Mac Miller NPR Tiny Desk Concert

On “Hurt Feelings”, the second song from his fifth studio album, Swimming, Mac Miller raps, “I paid the cost to see apostrophes, that means it’s mine/Keep to myself, taking my time.” The Pittsburgh-born MC has always been clever; on Swimming, he's also direct—particularly about the distance he’s kept from the public eye following a high-profile break-up and other troubles. But this isn't a breakup album; Miller says Swimming is a more complete picture of his life. “I'm just talking about things that I'm proud of myself for, things I'm afraid of, or things that are just thoughts and emotions”, he told Beats 1 host Zane Lowe. “And I'm like, ‘Why is this interesting?’” That same curiosity is freeing for Miller, who leans further into the singing he displayed on The Divine Feminine. Production-wise, he’s riding ultra-funky bass lines courtesy of Thundercat and an altogether jazzy and danceable set overseen by producer Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple).