The Divine Feminine // Mac Miller

Mac Miller: The Divine Feminine (2016) 

The Divine Feminine is the fourth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released on September 16, 2016, by Warner Bros. Records and REMember Music. The album features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak, Ty Dolla Sign and Ariana Grande, among others.

Mac Miller has put in hard work establishing himself as a Serious Rapper since the release of his emotionally and sonically flat debut Blue Slide Park, putting on his fair share of wordplay showcases and aligning himself with the right people since his sprawling breakout Watching Movies With the Sound Off in 2013, but much of that work came off as pandering or, worse still, overly earnest. He’s gotten more comfortable in his own skin with each release, but that threatened to be an issue here, given the title. Yet, The Divine Feminine is by far the most settled he's ever been. There aren’t any plays to satisfy or ingratiate a specific subgroup of listeners. There aren’t any lyrical exercises or overthought exhibitions of verse structure and execution, no plays to prove himself a rapper’s rapper—frankly, there’s almost more singing than rapping. But this is his most nuanced release, a record that forgoes personal narrative and somehow reveals his individuality in the process. He does it all with just a little help from his friends.