“The Divine Feminine” by Mac Miller
8 out of 10
By Ethan Winkler ’17
THE ROUNDUP
With the wild success of Mac Miller’s 2015 release “GO:OD AM,” fans expectations were high for an even better rap album in 2016.
The rapper released “The Divine Feminine” Sept. 16.
What they got is something they did not expect: a soulful side to Mac Miller.
This album is absolutely filled with jazzy beats and vocals, creating a sound unheard of in any previous music.
A fantastic example of this is seen in the best song on the entire album: “Dang!”
“Dang!” was released as a single nearly two months before the album. This was when hype really started to build for “The Divine Feminine.”
The song is all about him trying to get his girlfriend back after she left because of problems with their relationship.
Anderson .Paak sings on this track, providing his scratchy, yet smooth vocals. He really puts the bow on top of this song.
The album is just packed full of fantastic features. Stars like Ariana Grande, Ty Dolla $ign and Kendrick Lamar spice up this tape and bring it to another level.
Another favorite of mine is “We,” which features the iconic CeeLo Green.
This track has a slow beat with lots of chill vibes, which makes me want to just sit down and meditate.
Mac Miller’s production on “The Divine Feminine” is some of the best that I have heard from him.
Even with positives like that, the album does have its fair share of flaws.
The lyricism is abysmal. Nearly every song is focused around the same idea: how in love he is.
While this theme can bring a more personal and emotional feel to a song, it becomes stale and unimpressive when it is overused.
Another thing I was upset about is how there are no tracks on this album that have hard rap to trap-beats.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love to listen to hip-hop that is chill and jazzy. As a fan of Mac Miller’s though, I was really expecting some more tough rapping from him.
My least favorite song from this tape is “My Favorite Part,” where Mac Miller shows off his singing voice, which he should definitely keep to himself.
It is obvious that he is using this album to really put his tough rapper persona aside to express his inner feelings, and I respect that.
It results in a decent piece of work that shows the kind of diversity Mac Miller could have as a rapper.
