Swimming (Mac Miller album) explained

Swimming
Type:studio
Artist:Mac Miller
Cover:Mac Miller - Swimming.png
Border:yes
Recorded:2016–2018
Genre:
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:The Divine Feminine
Prev Year:2016
Next Title:Circles
Next Year:2020

Swimming is the fifth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released on August 3, 2018 by REMember Music and Warner Bros. Records. Miller produced the album himself, with Jon Brion, Dev Hynes, J. Cole, ID Labs, Dâm-Funk, DJ Dahi, Tae Beast, Flying Lotus, and Cardo, among others. The album has no credited features, but contains vocal contributions from Dâm-Funk, Dev Hynes, Snoop Dogg, Syd, Thundercat, and JID. Miller died on September 7, 2018, making Swimming his final album to be released during his lifetime.

Swimming was supported by three singles: "Small Worlds", "Self Care", and "What's the Use?". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards.

Background

Mac Miller began work on Swimming in 2016.[1] He announced the album through social media on July 12, 2018, alongside its release date.[2]

Music and lyrics

Throughout the album, Miller's break up with pop singer Ariana Grande is a common theme of inspiration, as it gave him the chance to experience self-love, healing and psychological growth, similar to the themes shown in his previous album, The Divine Feminine (2016).[3] Lyrically, The Independent stated Miller addresses the acknowledgment of his temper ("Wings") and the pitfalls of fame ("Small Worlds").

Concerning the album's music, Rolling Stone noted Swimming is "a continuation of 2016's The Divine Feminine, with a silky, deep vibe redolent of the L.A. alternative soul scene". The song "So It Goes" has been said to incorporate "muted guitars and a spacey synth drone", while "Wings" has been described as "a spacious neo soul slow burner punctuated by the occasional sigh of a violin". NME wrote that "Ladders" is "a buoyant radio ready bop, which sees his bars skitter across glorious brass lines and earworm riffs". "Jet Fuel" was described as "sluggish, dancehall-inflected trip hop", and "What's the Use" as "synth-funk".

Release and promotion

Swimming was released worldwide by Warner Bros. Records on August 3, 2018, amongst other high-profiled albums, such as Astroworld by Travis Scott and Stay Dangerous by YG.[4] Miller performed "Ladders" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on August 13, 2018.[5]

Miller announced The Swimming Tour on July 23, 2018, with Thundercat and JID as his opening acts. The tour was scheduled to have 26 shows across North America, beginning in San Francisco on October 27, 2018, and concluding in Vancouver on December 10, 2018. It was cancelled following Miller's death on September 7, 2018.[6]

Singles

On May 30, 2018, Miller released the album's first single "Small Worlds", alongside two non-album singles: "Buttons" and "Programs".[7] The album's second single, "Self Care", was released with an accompanying music video on July 13, 2018.[8] The album's third single, "What's the Use?", was released on July 23, 2018.[9]

Critical reception

Swimming was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on 13 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.5 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Meaghan Garvey of The Guardian described Swimming as "a patient record in sound and concept" and "an ambling 13-song journey towards self-acceptance, one that does not end in triumph". Colin McGowan of The A.V. Club complimented the album's production and vocal delivery: "Miller sounds great when he's whining, croaking, stretching syllables like warm mozzarella. Swimmings spare, dreamy production allows him to do a lot of that." Evan Rytlewski of Pitchfork concluded: "An album with nothing but time on its hands and an understanding that healing is a slow, tedious process, Swimming is most engaging when it details the simple things Miller tells himself to keep his spirits up." Kyle Mullin from Exclaim! enjoyed the album, saying, "Whether Miller is singing on those funk-inflected highlights, or rapping on them with a flow that's airtight to their irresistible rhythms, he sounds like a would-be chart-topper, not to mention one of the most versatile and accomplished hip-hop artists working today".[10] For NME, Hannah Mylrea concluded: "Swimming isn't what you would have expected from Miller when he first started dropping mixtapes over a decade ago, but that doesn't matter. This album shows his growth as both an artist, and as a person who's had to deal with the most private aspects of their life being publicly dissected. It's a stellar – if somewhat overlong – artistic statement."

Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone wrote that Swimming is Miller's "most impactful album of his career", though noted a lack of lyrical depth: "If he could surface those demons with more vivid details and add texture to his lyrics instead of simply using them as a rhythmic device, then he may have a genuinely classic album in him yet. But if Swimming doesn't quite achieve greatness, it connects. You can hear his pain and perseverance, even if he struggles to put it into words." Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic concluded that "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". Trey Alston of Highsnobiety concluded that Swimming is "the authentic self-destruction album so many artists have attempted before. Here, Mac is in rare form, chronicling his destruction and rebirth in a way that shows his acknowledgment of the path ahead, but reluctance to step on it without the certainty of companionship at the end. Whether he continues to walk that path is ultimately up to him, but the Mac that's featured on Swimming will find his way from the darkness. In the process, he's given us a beautiful means to mark the turn of his narrative".[11]

Rankings

Publication! scope="col" class="unsortable"
ListRank
ABC News50 Best Albums of 2018
Billboard50 Best Albums of 2018
100 Best Albums of the 2010s
Complex50 Best Albums of 2018
HighsnobietyThe 25 Best Albums of 2018
The IndependentThe 40 Best Albums of 2018
NMEBest Albums of the Year 2018
NoiseyNoiseys 100 Best Albums of 2018
The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s
OkayplayerThe Best Albums of 2018
UproxxThe 50 Best Albums of 2018
Vibe30 Best Albums of 2018

Industry awards

Year! scope="col"
CeremonyCategoryResult
2019Grammy AwardsBest Rap Album

Commercial performance

In Miller's home country of the United States, Swimming debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with 66,000 album-equivalent units, which included 30,000 pure album sales in its first week.[12] It serves as Miller's fifth consecutive top-five album in the United States.[12]

Following Miller's death on September 7, 2018, the album rose from number 71 to number six on the Billboard 200 with 67,000 album-equivalent units, of which 15,000 were in traditional album sales.[13] Additionally, three tracks from the album entered the US Billboard Hot 100: "Self Care" (number 33), "Hurt Feelings" (number 70), and "Come Back to Earth" (number 91).[14] "Self Care" became Miller's highest-charting song as a lead artist and second-highest entry overall, behind Ariana Grande's "The Way" featuring Miller (2013; number 9).[14] On February 24, 2021, Swimming was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 1,000,000 units in the United States. It is Miller's first ever album to be certified as platinum.[15]

In Australia, Swimming opened at number 21 on the ARIA Albums Chart, becoming Miller's third top-50 album in the country.[16] In Canada, Swimming debuted at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart.[17] It serves as Miller's fifth consecutive top-10 album in the country.[17] In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 37 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the rapper's first top-40 album on the chart.[18]

Track listing

Notes

Samples

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[19]

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018–2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20] 7
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[21] 11
US Billboard 2003

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[22] 107
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[23] 42
Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[24] 47
US Billboard 200[25] 77
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[26] 65
Chart (2020)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[27] 133
Chart (2021)! scope="col"
Position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[28] 49
US Billboard 200[29] 102
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[30] 89
Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[31] 181
US Billboard 200[32] 154
Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Position
US Billboard 200[33] 148
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[34] 99

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateLabel(s)Format(s)Ref.
VariousAugust 3, 2018[35]
October 26, 2018Vinyl[36]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jenkins. Craig. An Interview With Mac Miller. September 13, 2018. September 5, 2019. Vulture. https://web.archive.org/web/20190701184700/https://www.vulture.com/2018/09/mac-miller-interview.html. July 1, 2019. live.
  2. Web site: Darville. Jordan. Mac Miller announces new album Swimming. The Fader. July 12, 2018. August 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180809215351/http://www.thefader.com/2018/07/12/mac-miller-new-album-swimming-release-date. August 9, 2018. live.
  3. Web site: Everything we learned about Mac Miller's breakup with Ariana Grande on new album 'Swimming'. USA Today. McDermott. Maeve. August 3, 2018. March 28, 2021.
  4. Web site: Kim. Michelle. 7 Albums Out Today You Should Listen to Now: Travis Scott, YG, Helena Hauff, More. Pitchfork. August 3, 2018. August 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180804120811/https://pitchfork.com/news/7-albums-out-today-you-should-listen-to-now-travis-scott-yg-helena-hauff-more/. August 4, 2018. live.
  5. Rincón. Alessandra. Mac Miller Gets Groovy With House Band for 'Ladders' Performance on 'Late Show': Watch. August 14, 2018. June 19, 2019. Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20190819231541/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8469985/late-show-mac-miller-performs-ladders-watch. August 19, 2019. live.
  6. Brooks. Dave. Mac Miller's Tour Canceled Following News of His Death. September 7, 2018. June 19, 2019. Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20190819212142/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8474134/mac-miller-swimming-tour-canceled. August 19, 2019. live.
  7. Web site: Maicki. Salvatore. Mac Miller drops three new singles. The Fader. May 30, 2018. August 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180809215643/https://www.thefader.com/2018/05/30/mac-miller-three-new-singles-small-worlds-buttons-programs. August 9, 2018. live.
  8. Web site: Goddard. Kevin. Mac Miller Drops Off New Single & Video "Self Care". HotNewHipHop. July 13, 2018. September 8, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180724183605/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/mac-miller-drops-off-new-single-and-video-self-care-new-song.1979441.html. July 24, 2018. live.
  9. Lamarre. Carl. Mac Miller Drops 'What's the Use,' Announces Swimming Tour: See Details. Billboard. July 23, 2018. September 8, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180724012312/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8466665/mac-miller-new-song-whats-the-use-the-swimming-tour-dates. July 24, 2018. live.
  10. Web site: Mullin. Kyle. Mac Miller: Swimming. Exclaim!. August 9, 2018. August 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180809203116/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/mac_miller-swimming. August 9, 2018. live.
  11. Web site: Alston. Trey. 'Swimming' Signals a Beautiful, Gripping Turn in Mac Miller's Narrative. Highsnobiety. August 8, 2018. August 9, 2018. https://archive.today/20200524121121/https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/mac-miller-swimming-review/. May 24, 2020. live.
  12. Travis Scott's 'Astroworld' Bows at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart With Second-Largest Debut of 2018. Keith. Caulfield. Billboard. August 12, 2018. August 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180812225606/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8469748/travis-scott-astroworld-no-1-billboard-200-album-chart. August 12, 2018. live.
  13. Paul McCartney Earns First No. 1 Album in Over 36 Years on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Egypt Station'. Caulfield. Keith. Billboard. September 16, 2018. September 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180917001736/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8475341/paul-mccartney-first-no-1-album-in-over-36-years-on-billboard-200-chart. September 17, 2018. live.
  14. Zellner. Xander. Mac Miller Charts Three Songs on Billboard Hot 100, Led by 'Self Care' in Top 40. Billboard. September 18, 2018. September 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181205125518/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8475758/mac-miller-charts-three-songs-on-billboard-hot-100-led-by-self. December 5, 2018. live.
  15. News: Mac Miller's 'Swimming' is officially his first Platinum album. Revolt. Powell. Jon. February 28, 2021. March 1, 2021.
  16. Web site: Travis Scott scores debut #1 with Astroworld. Australian Recording Industry Association. August 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180812083024/https://www.ariacharts.com.au/news/2018/travis-scott-scores-debut-1-with-astroworld. August 12, 2018. live.
  17. Web site: Drake Unseated From No. 1 By Travis Scott's 'Astroworld'. 13 August 2018 . FYIMusicNews. August 15, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180813210527/https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2018/08/13/drake-unseated-no-1-travis-scotts-astroworld. August 13, 2018. live.
  18. Web site: Travis Scott's Astroworld scores highest new entry on Official Albums Chart. Official Charts Company. August 10, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180811032306/http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/travis-scotts-astroworld-scores-highest-new-entry-on-official-albums-chart__23588/. August 11, 2018. live.
  19. Swimming. CD liner notes. Mac Miller. Warner Bros. Records. 2018. 90603-2.
  20. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. September 17, 2018. September 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180914132037/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=4523. September 14, 2018. live.
  21. Web site: Top 100 Slovak Albums. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. August 11, 2024.
  22. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 5, 2018. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20181204224411/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2018/top-billboard-200-albums. December 4, 2018. live.
  23. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. December 7, 2018. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20190405160444/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2018/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums. April 5, 2019. live.
  24. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2019. Recorded Music NZ. December 21, 2019.
  25. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. December 5, 2019. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20191211185632/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2019/top-billboard-200-albums. December 11, 2019. live.
  26. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. December 5, 2019. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20191205173349/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2019/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums. December 5, 2019. live.
  27. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020. Billboard. December 5, 2020. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20201205192915/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2020/top-billboard-200-albums. December 5, 2020. live.
  28. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2021. Recorded Music NZ. January 24, 2022. January 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220124051930/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=5267. live.
  29. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20211203104042/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/top-billboard-200-albums/. December 3, 2021. live.
  30. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20211213025251/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums/. December 13, 2021. live.
  31. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2022. Ultratop. nl. January 14, 2023.
  32. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 4, 2022. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20221207154322/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2022/top-billboard-200-albums/. December 7, 2022. live.
  33. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20231204041755/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/top-billboard-200-albums/. December 4, 2023. live.
  34. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20231204090247/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2023/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums/. December 4, 2023. live.
  35. Web site: Mac Miller 'Swimming' Stream. Spin. Castro-Cota. Isabella. August 3, 2018. July 25, 2020.
  36. Web site: Mac Miller – Swimming [Vinyl]]. Amazon. August 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180908100137/https://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Explicit-2LP-Mac-Miller/dp/B07FDKWTXV. September 8, 2018. live.

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