Mac Miller is a 24-year-old rapper who has been putting out solo records since 2009. One of his first big songs, “Donald Trump,” generated some buzz about him and his music – including attention from Donald Trump himself. Now he’s out with his fourth studio album, The Divine Feminine, which was released on Sept. 16.
The first thing that caught my attention was the title itself. In an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 Radio, Mac said that this album title was, “A concept that was told to me about just the energy of the world being a female energy, the energy of the planet… and just kind of like how that mirrors the soul of a woman, and you know, like Mother Earth and falling in love with the universe.”
There are ten songs on the album – many of which talk a lot about love and desire as he had mentioned. Of the ten songs, several big name artists were featured such as Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande, Cee Lo Green, Ty Dolla $ign, and more, which gives a variety to the types of songs on the album from all of the different collaborating artists.
The most popular song on the iTunes charts from The Divine Feminine is “Daang!” which features Anderson .Paak. It’s a slower-paced song and the first time I listened to it, it reminded me of a remix to a song that you’d hear in an elevator.
One thing to note is that Mac is currently dating Ariana Grande, a singer who was featured on this album in the song “My Favorite Part.” In an album basically dedicated to love and a woman, it’s interesting to see that the song he collaborated with his girlfriend on is called “My Favorite Part.” In the song, the chorus says, “You just don’t know how beautiful you are, and baby that’s my favorite part.” Coincidence? This song is my favorite from the album because it is relaxing and it has a nice message behind it.
“My favorite song is ‘Daang!’ because it’s so catchy and the lyrics are good,” said Brookdale Community College student and long-time Mac Miller fan Alyssa Scalzo. “It’s a style Mac’s never done before and he killed it.” In reference to the entire album, Scalzo also said “This album was more for him and from his heart rather than just writing songs for people to sing along to at shows. It’s a totally different feel from all his other albums and music but definitely in a good way.”
After giving the album a listen this seems to hold true. Pretty much every song on the album has to do with love, such as “Congratulations” featuring Bilal, which talks about a potential engagement and a long-term relationship. This song also peaked my interest because of the piano instrumental in the background. It’s something that he hasn’t done many times in the past, which gives him a new flavor.
“I’ve basically grown up listening to Mac and each album brings something completely different to the table,” said Angelica Manos, a student at the University of Alabama and long-time Mac Miller fan. “This album focuses solely on being in love and it’s something new and different that he’s never done before. He’s obviously a rapper but there’s a lot of ballad-type songs which is really cool.” Manos continued to say that her favorite song from the album is either “Cinderella,” which features Ty Dolla $ign, or “Stay” because “they both have a little of old Mac in there,” too.
On the contrary, Cassie Stiansen, a senior and marketing student at Monmouth, said, “I’m not a big Mac Miller fan to begin with but I especially dislike this album. I liked his old music a lot better because the songs were a lot more catchy and upbeat.”
Whether you like the album or not, it seems to be an agreement that the album is clearly different than others that Mac has put out in the past. However, although the type of songs that he created differ than other messages and tones of his other songs, his voice still sounds the same; he is not trying to do a completely different voice style. For example, I remember when Lil Wayne tried to create a rock album, the most popular one being “Prom Queen,” but the audiene didn’t respond all too well because he is and was a long-time rap artist. In Mac Miller’s case, his new style still works for him because it isn’t a really different style, it’s just different meanings in the songs.
Another thing that caught my attention other than the music itself was the album cover. Since the album is entitled The Divine Feminine, it is no surprise that the cover matches the description. The background is a soft, pale pink, with an abstract shape in the middle. To me, this appears to be a mirror with a woman in the middle; her face is blocked out by a sky which, to me, represents beauty. In the interview with Beats 1 Radio Mac described the album as love and appreciation for female energy and the planet. In this cover, there appears to be a woman and the sky, which is a combination of both of these elements. It is simple yet elegant which I think suits the album well and compliments the tone of the music in it.
If you’d like to give the album a listen, it is on sale in stores and online for about $9.99.
