SZA has paid tribute to her late friend and collaborator Mac Miller.
READ MORE: The story of Mac Miller in 15 songs
The ‘Drew Barrymore‘ singer shared a heartfelt tribute yesterday (January 17) following the release of the rapper’s second posthumous record, ‘Balloonerism’, and urged her fans to listen to the new album.
“I love my friend I miss my friend,” she wrote on X/Twitter. “Grateful he saw something in me before most and treated me w love from day 1 . Wish he could see how right ab everything he truly was . Please go stream Balloonerism RIGHT NOW.”
The two artists were close, and SZA had shared another moving post in his memory when he tragically died of a drug overdose in 2018. “Forever a genuine friend,” she wrote at the time. “The most kind supportive person ever around.” She also joined an all-star line-up including Chance The Rapper and Travis Scott in honouring him at the tribute concert held in his memory, Mac Miller: A Celebration Of Life.
SZA features on the song ‘DJ’s Chord Organ’ – you can see the full tracklist here.
The album, which was accompanied by an animated short film, was reportedly of “great importance” to the ‘Small Worlds’ artist. Miller had worked on it since 2014, and upon announcing its 2025 release, his estate said he had “commissioned artwork for it” and had regular discussions concerning its release.
They continued: “We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist. Given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing ‘Balloonerism’ was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world.”
Friday’s release follows on from the rapper’s first posthumous offering – 2020’s ‘Circles’. In a four-star review, NME described the album as “a very conflicting listen”, adding: “It’s a high-quality project, but we lost Mac way too soon, and that’s hard to accept.
“So while it’s hard to listen to him talking about self-deterioration and how he spends far too much time in his own head, it’s a privilege to hear him share his innermost thoughts over a bed of sweeping, inventive sonics. This is the album Mac Miller was born to make.”
SZA performs onstage during the Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life benefit concert on October 31, 2018 in Los Angeles. CREDIT: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
Meanwhile, SZA release ‘Lana’ last month after almost a year of speculating about its release. Rather than a standalone album, it exists as a deluxe version of her 2022 LP ‘SOS’, her second studio record.
‘Lana’ included a Kendrick Lamar feature on ‘30 For 30’, as well as production from Lil Yachty and Benny Blanco on one track each. Lamar’s feature comes after SZA appeared on his surprise album ‘GNX’, and the pair and labelmates have also announced a joint North American tour for this year.
‘SOS’ has gone on to secure nine Grammy nominations. It has also hit Number One on the Billboard 200 and Number Two on the UK singles chart, as well as being certified 3x Platinum in the US.
In a five-star review, NME described it as “a comeback album well worth the wait”.
The post SZA remembers Mac Miller with ‘Balloonerism’ release: “I miss my friend” appeared first on NME.
