Mac Miller's troubling trip on "Colors and Shapes"

The first single off of Mac Miller’s second posthumous release, Faces, has arrived in the form of the experimental and spacey “Colors and Shapes.”

Faces, which is receiving its release in physical formats and streaming services on October 15th, 2021, is an updated version of the old mixtape (Miller’s 11th, to be exact) that was originally released for free on May 11th, 2014. The mixtape bridged the gap between Miller’s second and third major-label efforts Watching Movies With the Sound Off and GO:OD AM, and depicted Mac at his most honest as he openly discussed his substance abuse and mental health issues throughout the entire record. Now, Faces is getting a commercial release, and even his most casual fans will be able to get up close and personal with the fantastic artist that was Malcolm McCormick.

When juxtaposed with Miller’s most popular works, (the duo of Swimming and Circles; the final records written prior to his passing) Faces is an experimental hip-hop record with a strong psychedelic angle. “Colors and Shapes,” is one of the mixtape’s stand-out moments, though it is the black sheep among the tracklist.

The track opens with a somewhat chilling sample spoken by Timothy Leary, an American psychologist that advocated for the use of psychedelic drugs. “We’re teaching people how to use their head… In order to use your head, you have to go out of your mind. You have to go out of all of the static symbolic ways in which you think.” With this statement, listeners are brought into the headspace of Mac Miller during what was the darkest point of his life.

“While beneath the ocean, I met with the captain who sank to the floor on his ship; all of his passengers escaped to safety, but he was not done with his trip,” Miller states in the first verse, seemingly referring to his substance abuse being obvious, and almost celebrated leading up to working on Faces. Mac’s poetry is honest and biting, which the instrumental juxtaposes.

The soundscape on this track is very lush and psychedelic; the simple looping drum beat compliment the soft pianos and Thundercat’s stellar bass performance in a seamless fashion, creating a vibe that feels like drifting underneath the ocean, in the most comforting way. The track boasts production by Mac himself under the alias Larry Fisherman, illustrating just how talented he was in his craft. The aura that the instrumental radiates is soothing and captivating; it lures the listener into its world and does not detract from Miller’s fantastic rapping.

“They invade your minds and then fill them with nonsense, these things that a man doesn’t need. Take out the love, the passion, and hope, and they fill it with nothing but greed… the ignorant mind is so peaceful, I find. I can’t understand nothin’ no more; If I jump let me fall.”

Miller’s second verse is candid about how his rise into fame has impacted his mental health and forced him to re-evaluate the things that are important to him. This verse is his statement of wanting to escape his head; a desire that he never satisfies despite his money, fame, and vast talent.

Whereas the material on Swimming and Circles felt like drifting along with a gentle tide at the golden hour, “Colors and Shapes,” is the opposite: it’s a chilling recount of reality as Mac knew it, and it illustrates just why he never could stop the demons from pulling him further below the waves.

“Colors and Shapes” is one of the most honest tracks in Miller’s discography; it shows Mac not hiding behind his brash humor or the motifs of love and material possessions that had been common in his writing up to that point in his artistic journey. While its odd and psychedelic sound may intimidate casual listeners that are only familiar with Miller’s more accessible work, “Colors and Shapes” is a true gem of a track that has much to offer for those willing to take the journey.

10/10