Ten years can feel like a lifetime in music, but Mac Miller’s GO:OD AM still lands with the freshness of a sunrise. Released on September 18, 2015, the Pittsburgh rapper’s third album—and his first for a major label—marked a pivot toward clarity and light. Now, a decade later, his estate commemorates the anniversary with a short film that captures the energy of an artist on the edge of reinvention.
The 15-minute documentary, GO:OD AM (Time Flies, Try to Catch It), offers more than nostalgia. Directed by Sam Balaban—who previously shot Mac’s “Inertia” freestyle and the Making Faces short—the film dives into the creative headspace of a musician determined to breathe again. “A lot of the music I’ve done recently was a little darker and sad. I wanted this album to kinda be a departure from that and feel confident and positive.” Mac says in archival footage. His words framed GO:OD AM as both escape and arrival.
Balaban threads rare studio moments with reflections from the people who knew Mac’s artistry best. Engineer Josh Berg recalls the meticulous layering that gave the record its expansive sound. Manager Christian Clancy speaks to the leap of faith required for a major-label debut. Visual collaborator Ian Wolfson—better known to fans as Rex Arrow—shares memories of building a world around the music’s radiant shift. Close friend and hypeman Quentin Cuff adds an emotional pulse, grounding the film in the camaraderie that fueled Mac’s ascent.
For listeners, GO:OD AM signaled more than a label upgrade. It foreshadowed the fluid experimentation of The Divine Feminine, Swimming, and Circles, albums that would stretch hip-hop’s emotional vocabulary while tracing Mac’s own evolution. The documentary lingers on that crossroads: the moment when darkness loosened its grip, if only for a while, and possibility felt wide open.
Mac Miller died on September 7, 2018, at just 26, a loss that still echoes through music and culture. Watching him in this film—grinning in the studio, plotting new horizons—carries a bittersweet charge. GO:OD AM remains a testament to resilience, a bright chapter that refuses to fade.
Ten years on, the album’s optimism feels both timeless and urgent. GO:OD AM (Time Flies, Try to Catch It) doesn’t mourn so much as celebrate: a reminder that even in a brief life, the right song can stretch time, letting us catch a piece of forever.
