Self Care (song)

"Self Care" is a song recorded by American rapper Mac Miller for his fifth studio album Swimming (2018). It was written by Miller, Destin Route, Erica Wright, Jahmal Cantero, Devonte Hynes, and its producers Dacoury Natche, Eric Dan, Tyler Mason, and Peter Mudge. The track was released on July 13, 2018, as the second single from the album. Musically, "Self Care" is a two-part song, described as a "self-guided tour through [Miller's] personal rehabilitation" by Pitchfork's Sheldon Pearce.

"Self Care"
Single by Mac Miller
from the album Swimming
ReleasedJuly 13, 2018 (2018-07-13)
Recorded2017
Studio
Genre
Length5:45
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • DJ Dahi
  • ID Labs
  • Nostxlgic
  • Nice Rec (add.)
Mac Miller singles chronology
"Small Worlds"
(2018)		 "Self Care"
(2018)		 "What's the Use?"
(2018)
Music video
"Self Care" on YouTube

"Self Care" peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100 after Miller's death in September 2018, becoming his highest charting song as lead artist at the time. The song was certified platinum in the United States. Its music video, which references the film Kill Bill: Volume 2, shows Miller escaping a coffin after being buried alive.

Background and composition

"Self Care" was released by Warner Bros. Records on July 13, 2018, as the second single from Mac Miller's fifth studio album Swimming.[1] It is a two-part song, split between "Self Care" and "Oblivion".[1][2] The first part was written by Miller, Destin Route, Devonte Hynes, and its producers Dacourny "DJ Dahi" Natche and Peter "Nice Rec" Mudge; it also contains an excerpt from "On & On" by Erykah Badu, which was written by Badu and Jahmal Cantero. The second part was written by Miller and its producers Eric Dan, Tyler "Nostxlgic" Mason, and Mudge.[2] Each part was recorded separately in 2017, at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles and ID Labs in Pittsburgh, respectively.[2][3]

"Self Care" contains elements of R&B and space-funk.[4][5] The song begins with "watercolor synth washes",[5] as Miller croons its affirming chorus.[4] Around halfway through, it abruptly switches to an "airy synth and glitchy" beat,[1][5] turning its vibe "from claustrophobic to weightless."[6] Billboard's Gil Kaufman said the song "chronicles an emotional spiral, with Mac spinning out into 'oblivion,' which sounds like exactly the place he wants to be."[4] Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork described it as a "breezy, self-guided tour through [Miller's] personal rehabilitation."[7]

Commercial performance

In the United States, "Self Care" debuted at number 24 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100,[8] and peaked at number 5 on the chart dated August 18, 2018.[9] After Miller's death in September 2018, "Self Care" was propelled to number 33 on the US Billboard Hot 100, surpassing "Loud" (2012; number 53) as his highest charting song as lead artist at the time.[10][11] It also reached his highest peak as lead artist in Australia at number 83 on the ARIA Charts,[12] in Canada at number 38 on the Canadian Hot 100,[13] and in the United Kingdom at number 61 on the UK Singles Chart.[14] His peaks set by "Self Care" were later surpassed by "Good News" in 2020.[11][13][14][15] In May 2019, "Self Care" was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and streaming data in excess of 1,000,000 units in the United States.[16]

Music video

A music video for "Self Care" was released on the same day as the song. Directed by Christian Weber, it begins with Miller buried alive inside a coffin. He raps his verses while smoking a cigarette, and carves "Memento mori" (Latin: "remember (that you have) to die") into the coffin using a pocket knife. After punching a hole into the coffin and emerging from the dirt, explosions send him flying. The video is an homage to a scene from the 2004 film Kill Bill: Volume 2.[1][4]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Swimming's liner notes and Tidal.[2][17]

  • Malcolm McCormick – lead vocals (as Mac Miller), songwriting
  • Peter Mudge – additional production, additional programming (as Nice Rec)
  • Ben Sedano – engineering assistant
  • John Armstrong – engineering assistant
  • Manny Marroquin – mix
  • Chris Galland – engineering mix
  • Robin Florent – engineering mix assistant
  • Scott Desmarais – engineering mix assistant
  • Mike Bozzi – mastering

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 83
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13] 38
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[18] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 61
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 33
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 18
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[22] 15

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Platinum 1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Reed, Ryan (July 13, 2018). "Mac Miller Previews New LP 'Swimming' With Coffin-Escaping 'Self Care' Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  2. Swimming (CD liner notes). Mac Miller. Warner Bros. Records. 2018. 90603-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
    • Online version: "Swimming". Mac Miller. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  3. "Mac Miller 'Self Care' single not about split with Ariana". TMZ. July 13, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  4. Kaufman, Gil (July 13, 2018). "Mac Miller Buries His Feelings in a Coffin in Claustrophobic 'Self Care' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  5. Garvey, Meaghan (August 2, 2018). "Mac Miller: Swimming review – maturing rapper in search for self-acceptance". The Guardian. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  6. St. Félix, Doreen (September 9, 2018). "The Tragic Death of Mac Miller, a Musician Who Never Stopped Evolving". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  7. Pearce, Sheldon (July 13, 2018). ""Self Care" by Mac Miller review". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  8. Cantor, Brian (July 24, 2018). "Wiz Khalifa, Childish Gambino, Mitchell Tenpenny, More Score Debuts On Bubbling Under Hot 100". Headlineplanet.com. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  9. "Mac Miller: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  10. Zellner, Xander (September 18, 2018). "Mac Miller Charts Three Songs on Billboard Hot 100, Led by 'Self Care' in Top 40". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  11. "Mac Miller – Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  12. "ARIA Chart Watch #490". auspOp. September 15, 2018. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  13. "Mac Miller Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  14. "Mac Miller". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  15. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. January 20, 2020. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  16. "American single certifications – Mac Miller – Self Care". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 11, 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  17. "Credits / Swimming / Mac Miller". Warner Bros. Records. Retrieved March 14, 2019 – via Tidal.
  18. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 17, 2018. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  20. "Mac Miller Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  21. "Mac Miller Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  22. "Mac Miller Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
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