The Divine Feminine - Mac Miller
The Divine Feminine is Mac's fourth studio album, and his most mature to date at the time it was released. Mac dropping an album centered around love and his relationship with Arianna Grande is something no one would have predicted when he was on his come up, but is just one of several albums that is a testament to his growth as an artist.
The first thing you hear on the album is Arianna's angelic vocals harmonizing, which is an indication of how the whole album is going to be; beautiful. Alongside Ari's singing on the intro track Congratulations, we are also given a great piano that progresses into grand strings, which are also beautiful. Mac also gives his first of nine other amazing performances on the album, with a great flow and lyrics, doing a great job of setting the tone for the rest of the album. Dang! has a very bouncy and playful instrumental, which is the perfect setting for an Anderson .Paak feature. Paak delivers a lowkey but fun chorus that is perfect for the track. When Mac comes on his energy and flow matches Paak and the beats energy perfectly. He drops bars about him and a girl being in an on and off relationship and how he wants to solidify it saying he can't keep losing her.
Stay is another amazing track; it features a trumpet that is just essential as it brings so much life to the track. Once the beat drops Mac begins to flow about how he is effortlessly in love with this woman and how he wants to take it to the next level with her. The hook of Stay is perfect as he reiterates how badly she wants her to stay, even just a little while longer. Skin has a deeper and heavier instrumental with an angelic sample woven into it. Mac raps about his physical relationship with Arianna in a way that is sensual, but not overbearing. He has amazing metaphors and double entendres throughout the song, making it just as good as its predecessors, if not better.
Cinderella with Ty Dolla $ign is an absolute Mac Miller classic. It features a god sent instrumental, with an even better feature from Ty. Mac drops great bars through and through about wanting to treat his girl like a princess (Cinderella). Ty's chorus hits harder every time he sings it because it is just that great. On the second part of the songs, Mac's slowed down verse over the piano might just be one of the most beautiful moments in music history. This song is iconic. Planet God Damn is just another great track. The instrumental is similar to that of contemporary R&B, while keeping its jazz influence. Mac floats amazingly over this beat and Njomza delivers a great performance.
Soulmate features another bouncy instrumental, but differs from Dang! with a more spacey, zoned-out sound. Mac's best singing on the album can be found on this track, his vocals are simply amazing, along with a beautifully worded chorus being the highlight of the track. We is a track that has always reminded me of Wear My Hat, off of Best Day Ever. I think of it as the same song but just as a more mature Mac writing it. In both songs he raps about having relations with a woman, wanting to make it a relationship, young Mac wants to give her his hat as a sign of that, while an older Mac just says that they are "we". I think its another moment of strong growth and a beautiful track with a great feature from CeeLo Green.
My Favorite Part with Arianna Grande is an upbeat, rhythmic tune that features an entrancing drum pattern that is quite good. Mac's flow game continues to be great as well as him delivering another solid chorus on the album. Arianna's contributions are great as well and hearing her and Mac harmonizing is an amazing thing but chilling at the same time. God Is Fair, Sexy Nasty with Kendrick Lamar is an amazing closing track, the best on the album in my opinion. The instrumental is slowed down and spacey compared to the rest of the album with great vocal samples. Unexpectedly Kendrick who normally steals the show with a verse, sings an absolutely beautiful chorus that I think everyone should hear at least once in their life, it is just something so incredible; Of course Mac's verse is great too. The outro to the track as well, is another beautiful moment. Mac Miller's grandmother talking about her love with her husband and how it grew is something I never knew I needed to hear, and way a perfect closer to a near perfect album.
The Divine Feminine is a great jazzy rap album, but it is also so much more. It is the best album I have heard thematically centered around love. Mac flows amazing throughout the album and his lyricism is the perfect balance of being sensual and passionate storytelling, but never crossing the line of not wanting to listen to it because of how often he raps about sex. He doesn't sing the chorus on every track but when he does he does a great job too. Every track is memorable and replay able, all having unique instrumentals and sounds. There is not a dull moment on this record
Final Rating:
LIGHT 9