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Music fans can prepare for a unique tribute to the late rapper Mac Miller, as his long-anticipated album Balloonerism prepares to launch this week, complete with an original animated short film.
The project, which Miller had discussed during his lifetime, will be released as his second posthumous album since his death in 2018. Fans will get two distinct experiences: the album on Friday, January 17th, and a companion animated film debuting two days earlier on Wednesday.
The short film, directed by Samuel Jerome Mason, offers a surreal narrative following a group of young friends transformed by mysterious music. According to the film’s synopsis, these characters will journey through a metaphorical exploration of growing up, navigating what’s described as “the underbelly of adulthood.”
Theatrical screenings are planned internationally, including locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several European countries. Tickets are strategically priced at $5 – a direct reference to the album’s lead single, “5 Dollar Pony Rides,” which features bassist Thundercat.
Miller originally recorded Balloonerism around 2013, during the same creative period as his album Watching Movies with the Sound Off. The album has been a topic of speculation among fans for years, with unofficial versions circulating online.
