The late Mac Miller passed away at the age of 26, but the Pittsburgh rapper had already left a legacy of iconic songs behind him, found on music streaming services like Spotify. Even though he had started out with easygoing hip-hop tracks, like "Best Day Ever" and "Donald Trump," documenting his newfound fame, his later discography turned more intense. He never shied away from pouring his heart out while crooning about his struggles with romantic relationships and substance abuse.

At the same time, even the mellowest of his songs somehow end up sounding comforting. His last two albums, especially, Swimming and Circles, bear testimony to this fact.

10 "That's Life" - 42 Million

Miller's final single as a featured artist, "That's Life" found producer and rapper 88-Keys joining forces with him and Australian pop songstress, Sia. Recorded way back in 2015 but released posthumously, the song incorporates an upbeat jazzy production as Miller introspects on the everyday trials and tribulations in one's life.

His first verse tends to get more personal, as he delves into his mother's drug habits to ease her pain. The song resonated with many and turned out to be 88-Keys' most popular single.

9 "Time" - 43 Million

Mac Miller and Colombian-American pop singer Kali Uchis collaborated with the R&B outfit, Free Nationals for this track. Like many of Miller's other bittersweet ballads, the song finds the two vocalists accepting the woes of a troubled relationship set against Free National's groovy instrumentals.

Living up to its title, "Time" explores the maturity that two partners cultivate in such a relationship as time runs its course. Miller had touched upon similar themes in "Dang!" that featured Anderson Paak as guest vocalist. In fact, Paak and Free Nationals have had a long-standing partnership, as the latter often serves as Paak's touring band.

8 "Small Worlds" - 79 Million

"Small Worlds" bears a laidback sound, as Miller raps in a monotonous, lethargic style while thinking about his flaws. The central theme is around the world not being as small as he thought and that his actions can have a major impact on the world that he has built around him.

The song was released as a single along with "Buttons and Programs," following an intense month in his life. Like "Buttons and Programs," "Small World" was a surprise drop after his highly-publicized split with his then-girlfriend, Ariana Grande, and a DUI crash in 2018.

7 "Blue World" - 107 Million

"Blue World" is another one of Miller's philosophical tracks from his final album,Circles. The electronic-influenced hallucinatory production was handled by Guy Lawrence, more popularly known as one-half of the British electro duo, Disclosure. The rapper's vocals are chopped and pitched to go along with the song that sounds both soothing and chaotic at the same time.

Considering the timing of its release, the refrain of "Blue World" evokes a lot of emotion. As Miller sings, "Hey, one of these days we'll all get by. Don't be afraid, don't fall in line," it adds to the ghostly presence of Miller's legacy. Listening to his hushed vocals on "Circles" almost feels like the artist is directly talking to the listener.

6 "The Way" - 181 Million

The first collaboration between Ariana Grande and Mac Miller dropped at a time when the latter's discography was less dark and thoughtful. His guest verse on the track offers listeners a sound of a more carefree phase in his life, as he continues Grande's themes of the song that mostly revolved around a flirty, playful relationship.

"The Way" proved to be a massive success, steering the pop-star's music towards an older demographic. Released in 2013, Miller and Grande would go on to date each other for three years, later leading to the collaboration that turned out to be "My Favorite Part."

5 "My Favorite Part" - 190 Million

"My Favorite Part" was released a few days after Mac Miller and Ariana Grande publically announced their relationship. Naturally, people would have thought that the duet detailed their love for each other, but Miller later confirmed that the song was written before their budding romance.

According to Ariana Grande, there's only one track influenced by her onThe Divine Feminine and it was "Cinderella (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign." Even after their breakup and the rapper's untimely demise, Grande lent uncredited vocals for the Circles track, "I Can See."

4 "Good News" - 200 Million

The first official single from Circles, "Good News" offers a bittersweet confession for those who carry the burden of their flaws. In a way, the song can be seen as a commentary on celebrity culture. In today's age of social media, social icons and artists are venerated to the extent that their followers just wish to see them as perfect people and as bearers of "good news."

Miller delves into his fear of being judged by his fans, as his issues just make him uncomfortable. This eventually results in him suppressing his own emotions. Ambient guitar complements Miller's mellow bars as he raps with his trademark nonchalant delivery.

3 "Dang!" - 217 Million

The lead single off The Divine Feminine, Dang features R&B/soul heavyweight Anderson Paak in the chorus. The song finds Miller wishing to get back to his romantic partner, as he reveals his emotionally vulnerable side. Even though the funk sound is increasingly merry, Anderson Paak's chorus is quite intense.

As Mac Miller revealed in an interview, Paak penned his "Dang!" verse for people who have passed away. The recurring lyric, "I can't keep on losing you" surely has dark tones underneath it.

2 "Self Care" - 296 Million

With haunting lyrics and equally haunting production, "Self Care" is arguably one of Mac Miller's most brutally honest tracks. He admits that he has caused much harm to himself and the others around him and the song serves as his statement to get over these mistakes and a wake-up call for those who lack self-control.

The single yielded one of Miller's most memorable videos too. He begins his initial verses while being buried in a cramped wooden box. As the song's interlude brings an air of hope, the rapper punches through the box and gets out, having achieved his moment of awakening.

1 "Weekend" - 313 Million

While "Weekend" does have some profound lyrics sprinkled between its verses, it's largely a jovial party anthem about craving escapism. Drinking and getting acquainted with strangers, Miller and featured artist, Miguel, talk about their weekend plans.

The song is as smooth as it gets and Miguel is the perfect pick for helming its chorus and outro, given the fact that he has been involved in such leisurely songs on merrymaking ("Come Through And Chill" and "Luke Skywalker" being significant examples).

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About The Author

Shaurya Thapa (780 Articles Published)

Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called 'BhindiWire', an Indian parody of IndieWire.

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