Posthumous Mac Miller album ‘Balloonerism’ released with short film

The Mac Miller Estate described the project as being “of great importance to Malcolm … We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist.” The film that accompanies the album has been directed by Samuel Jerome Mason and produced by Miller’s indie label.

This isn’t the only album to be released after the death of an artist. Let's take a look at some of the most influential posthumous albums of all time. Click through the gallery to get started.

0 / 32 Fotos

Bob Marley and the Wailers, 'Confrontation' -

The legendary Bob Marley was tragically lost to skin cancer when he was 36 years old. His songs of peace, freedom, and strength have remained just as relevant since his death in 1981.

1 / 32 Fotos

Bob Marley and the Wailers, 'Confrontation' -

After his death, his loved ones compiled all of his unreleased songs into the beautiful album 'Confrontation,' which gave us the classic hit 'Buffalo Soldier.'

2 / 32 Fotos

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 'Milk And Honey' -

John Lennon and Yoko Ono were working on this album before he was shot by a crazed fan in 1980. Sadly, Yoko was left to finish it by herself.

3 / 32 Fotos

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 'Milk And Honey' - Unfortunately, Yoko is not the strongest vocalist, but she did manage to complete the album. It was released four years after his death.

4 / 32 Fotos

Selena, 'Moonchild Mixes' -

Selena Quintanilla-Perez's life was cut short when she was murdered in 1995 at the age of 23. In April 2022, 27 years later, a new Selena album was released. In an interview with Latin Groove News, the late singer's father Abraham Quintanilla said that the album, which was produced by Warner Music, contains 13 songs and that Selena's brother, A.B. Quintanilla, worked on the album. He told the outlet that the public's hold on his daughter nearly three decades later amazes him and his family. "They're waiting for a project like this to come out, and I know it will be well received by the public," he said. One of the songs on the album was recorded when she was just 13, and her brother reportedly digitally altered her voice to sound as she did before her death in 1995.

5 / 32 Fotos

Mac Miller, 'Circles' -

Rapper Mac Miller sadly died of an overdose in 2018 at the age of 26. He produced five studio albums while he was alive, and two have been released since his death, 'Circles' (2020) and 'Ballonerism' (2025).

6 / 32 Fotos

Pop Smoke, 'Faith' -

Pop Smoke was a rising star in the rap world before his life was cut short. He started to receive recognition for his work in 2018 and had two years of success before he was killed in a home invasion in 2020. He was 20 years old. The many collaborations and projects the talented young rapper was working on before his death have been completed and compiled into posthumous albums. The second album, called 'Faith,' features other stars such as Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Pharrell, Dua Lipa, Future, and many more.

7 / 32 Fotos

Jim Morrison, 'An American Prayer' -

Jim Morrison tragically died of an overdose in Paris in 1971. In the years prior, he had been working on some spoken word that had never been published.

8 / 32 Fotos

Jim Morrison, 'An American Prayer' - Several years after his death, the surviving band members of The Doors created an album of his spoken word poetry with added background music.

9 / 32 Fotos

Amy Winehouse, 'Lioness: Hidden Treasures' -

Amy Winehouse was one of the most unique vocalists of our time. But she was known to have a wild lifestyle, and was tragically lost to alc**** poisoning at the age of 27.

10 / 32 Fotos

Amy Winehouse, 'Lioness: Hidden Treasures' - Just six months after her death, an incredible album of previously unreleased gems was shared with the public.

11 / 32 Fotos

Nirvana, 'MTV Unplugged In New York' - Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain famously took his own life in 1994. He was another member of the '27 club.'

12 / 32 Fotos

Nirvana, 'MTV Unplugged In New York' -

An acoustic album of live recordings and covers was released a year after his death. His heartfelt and somewhat devastating cover of David Bowie’s 'The Man Who Sold the World' made the biggest impact.

13 / 32 Fotos

The Notorious B.I.G., 'Life After Death' -

The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, was killed in a drive-by shooting at the age of 24. By this time, he was already huge in the East Coast hip-hop scene, collaborating with the likes of P. Diddy (then known as Puff Daddy).

14 / 32 Fotos

The Notorious B.I.G., 'Life After Death' -

There's speculation that he knew he was going to die, as his two albums were named 'Ready to Die' and 'Life After Death.' The latter was in fact released after his death.

15 / 32 Fotos

Johnny Cash, 'American IV: The Man Comes Around' -

Johnny Cash is one of the only stars on this list who didn't die young. Yet he still had an incredible body of work left behind.

16 / 32 Fotos

Johnny Cash, 'American IV: The Man Comes Around' - His final album, released after his death, was his first number one hit on the Billboard charts in 36 years.

17 / 32 Fotos

Janis Joplin, 'Pearl' -

Janis Joplin is another member of the '27 club.' The incredible vocalist died of a substance overdose in 1970.

18 / 32 Fotos

Janis Joplin, 'Pearl' -

Her final album, 'Pearl,' was released after her death, and stayed at the top of the Billboard charts for more than two months.

19 / 32 Fotos

Juice WRLD, 'Legends Never Die' - Young superstar rapper Juice WRLD tragically died of an accidental overdose in 2019 at the age of 21.

20 / 32 Fotos

Juice WRLD, 'Legends Never Die' -

His family and team have assembled an album of his remaining work with the fitting title 'Legends Never Die.' It went straight to the number one spot on the Billboard charts.

21 / 32 Fotos

Queen, 'Made in Heaven' - After his AIDS diagnosis, Freddy Mercury worked with the band to record as many vocals as possible while he was still strong enough.

22 / 32 Fotos

Queen, 'Made in Heaven' -

He died in 1991, and his bandmates finished the album. It was finally released four years later.

23 / 32 Fotos

Marvin Gaye, 'Vulnerable' -

Marvin Gaye was shot by his own father just before his 45th birthday in 1984. He's well known for his seductive ballads like 'S***** Healing' and 'Let's Get It On,' but his posthumous album 'Vulnerable' was something different.

24 / 32 Fotos

Marvin Gaye, 'Vulnerable' -

The album recording began in 1968, but had never been released before. There's a personal depth in these songs that gives an insight into his heart.

25 / 32 Fotos

Tupac Shakur, 'The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory' -

Widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, Tupac was violently gunned down in Las Vegas in 1996. He had just finished recording his final album.

26 / 32 Fotos

Tupac Shakur, 'The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory' -

It was intended to be an underground album, which he recorded using the stage name 'Makavelli.' The controversial album included some of his big hits like 'Hail Mary' and 'To Live and Die in L.A.'

27 / 32 Fotos

Otis Redding, 'The Dock of the Bay' -

Otis Redding was a defining voice in 1960s soul music. He died at the age of 26 in a shocking plane crash.

28 / 32 Fotos

Otis Redding, 'The Dock of the Bay' -

The album he had been working on was released after his death, and his famous hit '(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay' was the first posthumous chart topper in US history.

29 / 32 Fotos

Jimi Hendrix, 'The Cry of Love' -

Legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix met his untimely death the same year as Janis Joplin, shocking the world. His record label released this album of songs he had been working on before his death.

30 / 32 Fotos

Joy Division, 'Closer' -

Iconic punk band Joy Division's front man Ian Curtis took his own life when he was only 23. Many believe that their final album 'Closer' gave a dark look into his troubled mind.

31 / 32 Fotos

Posthumous Mac Miller album ‘Balloonerism’ released with short film -

Mac Miller’s estate has released a second album from the rapper, who died in 2018. ‘Balloonerism’ is an experimental album that has been released alongside a short film on Amazon Prime.

This isn’t the only album to be released after the death of an artist. Let's take a look at some of the most influential posthumous albums of all time. Click through the gallery to get started.

0 / 32 Fotos

Bob Marley and the Wailers, 'Confrontation' -

The legendary Bob Marley was tragically lost to skin cancer when he was 36 years old. His songs of peace, freedom, and strength have remained just as relevant since his death in 1981.

Getty Images

1 / 32 Fotos

Bob Marley and the Wailers, 'Confrontation' -

After his death, his loved ones compiled all of his unreleased songs into the beautiful album 'Confrontation,' which gave us the classic hit 'Buffalo Soldier.'

2 / 32 Fotos

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 'Milk And Honey' -

John Lennon and Yoko Ono were working on this album before he was shot by a crazed fan in 1980. Sadly, Yoko was left to finish it by herself.

3 / 32 Fotos

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 'Milk And Honey' - Unfortunately, Yoko is not the strongest vocalist, but she did manage to complete the album. It was released four years after his death.

4 / 32 Fotos

Selena, 'Moonchild Mixes' -

5 / 32 Fotos

Mac Miller, 'Circles' -

Getty Images

6 / 32 Fotos

Pop Smoke, 'Faith' -

Getty Images

7 / 32 Fotos

Jim Morrison, 'An American Prayer' -

Jim Morrison tragically died of an overdose in Paris in 1971. In the years prior, he had been working on some spoken word that had never been published.

Getty Images

8 / 32 Fotos

Jim Morrison, 'An American Prayer' - Several years after his death, the surviving band members of The Doors created an album of his spoken word poetry with added background music.

9 / 32 Fotos

Amy Winehouse, 'Lioness: Hidden Treasures' -

Amy Winehouse was one of the most unique vocalists of our time. But she was known to have a wild lifestyle, and was tragically lost to alc**** poisoning at the age of 27.

10 / 32 Fotos

Amy Winehouse, 'Lioness: Hidden Treasures' - Just six months after her death, an incredible album of previously unreleased gems was shared with the public.

11 / 32 Fotos

Nirvana, 'MTV Unplugged In New York' - Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain famously took his own life in 1994. He was another member of the '27 club.'

12 / 32 Fotos

Nirvana, 'MTV Unplugged In New York' -

13 / 32 Fotos

The Notorious B.I.G., 'Life After Death' -

Getty Images

14 / 32 Fotos

The Notorious B.I.G., 'Life After Death' -

There's speculation that he knew he was going to die, as his two albums were named 'Ready to Die' and 'Life After Death.' The latter was in fact released after his death.

15 / 32 Fotos

Johnny Cash, 'American IV: The Man Comes Around' -

Johnny Cash is one of the only stars on this list who didn't die young. Yet he still had an incredible body of work left behind.

Getty Images

16 / 32 Fotos

Johnny Cash, 'American IV: The Man Comes Around' - His final album, released after his death, was his first number one hit on the Billboard charts in 36 years.

17 / 32 Fotos

Janis Joplin, 'Pearl' -

Janis Joplin is another member of the '27 club.' The incredible vocalist died of a substance overdose in 1970.

18 / 32 Fotos

Janis Joplin, 'Pearl' -

Her final album, 'Pearl,' was released after her death, and stayed at the top of the Billboard charts for more than two months.

Getty Images

19 / 32 Fotos

Juice WRLD, 'Legends Never Die' - Young superstar rapper Juice WRLD tragically died of an accidental overdose in 2019 at the age of 21.

20 / 32 Fotos

Juice WRLD, 'Legends Never Die' -

His family and team have assembled an album of his remaining work with the fitting title 'Legends Never Die.' It went straight to the number one spot on the Billboard charts.

21 / 32 Fotos

Queen, 'Made in Heaven' - After his AIDS diagnosis, Freddy Mercury worked with the band to record as many vocals as possible while he was still strong enough.

22 / 32 Fotos

Queen, 'Made in Heaven' -

He died in 1991, and his bandmates finished the album. It was finally released four years later.

Getty Images

23 / 32 Fotos

Marvin Gaye, 'Vulnerable' -

24 / 32 Fotos

Marvin Gaye, 'Vulnerable' -

The album recording began in 1968, but had never been released before. There's a personal depth in these songs that gives an insight into his heart.

Getty Images

25 / 32 Fotos

Tupac Shakur, 'The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory' -

Widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, Tupac was violently gunned down in Las Vegas in 1996. He had just finished recording his final album.

Getty Images

26 / 32 Fotos

Tupac Shakur, 'The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory' -

It was intended to be an underground album, which he recorded using the stage name 'Makavelli.' The controversial album included some of his big hits like 'Hail Mary' and 'To Live and Die in L.A.'

27 / 32 Fotos

Otis Redding, 'The Dock of the Bay' -

Otis Redding was a defining voice in 1960s soul music. He died at the age of 26 in a shocking plane crash.

Getty Images

28 / 32 Fotos

Otis Redding, 'The Dock of the Bay' -

The album he had been working on was released after his death, and his famous hit '(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay' was the first posthumous chart topper in US history.

Getty Images

29 / 32 Fotos

Jimi Hendrix, 'The Cry of Love' -

Legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix met his untimely death the same year as Janis Joplin, shocking the world. His record label released this album of songs he had been working on before his death.

30 / 32 Fotos

Joy Division, 'Closer' -

Iconic punk band Joy Division's front man Ian Curtis took his own life when he was only 23. Many believe that their final album 'Closer' gave a dark look into his troubled mind.

Getty Images

31 / 32 Fotos

Posthumous Mac Miller album ‘Balloonerism’ released with short film

This will be his second album since his death

17/01/25 | StarsInsider

MUSIC Death

Mac Miller’s estate has released a second posthumous album from the rapper, who died in 2018. ‘Balloonerism’ is an experimental album that has been released alongside a short film on Amazon Prime.

Fans have speculated that the late rapper originally recorded the album in 2014 when various songs believed to be on the album were leaked. In November 2024, Tyler, The Creator also teased the album and SZA mentioned it in a since-deleted tweet.

The Mac Miller Estate described the project as being “of great importance to Malcolm … We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist.” The short film that accompanies the album is directed by Samuel Jerome Mason and produced by Miller’s indie label.

But, of course, this isn’t the only album to be released after the death of an artist. In this gallery, let's take a look at some of the most influential posthumous albums of all time. Click through to get started.