Content warning: This article describes struggles with mental health, addiction and death at a young age.
Mac Miller’s "Faces" (2014) became available for widespread streaming on major platforms on Oct. 15. On behalf of the late rapper, the McCormick estate released the mixtape to major media platforms as a bona fide album. Previously, the 2014 creation had been accessible only through lesser-known platforms such as SoundCloud.
In September of 2018, the rapper died, resulting in a disturbing echo of a verse in his 2015 song "Brand Name," in which he speaks "to everyone [who sells] me drugs," saying that he wants no part in "the 27 club," a group of late artists who passed at that age. With investigations linking his death to the consumption of laced drugs, the verse becomes evermore a sobering premonition and a look into the sad realities of young stardom.
Miller originally released "Faces" in 2014, eschewing the support of any major label companies. With this 2021 rerelease, the album serves as a cherished time capsule of Miller’s artistic genius despite his tragic death at such a young age. Accompanying the music is aminidocumentary titled "Making Faces." Director Sam Balaban depicts the production process of this heralded mixtape, evoking fan nostalgia with previously unseen footage of the rapper and his team. In addition to the film, each song on the album is paired with a psychedelic visual. The McCormick family, Miller’s close relatives, hand-selected artists to create these background graphics.
In terms of style, where Miller’s "Swimming" (2018) and his posthumously released "Circles" (2020) carry a somber tone throughout, "Faces" sits at the intersection of the rapper’s playful air and his heavy, introspective musings. After its original release, Millersaid "Faces" was “one of those projects that depending on where you started, that’s what kind of project it is. It goes through different emotional states.” Indeed, Miller distinguished himself for weaving his mental strife into calming melodies that reflect our own feelings of lostness back at us.
"Faces" makes frequent references to Miller’s battle with drug addiction and depression. The opening track, "Inside Outside," introduces an album-wide pattern of references to dying young. As Miller raps that he “shoulda died already,” he establishes a lamentable irony.
Despite its subdued tone, Miller’s album still delivers some zest. Songs such as "Therapy" and "Diablo" pair well-paced lyrics with catchy background repetitions. They bring a jazzy element to the album and provide a fitting soundtrack for putting away laundry or making everyday monotony less monotonous.
Since its 2014 release, fans have regarded "Faces" as among Miller’s best. His work draws strength from the feelings it elicits in its listeners. "Yeah" tells of self-loss; Miller seems to reject the idea of a higher purpose, yet wonders what his own might be. He welcomes listeners to grapple with their own confusion by offering his own.
Miller creates an artful combination of stand-alone bangers like "The Spins" (2010) and serene melodies that layer and blend into one another. His songs provide thin, evocative slices of his world; he takes listeners through a jading blur of drugs, party scenes, young fame and artistic strife.
In "Angel Dust," listeners join Miller at rock bottom, with “angel dust” being a euphemism for the PCP he does during the intro. The song centers us in his own mental battle, as finding himself “annihilated on the pavement” delivers him to a breaking point. In yet another eerie prophecy, the song concludes with an overdose, leading into the following track, "Malibu."
Miller’s music gives the sensation of loitering — looking into a room or window but not quite entering. His soft raps and layers of enticing background melodies show us his thoughts while leaving enough room for our own. In a genre often dominated by aggressive lyrics and forceful delivery, Miller’s songs provide space for empathy and introspection.
Though "Faces" is far from anything new, it does provide a powerful reminder that though Miller is gone, his art still lives and breathes. Against the harsh and often unfathomable reality of his abrupt death, fans can peruse Miller’s "Faces" like it was released just yesterday.
