“The Divine Feminine” is a subtle surprise that delivers a series of tracks showcasing love through a smooth and mellow fabric.
Leading up to the release, Miller himself expressed that the record was initially going to be a EP, but eventually became a full length LP in part due to its concept—a tale of how the world itself is controlled by the feminine energy of mother earth, thus contributing to the title of the project. It is this feminine energy that forces Miller to fall in love with the concept, leading him to progress his style and talk about the art of love and the emotions and desires that come with it.
“Congratulations” is an epic entry with layered beats and harmonized female vocals set to keyboard work by Aja Grant, and guest vocals from featured artist Bilal. Meanwhile, Miller raps about a lover whom he doubts. Within the verses he highlights the good as well as the bad, which gives the impression that, in the end, he wants to change his lustful ways and show respect, while waiting until the time is right between himself and his female companion.
Making up is expressed as well on lead single “Dang,” featuring Anderson .Paak. On the hook, Paak expresses how two people can live happily ever after, but on the next day can quickly call it quits through sudden differences. Mac goes on to try to get his girl back through two verses that showcase his flow and wit.
The same concept is expressed again on the jazz-inspired track “Stay,” however it is the ending that, in my opinion, will catch the ears of its listeners. This is because of the lustful and erotic vocals that help transition the song into the next track, “Skin,” which is a cut that showcases the wilder side of the feminine nature that Miller endures.
Mac decides to sing instead of rap on “Soulmate”—an upbeat, funkadelic track whose subject is sampled from the movie “Good Will Hunting.” Even though in the past Miller has shown he’s not the best when it comes to being melodic, most of the time the message is good enough to make the song passable. That’s what happens here, though the message in the track comes off as vague.
Mac’s singing improves on the track “My Favorite Part” featuring his girlfriend, Ariana Grande. Here we see the two put together a smooth duet showcasing their newfound love. The two sound very comfortable with each other, which marks the third time they have professionally collaborated together. This chemistry between them in return makes the song enjoyable and affectionate.
The last song, “God is Fair, Sexy Nasty” is a high energy banger with hints of jazz and percussion. Mac gets help from TDE emcee Kendrick Lamar and producer Tae Beast. Kendrick comes through on the hook while Miller delivers verses that touch on intimacy and the unpredictability that comes with making love. To close out the track, we are met with a piano interlude from Robert Glasper. This string of keys eventually leads into the final act of the album, in which Miller’s grandmother recounts how she fell in love with her husband. She shares what enabled their relationship to blossom was how much he related to her, giving out the utmost respect to not only her, but the people around them.
In the end, the in-track story acts as the overall message of the album by showing the listener that respect above anything else is the most important factor within love and companionship.
Miller has progressed a considerable amount since his “Blue Slide Park” days, and “The Divine Feminine” shows off his biggest growth by far. Once deemed “Easy Mac with the Cheesy Raps,” Mac Miller has now cemented himself as a well-respected, young artist of the new school.
7.5/10
Recent Comments