Swimming
| Mac Miller
Swimming
Swimming is the fifth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller and the last album during his lifetime. It was released on August 3, 2018, by REMember Music and Warner Bros. Records. Production on the album was handled by Miller himself, as well as Dev Hynes, J. Cole, D m-Funk, DJ Dahi, Tae Beast, Flying Lotus and Cardo, among others. The album has no credited features, but contains vocal contributions from D m-Funk, Dev Hynes, Snoop Dogg, Syd, Thundercat and J.I.D. - Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
2018 - On his wounded fifth album, Mac Miller sings deftly about heartbreak and his mental state, capturing his resignation without turning sadness into a performative spectacle.
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Rolling Stone
2018 - The self-described “chill dude” weathers personal wreckage on the most impactful album of his career.
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NME
2018 - The rapper's brutally honest fifth album is a stellar – if somewhat overlong – artistic statement.
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The Guardian
2018 - His troubles result in a wiser, sadder, better album.
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Hot New Hip Hop
2018 - Swimming has value on a purely psychological perspective; few albums in recent memory have given such honest insight into a creator’s mind.
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DJBooth
2018 - ‘Swimming’ is an honest and immaculately arranged look at what it means to try and fail, and to love your failures more than yourself.
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Variety
2018 - The rapper's post-Ariana break-up album is slow, spacey and strong.
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High Snobiety
2018 - With each release, his narrative grows much darker and colder.
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Dead End Follies
2018 - I really liked Swimming, but perhaps it was a little too long.
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Slant Magazine
2018 - Swimming is an openhearted meditation on self-love in the wake of heartbreak.
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RIFF Magazine
2018 - Swimming does tend to meander at times. But it’s suggestive of an artist wandering within himself
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The 405
2018 - If Miller found his stride over two years ago with GO:OD AM, he’s now confidently in full control, guiding Swimming down a surprisingly restrained, subtle journey into a heart’s bleakest turmoil - and its gradual reemergence into hard-earned, if wistful, understanding.
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Dopecausewesadi
2018 - While the album is filled with singing, it also has the same solid rapping and lyricism that we are accustomed to from Miller.
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Sputnik Music
2018 - I ain't asking why no more / nowadays all I do is shine, take a breath and ease my mind / it ain't 2009 no more / yeah I know what's behind that door.
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The Oarsman
2018 - “Swimming” was Mac Miller trying his best to feel comfortable with himself, no matter what the cost.
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The Signal
2018 - Overall, the lyrics in “Swimming” carry much more weight than the music itself.
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The Young Folks
2018 - This is probably Miller’s most sonically consistent project to date.
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FLOOD Magazine
2018 - Swimming is instilled with the hope that one day each of us—Miller included—can find peace of mind.
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The AU Review
2018 - Overall, this is the most mature Mac Miller project yet.
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NZ Herald
2018 - Mac Miller seems to have finally learned that life isn't all sink or swim. Sometimes it's enough just to stay afloat and enjoy the view - and that's exactly how this album feels.
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All Music
2018 - Swimming is ample evidence that Miller can pick up the pieces and continue evolving, his grasp on thoughtful, introspective hip-hop getting stronger by the album.
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HipHopDX
2018 - He’s giving listeners a window into the chaos that is growth and reflection — it’s messy and unapologetic.
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Exclaim!
2018 - Miller's taste in beats and collaborative instincts are all on point throughout those tracks.
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Medium
2018 - These songs weren’t anything new or provocative, but the album had its moments of sweet harmony and celebratory sessions.
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The Guacho Gazette
2018 - “Swimming” is a cohesive, entrancing, and respectable addition to Mac’s musical archive.
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Gringos Notebook
2018 - Swimming is spacey, deep, ladled with a lot more melody and singing from Miller.
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The Aquarian
2018 - It’s sprinkled with bouncy beats that are made specifically for radio airplay and live shows, touches upon harmony and hooks, and is ready to be a fan favorite.
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The Musical Hype
2018 - Mac Miller returns with arguably the most personal, honest, and mature album of his career.
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The Weekly Spoon
2018 - Filled with a strong sense of lyrical continuity and intricate production details that reward multiple listens, Mr. Miller has released his best album to date.
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Financial Times
2018 - A thoughtfully composed and impressively performed set of songs.
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Immortal Reviews
2018 - Mac Miller takes control of himself in Swimming, putting the slippery slope of life to music.
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The Cluster
2018 - “Swimming” is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year and it reasserts that Miller produces highly detailed and high quality music.
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XXL Magazine
2018 - Swimming merges enlightening, candid rhymes over funky beats, providing a transparent look at how Mac Miller hit a personal rock bottom and his vigorous climb to save himself.
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The Ratings Game
2018 - For 13 songs, I felt both sorry and proud of him, which means that I too am human and shouldn’t be afraid to let people know about my flaws. Thanks for the confidence boost, Mac!
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Rockhaq
2018 - It’s a true joy to see an artist, who could easily have been written off as another bro-down rapper all those years ago, showing off his talents as a vocalist as well as his taste, which makes Swimming one of the most enjoyable and poignant albums of the year.
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Noisey
2018 - Sharper than he's ever been lyrically, a little more comfortable in himself, hopefully he knows that you never fully reach the shore.
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The Times
2018 - Mac Miller has gone for a woozy, auto-tune-heavy, R&B direction on his latest album.
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The Lifestyle
2018 - Mac’s truthful yet fallible nature lifts Swimming to potential Album of the Year conversations.
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The Sideline Observer
2018 - Swimming marks a fascinating moment of simultaneous artistic triumph and emotional distress in the young rapper’s career.
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Northern Transmissions
2018 - Miller’s newest record brings forth powerful stories and production that always feels right for lyrics.
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Beat
2018 - All things considered, this isn’t a terrible album. It’s just not Mac’s best work thus far.
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Hatter Network
2018 - On Swimming, the anxieties and hopelessness are wrapped in a blanket of beautiful violins and slick metaphors, almost distracting you from this musical counseling session being manifested.
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The Writer's Bloc
2018 - Mac Miller’s fifth studio album “Swimming” undertakes a heavier tone from previous projects as he lyricizes his attempts at staying afloat during his lowest times.
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Bens Beat
2018 - Getting lost in Miller’s inner thoughts over the course of this album is a very engaging experience.
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The Xavier Herald
2018 - Overall this album has some pretty good instrumental and production to some of the more light-hearted songs but it’s a loss of creativity that really plunges this album down into the ocean.
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Beat Magazine
2018 - Mac Miller’s fifth studio album isn’t exactly groundbreaking – the influences are glaringly obvious – but his beats are catchy and his lyrical work doesn’t suck.
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Ginfold
2018 - Mac Miller is more than a masterpiece. The Pittsburgh born rapper has released his latest album ‘Swimming’ that has a psychedelic twist filled with funky basslines and jazzy overtones
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Crossfader Magazine
2018 - The album represents a coming into his own, not just personally, but professionally too. Rating: Recommended
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Dozens of Donuts
2018 - Good but ultimately fading.
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Riffs and Rhymes
2018 - At least to a certain degree. He’s making progress.
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Legends Will Never Die
2018 - I was hoping for Mac to make a triumphant comeback & at the end of the day, that’s exactly what I got.
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Surviving the Goldenage
2018 - He makes fairly good, fun pop-rap. There’s no point in him making music like that of Swimming, because he just doesn’t seem to have the skill set to be a lo-fi R&B singer.
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Steemit
2018 - Overall "Swimming" is Miller giving us a glimpse of what he's been feeling, and it's a beautifully melancholic trip that I'm glad he took us down, and if you're a fan of Miller, or looking for something different and raw give "Swimming" a listen, you won't be disappointed.
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The Chant
2018 - A man who transformed from young and arrogant, to young and in love, and now to a man who has lived through heartbreak and continues to focus on his self-growth.
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King of the Chill
2018 - At the end of the day, Mac Miller’s Swimming isn’t amazing but it is very enjoyable.
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The Fresh Committee
2018 - Even with great grooves behind him, Mac Miller fails to inject vitality into his most personal effort.
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Sacred Exile
2018 - The general problem with this record doesn’t lie in a single song or several moments, it’s the overall energy that brings it down.
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Nice Listen
2018 - Mac Miller manages to create a great blend of airy, gentle production with playful flows about his positive mentality overcoming issues he’s had within the last year or so.
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Dumb Lit
2018 - With Swimming, Miller has his crown jewel, by far the most impressive of his full-lengths to date.
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The Drive Online
2018 - I like it, it can get repetitive, but otherwise still pretty good.
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WRSU
2018 - If “Swimming” leaves us with anything after the death of Mac Miller, it’s that you don’t have to swim all alone.
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