On March 3rd, 2023, Macklemore released his third studio album, Ben. Depending on how much of his career you have been following, you might be thinking this is his second album. On September 22nd, 2017, the Seattle native released Gemini. However, on New Year’s Day in 2005, Macklemore released his first album, Language of My World.
Well, there’s a quick history lesson on the solo career of Ben Haggerty. If you haven’t listened to any, I highly recommend it. I have had the album on repeat in my car. It’s the perfect album for the weather getting nicer, the sun staying out longer, and the windows down. If you are a fan of his illustrious career, then you will really appreciate this album. It feels like a perfect blend of all of his music, including the two albums, and other releases, he put out with Ryan Lewis. The album has some fun, upbeat songs such as “No Bad Days (feat. Collet) and “1984.” Other songs like “Chant (feat. Tones And I)” and “Gods’ Will (feat. Vic Daggs II)” have Mackelmore reliving moments from his life.
The song “TEARS” is the most impressive song from the album. The lyrics start off as if the song is a ballad about his first love and it is. But not in the way you would think it is. The song is a love song to Ben’s first true love, alcohol. The song details the pains of addiction, arrests, deaths, and the things he has done for the drug.
“Lost / Sun Comes Up (feat. Jackson Lee Morgan” detail the bullshit of our current times, with the following lyrics that make you rethink your social media addiction:
“Scroll (scroll)
Refresh (refresh)
Turn it off (yep)
Now do it again
That’s the dance now
Scroll (scroll)
Refresh (refresh)
Turn it off (yep)
Now do it again
That’s the dance now”
And this leads me to my favorite song on the album, “Sorry (feat. Livingston).” I can’t tell you how many times I have listened to this. Especially on repeat. As one of the most nostalgic people, this song hits hard. The first four lines especially:
“It’s too late to get the past back
But I’m stuck in the sandtraps
And I thought that I was past that
My eyelids live in a flashback”