Reviews

‘Faces’ by Mac Miller released on streaming platforms

AJ Grainger, senior sports editor|November 24, 2021

Mac Miller showcases his perplexing album cover for Faces.

The posthumous mixtape “Faces,” by Mac Miller, was put onto streaming platforms on Oct. 15. Miller originally released Faces on a free download in 2014 instead of streaming platforms because of several issues with copyright.

Miller passed away on Sept. 7, 2018, due to an overdose on drugs that were laced with Fentanyl. His timeless music has lived on since his death and he continues to gain new fans every day.

On Faces, Miller serves as the executive producer as he produced the majority of the 23 tracks. However, Miller did not make the mixtape completely alone; rappers like Earl Sweatshirt, Vince Staples, Rick Ross and others are featured as an artist or producer on the project.

Miller touches several topics on this mixtape, but the main two that are talked about in almost every song are love and his struggle with drug addiction. Miller reveals a dark and depressed side of himself on Faces, which fans don’t see much of on any of his other albums.

On the opening track “Inside Out,” Miller talks about how he “should have died already” due to his addictions with drugs. And on one of the most popular songs in the album, “Therapy,” Miller talks about how living his best life is his way of coping with the depression and struggles in his life.

The main thing that stands out about Faces is how advanced the beats and instrumentals are. The project was originally made in 2014, but a decent number of the songs in it sound like they would have been released this year. Miller combines classic instruments with electric sounds and different samples to create his beats. On the track “Therapy,” he combines trumpet sounds with a sample to create one of the most enticing and fun songs I have ever listened to.

All of the songs on the project are unique and stand out from each other due to the variety in production. When I first started listening I was immediately hooked by the unique sounds and it was genuinely difficult to stop listening. I have been listening to it more than anything else since it came out and it keeps on getting better the more I listen.

Around a month since its release, I can confidently say that this is my favorite Mac Miller album. Faces gets a 8.5/10 due to its enticing production and the unique lyricism from Miller.