Mac Miller‘s family announced that the late rapper’s posthumous album, titled “Circles,” will be released on Jan. 17.
“Here we are. The act of having to write this at all feels surreal. At the time of his passing, Malcolm was well into the process of recording his companion album to ‘Swimming,’ entitled ‘Circles,'” his family wrote in a post to his Instagram on Wednesday. “Two different styles complementing each other, completing a circle — Swimming in Circles was the concept.”
The album was completed by recording producer Jon Brion, who had been working with Mac before his tragic death in September 2018.
“After his passing, Jon dedicated himself to finishing ‘Circles,’ based on his time and conversations with Malcolm,” his family added. “We are eternally grateful to Jon and to those who gave their best to the difficult and emotional task of putting out this body of work.”
Miller’s family explained that the process of finishing his body of work has been complex.
“This is a complicated process that has no right answer. No clear path. We simply know that it was important to Malcolm for the world to hear it,” they wrote.
Information about Mac’s music will not be posted to his official Instagram account moving forward, as his family said, “one of the most difficult decisions in the process is how best to let people know about it — how to communicate meaningfully while keeping sacred what should be kept sacred.”
In accordance with these decisions, info on the album release, Miller’s charity, and the “Self Care” artist himself will be posted to the Instagram account @92tilinfinity moving forward.
“Thank you to all the fans who’ve supported him unconditionally through the years,” they wrote. “We miss him. We are left to imagine where Malcolm was going and to appreciate where he was. We hope you take the time to listen. The look on his face when everyone was listening said it all.”
Miller died of an accidental overdose of the powerful opioid fentanyl, along with cocaine and alcohol, at the age of 26.
In October 2019, three men were charged with providing the drugs that killed him.