One Love Manchester, Republic, REMember, Warner Bros. Records, photo to the right by GL Askew II
Our story starts with Ariana Grande, the 405, and heavy radio rotation courtesy of Ryan Seacrest. Her bad press of doughnut debacles and diva behaviors never really influenced my singing along in the car, often I didn’t even know with who I was singing along. But after the tragedy in Manchester, Ariana caught my attention by rising above her reputation to bring a collection of top artists together for the One Love Manchester concert. The star-studded event raised over $3 million for the Manchester Emergency Fund.
The performance by the local Parrs Wood High School Choir who sang a heartwarming rendition of Ariana’s ‘My Everything,’ was a highlight of the night. As the choir left the stage, Ariana was visibly fighting back tears. She called out to the audience to introduce her next guest, ‘Tonight is about love, am I right?’ the crowd cheered in response. With that, Mac Miller, prolific rapper, hip hop artist and Ariana’s boyfriend, joined onstage to perform her breakout hit 'The Way'. The two playfully danced and sang to one another, with Ariana smiling, even laughing again. They followed with his song, 'Dang' (Ariana subbed in for Anderson .Paak). Reminiscent of 'American Boy' by Estelle and Kanye West, 'Dang' has a cool, smooth funk vibe.
And this is where the fangirl digging begins. Mac Miller proved himself to be a fun, giving partner onstage, and a supportive rock for Ariana post-Manchester by canceling his own shows to be at her side, so I needed to know more. The song they performed, 'Dang', is from his latest album, 'The Divine Feminine.' Released in late 2016, the album features Robert Glasper, Kendrick Lamar, and Cee Lo Green to name a few. It’s a more sexy, sultry, jazz infused version of hip hop–he sings and drawls more than he raps. The album is about the journey of love–the allure and the confusion, a celebration of women and lessons learned. It’s about attraction, vulnerability–and sex. Of the ten tracks, eight are labeled Explicit. The transition between the tracks 'Stay' and 'Skin' features a woman having an orgasm. That may be off-putting, but in the context of celebrating the female energy of the world, it works. In fact, those are two of my favorite songs along with 'We' and 'My Favorite Part'.
In the two weeks since downloading 'The Divine Feminine', no other album or podcast has come through my earbuds. I wake and fall asleep with Mac Miller’s songs in my head. Heed Ariana’s advice as she sings, ‘Make some time for something so divine.’ Let Mac Miller and the sweet seduction of 'The Divine Feminine' allure you into making some room in your library.
NOTE: To see the tracks performed live, check out the concert special, Mac Miller: The Divine Feminine, which aired on DirecTV's AUDIENCE Network.