Swimming (Mac Miller album)

Swimming is the fifth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller and the last album during his lifetime. It was released on August 3, 2018, by REMember Music and Warner Bros. Records. Production on the album was handled by Miller himself under the pseudonym Larry Fisherman, as well as Dev Hynes, J. Cole, Dâm-Funk, DJ Dahi, Tae Beast, Flying Lotus and Cardo, among others. The album has no credited features, but contains vocal contributions from Dâm-Funk, Dev Hynes, Snoop Dogg, Syd, Thundercat and J.I.D.

The album was supported by three singles: "Small Worlds", "Self Care" and "What's the Use?" It received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200.

Background
Miller announced the album through social media on July 12, 2018, alongside its release date.

Music and lyrics
Throughout the album, Miller's break up with pop singer Ariana Grande is a common theme of inspiration, as it gave him the chance to experience self-love, healing and psychological growth, similar to the themes shown in his previous album, The Divine Feminine (2016). Lyrically, The Independent stated Miller addresses the acknowledgment of his temper ("Wings") and the pitfalls of fame ("Small Worlds").

Concerning the album's music, Rolling Stone noted Swimming is "a continuation of 2016's The Divine Feminine, with a silky, deep vibe redolent of the L.A. alternative soul scene." The song "So It Goes" has been said to incorporate "muted guitars and a spacey synth drone", while "Wings" has been described as "a spacious neo soul slow burner punctuated by the occasional sigh of a violin." NME wrote that "Ladders" is "a buoyant radio ready bop, which sees his bars skitter across glorious brass lines and earworm riffs." "Jet Fuel" was described as "sluggish, dancehall-inflected trip hop", and "What's the Use" as "synth-funk".

Release and promotion
On May 30, 2018, Miller released three non-album singles: "Small Worlds", "Buttons" and "Programs". The album was released on August 3, 2018, amongst other high-profiled albums, such as Astroworld by Travis Scott and Stay Dangerous by YG.

The album's second single, "Self Care", was released on July 13, 2018. The album's third single, "What's the Use?", was released on July 23, 2018.

Critical reception
Swimming received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on 13 reviews. In a highly positive review, Chase McMullen of The 405 wrote: "Reductive comparisons notwithstanding, this is very much a Mac Miller statement. If he found his stride nearly three years ago with GO:OD AM, he's now confidently in full control, guiding Swimming down a surprisingly restrained, subtle journey into a heart's bleakest turmoil." Meaghan Garvey of The Guardian described Swimming as "a patient record in sound and concept" and "an ambling 13-song journey towards self-acceptance, one that does not end in triumph." Colin McGowan of The A.V. Club complimented the album's production and vocal delivery: "Miller sounds great when he's whining, croaking, stretching syllables like warm mozzarella. Swimming's spare, dreamy production allows him to do a lot of that." Evan Rytlewski of Pitchfork concluded: "An album with nothing but time on its hands and an understanding that healing is a slow, tedious process, Swimming is most engaging when it details the simple things Miller tells himself to keep his spirits up." Kyle Mullin from Exclaim! enjoyed the album, saying, "Whether Miller is singing on those funk-inflected highlights, or rapping on them with a flow that's airtight to their irresistible rhythms, he sounds like a would-be chart-topper, not to mention one of the most versatile and accomplished hip-hop artists working today." For NME, Hannah Mylrea concluded: "Swimming isn't what you would have expected from Miller when he first started dropping mixtapes over a decade ago, but that doesn't matter. This album shows his growth as both an artist, and as a person who's had to deal with the most private aspects of their life being publicly dissected. It's a stellar – if somewhat overlong – artistic statement."

Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone wrote that Swimming is Miller's "most impactful album of his career", though noted a lack of lyrical depth: "If he could surface those demons with more vivid details and add texture to his lyrics instead of simply using them as a rhythmic device, then he may have a genuinely classic album in him yet. But if Swimming doesn't quite achieve greatness, it connects. You can hear his pain and perseverance, even if he struggles to put it into words." Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic concluded that "Swimming is ample evidence that Miller can pick up the pieces and continue evolving, his grasp on thoughtful, introspective hip-hop getting stronger by the album." Trey Alston of Highsnobiety concluded that Swimming is "the authentic self-destruction album so many artists have attempted before. Here, Mac is in rare form, chronicling his destruction and rebirth in a way that shows his acknowledgment of the path ahead, but reluctance to step on it without the certainty of companionship at the end. Whether he continues to walk that path is ultimately up to him, but the Mac that's featured on Swimming will find his way from the darkness. In the process, he's given us a beautiful means to mark the turn of his narrative."

Commercial performance
In Mac Miller's home country of United States, Swimming debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 with 66,000 album-equivalent units, which included 30,000 pure album sales. It serves as Mac Miller's fifth consecutive top-five album in the United States.

Following Mac Miller's death on September 7, 2018, the album rose from number 71 to number six on the Billboard 200 with 67,000 album-equivalent units, of which 15,000 were in traditional album sales. Additionally, three tracks from the album entered the US Billboard Hot 100: "Self Care" (number 33), "Hurt Feelings" (number 70), and "Come Back to Earth" (number 91). "Self Care" becoming Miller's highest-charting song as a lead artist and second-highest entry overall, behind Ariana Grande's "The Way" featuring Miller, reached number nine in 2013.

In Australia, Swimming opened at number 21 on the ARIA Albums Chart, becoming Mac Miller's third top-50 album on the country. In Canada, Swimming debuted at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart. It serves as Miller's fifth consecutive top-10 album in the country. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 37 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the rapper's first top-40 album on the chart.

Track listing
Credits adapted from Tidal.

Notes
 * $undefined$ signifies a co-producer
 * $undefined$ signifies an additional producer
 * "What's the Use?" features background vocals by Dâm-Funk, Snoop Dogg, Syd and Thundercat
 * "Self Care" features uncredited vocals by Dev Hynes and J.I.D