Mac Miller Forgot to Die

The rise of global streaming services in the 21st century has changed the music industry and made the process of creating artist personae easier. When crafting a social avatar, the character is often idealised in the pursuit of notability and social relevancy and, furthermore, connected to the performer through the compulsion of authenticity. The thesis aims to show how this balancing act constitutes a driving force in producing a musical performance. This thesis studies the relationship between the use of artist personae and the progression of the musical expression in Mac Miller’s “Knock Knock” (2010), “Weekend” (2015), and “Good News” (2020). The analyses emphasise how lyrics, delivery, …