Mac Miller Still Trying To Find His Way on The Divine Feminine – Thoughts On His Latest
Mac Miller has often been criticized for not knowing where in Hip-Hop his niche lies. It appears as though he’s still evolving as an artist on The Divine Feminine, but is closer to finding exactly where he fits in the game. The album is lust du jour packaged as a tantric manifestation of love. It’s a significant straying from the catchy, frat-esque songs that have been the predominant focus of Miller’s. This isn’t a bad thing, as Mac appears to have found a style that he can work with.
The Chopin style driven “Congratulations,” speaks on the ebb and flow of love. Here Mac is bent on being a kind of Isaac Hayes meets Barry White meets moody, soulful rhyming on the track as he inscribes a passage on how the love he’s found is simply ‘too good to be true.’ Yet, even with the syrupy mush of the opener, Mac manages to return to the party vibe on “Dang!,” proving that in spite of taking a journey into the musical unknown on this album, he’s definitely more comfortable spitting cohesive bars on the party life.
The obvious aspect of The Divine Feminine is Mac’s cloud nine appearance, having recently confirmed his relationship with Ariana Grande. He recently told People that his favorite song featured on this 10 song collection is “My Favorite Part,” but it can be argued that while that track was created as a kind of starry-eyed sonnet, that others like “Stay,” “We” and “Soulmate”, eloquently offer a glimpse into just how over the moon he is for his friend turned lover.
Interestingly, “My Favorite Part,” might have achieved much more gusto had Miller opted for couplets rather than crooning. There is no denying the potency of Grande and his enchantment behind the mic, but the sparkle loses some of its shine with Miller’s scratchy tone. The close to The Divine Feminine, features Kendrick Lamar, and is an impeccable example of both emcees resonance behind the microphone.
Miller’s seeming reinvention of himself in a venturesome fashion on The Divine Feminine, is clear as he becomes a modern day romantic rather than remaining the skilled guide to the crème de la crème. It’ll be interesting to
hear his next album to see which Miller feels like showing up.
Key tracks: “Dang!,” “Stay,” “We,” & “God Is Fair, Sexy Nasty”
The Divine Feminine receives a PAR
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