matter how simple the task may be, getting started is the first step. 

“Once A Day” is the final track of the album. It’s the perfect emotional ending of a career that wasn’t supposed to end when it did. The song has a slow yet steady tempo with a simple melody that captures an emotional feeling throughout. The lyrics, “I wonder what they know. I wonder if they ever even cared at all. I wonder, do they see their own reflection in the rain and look away?” was a way in which Mac could talk about his loved ones and wondering if they even knew what he was going through and wondering if they ever cared about how he felt. Mac also used the dark weather as an analogy for depression, or what could be taken as a dark state of mind. The rain is seen as his problem and was trying to distract himself rather than tackling the issue. 

Circles showed not only Mac’s fans but also the world a perfect ending to his self-discovery. Although it ended sadly and abruptly because of his passing, it gave a way for fans to see his process of trying to get better. The album is an emotional rollercoaster that perfectly describes the mind and person Mac Miller had become. Mac allowed his fans a way to look into his personal life without getting too personal.