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Mac Miller’s Posthumous Album ‘Circles’ Will Be Released More Than a Year After His Death
Almost a year and half after Mac Miller died, the rapper’s family announced that his new album, Circles, will be released on Friday, January 17. “Here we are. The act of having to write this at all feels surreal. At the time of his passing, Malcolm was well into the process of recording his companion album to Swimming, entitled Circles,” the post began on Wednesday, January 8. “Two different styles complementing each other, completing a circle — Swimming in Circles was the concept. He had been working with Jon Brion, who after hearing some early versions of the songs, cleared his calendar to help Malcolm fine-tune them. After his passing, Jon dedicated himself to finishing Circles based on his time and conversations with Malcolm. We are eternally grateful to Jon and to those who gave their best to the difficult and emotional task of putting out this body of work.”
Despite the heartbreak, the Grammy nominee’s family knew they needed to release new tunes in his honor. “This is a complicated process that has no right answer,” the statement continued. “No clear path. We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it. One of the most difficult decisions in the process is how best to let people know about it — how to communicate meaningfully while keeping sacred what should be kept sacred. So, this will be the only post on any of his channels. Information regarding this release, his charity and Malcolm himself will be found at @92tilinfinity.”
However, the lengthy message ended on a high note. “Thank you to all the fans who’ve supported him unconditionally through the years. We miss him. We are left to imagine where Malcolm was going and to appreciate where he was. We hope you take the time to listen. The look on his face when everyone was listening said it all. With humility and gratitude, Malcolm’s family.”
Of course, Mac’s fans couldn’t help but get emotional about the upcoming release. One person wrote, “Damn this one going right in the feels. I can tell already,” while another echoed, “More Mac Miller music to bless the ears and work its magic on the soul.” A third person chimed in, writing, “Man, I can’t wait for Circles to come out. @MacMiller was a genius. Jon Brion is amazing at what he does. This album will be amazing.”
Mac passed away in September 2018 from a drug overdose at 26 years old. The Los Angeles County Medical examiner determined he died from a “mixed drug toxicity” that included “fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol.” But one year later, a man named Cameron James Pettit was charged and arrested in connection with the singer’s death after he allegedly sold counterfeit pharmaceutical narcotics containing fentanyl to Mac two days before he passed.
“Pettit was arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint filed last Friday that charges him with one count of distribution of a controlled substance,” the Central District of California’s United States Attorney, Nicole T. Hanna, shared in a press release obtained by In Touch at the time. In October, Cameron pleaded not guilty.
Afterward, Mac’s dad, Mark McCormick, gave some solid advice to others during an event in Pittsburgh on September 6. “So, they finally caught the motherf—ker that sold him the drugs that killed him,” Mark said in a video uploaded by a fan on Twitter. “And we find some comfort in that. And many of us were young, including me, experimented with drugs. But it’s a different f—king world out there, and all it takes is a little stone — a little tiny stone of fentanyl and cocaine — and you’re dead. Drugs are being laced with fentanyl — all kinds of drugs. And the one thing I would say to you is: Don’t take the risk. It’s just not worth it. It’s just not worth, so thank you very much. Appreciate it.”
RIP, Mac. You’re certainly missed, but your music will live on.
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