At the seven year anniversary of popular singer Mac Miller’s death, his music still has a strong hold on today’s teenagers.
On September 7th, 2018, Miller tragically died at the young age of 26. His 2010s hit music mixes multiple genres such as soul and hip hop and was highly appreciated during his lifetime reaching millions of followers. His music is still relevant to teenagers today.
“I think a lot of [Miller’s] music is really timeless,” says Skyline student Ellie Woodward (‘26). “Even though it is specific, it can be up for interpretation, which allows a lot of different people to relate to it.”
Miller was widely known for making “frat rap” music relating to common challenges faced by teens. By sharing his personal experiences such as addiction, mental health, love, and fame, Miller was able to connect millions of people around the world.
My favorite Mac Miller song is “Missed Calls.” It’s such a moving song, in a quiet, beautiful way. I’m also a big Ariana Grande fan, so the song means even more to me knowing their history together. After Mac passed, Ariana reportedly tried to call him 928 times before realizing what had happened. That makes the song hit differently. It’s emotional, but also a reminder of how deep their connection was.
Miller jumpstarted his career at 15. He spent the next three years writing his first album, K.I.D.S. His songs like Knock Knock and The Spins reflected the aspiration and joy that comes with being young.
I personally think that since Mac Miller wrote his music at my age, (17) a stronger connection is made than if an older singer reflected on their teenage years. People my age are often overlooked by adults, so having someone address the teenage experience makes me feel seen.
As Miller’s career continued, he began to explore the deeper, heartfelt side of music through his experiences with his emotions. In his writing, Miller wanted to capture reality, not the stereotypical life of a teen star. He emphasized in an interview the fact that expression was what made his career important, not fame.
It’s impressive how Miller was able to capture real life while also making his music really relatable. Especially since he was so young, most grown adults aren’t able to make that connection with years of experience under their belt.
Over the years, he has reached over 25 million listeners on spotify, and has about 16.9 billion streams.
“He still gets a lot of streams,” says Woodward. “I think that holds a lot of value, because it shows how important he was in people’s lives. I wish he had music there for him like I have his for me.”
