"The Star Room" from Watching Movies with the Sound Off by Mac Miller
Mac Miller's "The Star Room" is the opening track off his second studio album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off, released in 2013. This track explores Mac Miller's grappling with fame through a toggling between his introspective Delusional Thomas character and Mac Miller himself.
As the fame is distorting Mac Miller's life, expectations, and relationships, so too is the track distorted in support of this theme. A heavily reverbed bass line is complimented by a warping brass synth. This is the dark and low-moving foundation that a simple percussion sits on top of. However, the effect of the slow percussion is potently felt in the steady movement that creates a 'trudging' sensation akin to Mac Miller's walking through his new environment. To contrast, the hihats are very tinny and cut above the trudging kick and snare as balance. Also contributing to the balance of dark muddle and tinny movement is the alternation of pitched up vocals associated with Delusional Thomas and the clear rapping of Mac Miller. The alternation keeps the user unsettled as Mac is in his new life - half in his internal monologue and half observing his real physical environment. Overall, the use of a low warping noises assisted by a consistent slow percussive loop perfectly mirrors Mac's unfamiliar environment that fame is forcing him to move through. Further, the alternation between the characters and their sonic identifiers servers to aid this unease in the ear of the listener.
The lyrics similarly alternate between introspective self talk and observations of the world that Mac is experiencing in his new found fame. Delusional Thomas takes up the internal monologue discussing, initially, in verse one how he still feels like a kid, enjoying the simple pleasures of his past life with an excitement for the future. However, the Mac Miller portions of the song describe his new life including the ever thin relationship between his parents and himself, his increasing skill and popularity in the realm of rap, and getting accustomed to his new social status. This alternation really drives home the message that Mac Miller is only slowly coming to grips with his fame and tackles this issue with a certain protective numbness. After two verses Delusional Thomas then bookends Mac Miller's rapping with a much darker verse than the first, discussing his acceptance of death. A notable change from the future sight of the first verse as Delusional Thomas explains how he wishes to escape this new life via death, drinking, or simply mentally checking out. Pairing with the track, this distorted, numb, creates the very characteristic Mac Miller feel.
I really enjoy this sort of numb evocation as it resonates uniquely among other melancholic rap songs. This more characterized sadness better encapsulates feelings like imposter syndrome and dissociation which are much more topical than a general sadness.
Together, a distorted sound balanced with clear cutting vocal sections and percussion create a 'half-in/half-out' sound that help convey the confusion and dissonance between Mac Miller's internal and external state. This creates a nuanced melancholy that is much more engaging than simple sad rap songs.