Mac Miller’s Posthumous Album Drops Among New Music Friday Highlights

NEW YORK, N.Y. — A wave of new music hit streaming platforms on Friday, Jan. 17, headlined by the posthumous release of Mac Miller‘s long-awaited album, Balloonerism. The album arrives just two days before what would have been the rapper’s 33rd birthday, offering fans a poignant glimpse into his creative vision.

NPR Music‘s Stephen Thompson and WFUV’s Kara Manning highlighted the album as part of their weekly New Music Friday segment. Balloonerism, recorded in 2014, was a passion project for Miller, who personally curated its artwork and release plan before his untimely death in 2018. “This album was of great importance to Malcolm,” a statement from his family noted.

Other notable releases include The Weather Station‘s Humanhood, a jazz-inflected exploration of modern anxieties, and Ela Minus‘ sophomore album, DIA, which blends buoyant dance tracks with ambient interludes. Colombian electronic musician Ela Minus described the album as a departure from her earlier work, with tracks like “Broken” and “DIA” showcasing her evolving sound.

Blue Lake, the project of Texas-born musician Jason Dungan, also dropped Weft, a zither-led mini-album inspired by weaving practices. “Weaving allows you to have an intimate relationship between the many individual parts of a piece, as well as the finished whole,” Dungan explained in press materials.

Yola, the Grammy-nominated country-soul artist, released her My Way EP, a five-track project that follows her breakout success in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and her Broadway debut in Hadestown. Meanwhile, Benjamin Lackner’s Spindrift offers a romantic collection of jazz songs recorded in the south of France, featuring saxophonist Mark Turner and trumpeter Mathias Eick.

Manchester artist Jasmine.4.T made her debut with You Are the Morning, an album that oscillates between gentle acoustic emo and arena rock. The project includes a collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus on the track “Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation.”

With so many releases, music fans have plenty to explore. “It’s a testament to the vibrant creativity in the industry right now,” Thompson remarked during the NPR segment. “There’s something for everyone this week.”