Mac Miller knows what he's doing, so much so, that Warner Bros. offered him an enviable $10 million deal for his own imprint under the label. Obviously, they trust Mac can make the right decisions by himself at this point, as he's released two very successful albums on an independent platform.
Still, Mac is looking for something more than what he had without the boost of a label, telling FADER last year, "I don't want to exist solely on the internet". He's also said to have recorded nine versions of the LP before settling on what felt right as his major label debut, so he's certainly aiming to do something special with his new reach.
While we're sure whatever Mac has come up with will be amazing in its own right, we put together a few hopes we have for the upcoming LP. Look out for Good A.M. to hit stores September 18th.
More Larry Fisherman Production
One of the main sparks of Mac Miller's stylistic shift from Blu Slides Park To Watching Movies With The Sound Off was the introduction of Larry Fisherman, Mac's producer alter-ego. The druggy, sample-based style carried over to Mac's 2014 mixtape Faces, and it's safe to say, fans consider it to be an essential part of the Mac Miller sound.
We're pretty sure Miller feels the same way, but there's always the risk of pressure to work with bigger producers when you're on a major label. Luckily Mac seems to have a good amount of creative control, so we hoep the new album will have a generous helping of his own beats.
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More Singing
Mac is definitely at his best when he's stringing delirious observations together in quick bursts, but he's been making major strides as a singer over his last couple of releases. "Objects In The Mirror," a collaboration with Pharrell, came off as a dreamier take on N*E*R*D, and "Youforia" was an adrift closer similar to Vince Staples' recent surprise turn to melody on "Summertime" (both were produced by Clams Casino).
We're looking for some more experiments in this vein on the album, but also more flows that fall somewhere between rapping and singing, such as his incredible interplay with an accordion sample on his recent Keef collaboration.
A Few Riskier Production Choices
As much as we love what Mac Miller's been doing on his last few projects, a major label debut is the place to put some of that funding to good use. A tweet from the always-impressive Vinylz suggested that he and Miller had been working together, which is exactly the kind of adventurous collaborations we're looking for Mac to reach for on the LP.
A couple more producers who might be slightly outside of Mac's lane we'd like to see him team with -- DJ Dahi, Metro Boomin, perhaps even DJ Mustard? Pretty much anyone who would be willing to challenge Mac as he challenged them, really.
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Some Surprising Features
If you weren't paying attention, Watching Movies With The Sound Off probably took you by surprise, but even if you were, Jay Electronica's verse on "Suplexes Inside Of Complexes And Duplexes" probably caught you off guard.
We're hoping to see appearances from regulars like Earl Sweatshirt, Vince Staples, ScHoolBoy Q, and Ab-Soul, but we're also looking for something a little more jarring. Throw a Future on a weird beat! Get Mos Def to black out on a track! Put Kendrick on anything! With the stakes a little higher, we're looking for a few event records on the album, and some unexpected but well-placed features could make that happen.
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A Hot Single
Mac has certainly proved himself as an album artist, but his major label debut may be his opportunity to put out a single that really resonates, whether that be on the radio, in the club, or even on Vine. We're not asking Miller to compromise for a hit, but we think he's capable of making something universal with the tools he currently possesses.
The thing is, he may already have it. "100 Grand Kids" keeps his goofy stoner qualities intact, but also offers something as fun and catchy as his early, more accessible releases. Plus it interpolates, "Bad Boys For Life," so it's hard to go wrong. If it kills in the festival setting, we're sure it's capable of much more.