Next Friday (Jan. 17), Mac Miller will release his first posthumous album, titled Circles.
In a statement posted by Miller's parents on his Instagram account, it was revealed that Circles will serve as "a companion album" to his Grammy-nominated 2018 effort Swimming.
"At the time of his passing, Malcolm was well into the process of recording his companion album to Swimming, entitled, Circles," the post reads. "Two different styles complementing each other, completing a circle–Swimming in Circles was the concept."
Miller's parents also explained how producer Jon Brion — who aided Miller on Swimming — played an instrumental role in helping Circles reach its elusive finish-line. "After his passing, Jon dedicated himself to finishing Circles based on his time and conversations with Malcolm," his parents detailed. "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."
As daunting of a task as it was to share the news to his fanbase, Miller's parents hoped to communicate the project's release "meaningfully while keeping sacred what should be kept sacred."
Lauded for its vulnerability and somber undertones, Swimming debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 selling 66,000 album-equivalent units. Following Miller's death in Sept. 2018, Swimming rocketed back into the top 10, landing at No. 6 with 67,000 album-equivalent units. Later that November, Swimming received a Grammy nomination for best rap album.
Read Miller's parents post below.