Mac Miller's struggles have been part of public discussions for a while now. Those who are familiar with his music have already gotten interpreted his battles through his honest storytelling, though they might have misunderstood his lyrics' context. He opened up to Vulture about the matter only days prior to his passing.
An interview was published the day before his overdose. One of the biggest themes explored was his public persona and how he has dealt with the criticism since his rise to fame at the tender age of 20. His being under the lens of public scrutiny may have tainted the way people interpret his lyrics.
"I have noticed that, as far as headlines and people listening to the music and taking them into account, and applying them to the music. But … I’ve also not talked about what songs mean, what’s this or what’s that. I’ve just kind of left it up to interpretation. I don’t know if it’s the right or the wrong way or if it helps people digest my music properly or if it doesn’t. I just feel like I worked so hard to make something, and then when I take the kids to college, I have to let them kind of … Whatever happens."
He addressed the interpretations of some of his material being linked to his current emotional state concerning his past relationship with Ariana Grande.
"It’s not that I mind. What can I do? Stand on a mountaintop and say, 'I wrote these songs at this point in my life'?"
If anything Mac seemed more preoccupied with his craft, ruminating on his performances like the one he offered on The Colbert Report. His appearance on the show garnered mixed feelings, causing the artist to second-guess himself.
"I have a tendency to kinda brood about stuff and cook in it. I’ll wake up and just sit here and think about it for hours."
Many parts of his following have blamed Ariana Grande for his demise ever since his DUI. According to Mac Miller himself, it seems like the public scrutiny he had to deal with might have been a more important factor in his state of mind before his death.