The Real Meaning Behind Macklemore's Next Year
Macklemore, whose real name is actually Benjamin Hammond Haggarty, is one of the most successful rappers of the 21st century. Getting his start in the 2000s, Macklemore created mixtapes and self-funded his projects without the support of major labels. The Seattle native released his debut full-length record, "The Language of My World," in 2005, per Billboard, and has since seen his songs top the charts in the United States and worldwide. He is perhaps best known for hits like "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us" with producer Ryan Lewis (the latter of which peaked at No. 1 on the charts in 2013).
For most rappers, producing and releasing music without label support can be difficult, but not for Macklemore — who prefers doing things his own way. "We are perfectly fine putting it out ourselves," he said of his company Macklemore LLC to Billboard in 2012. "We are a small business that's becoming a medium-sized business. With that, there is a learning curve and there are times when you feel like you don't quite have the manpower to operate the business to the best of your ability. But we're growing and we're adapting to the best of our abilities."
Now, almost a decade later, Macklemore is still going strong with his music — and now, he has reunited with Lewis on a new track called "Next Year." Find out what the song is about below.
Macklemore's 'Next Year' is about self-improvement and hope
To fans' delight, Macklemore has teamed up with producer Ryan Lewis again for their latest collaboration. Released on October 29, "Next Year" — which also features vocalist Windser — is Macklemore's first piece of new music in almost two years, and the song discusses his hope for a better year ahead.
"Next year's my come up / I've been lackin' but I can feel that it's the one / All the last three-sixty-five-one sucked / Like God group texted the world and dumped us," he raps in the opening line of the new track, referencing the coronavirus pandemic that has taken over the world in the past 18 months. However, Macklemore doesn't get too down about what has transpired, and is hopeful that better things will happen to him in the upcoming year.
He continues, "I'm well-aware the universe doesn't owe me s***/ I know that, all of this pain means the growth, I think / That next year's gonna be better than this." Windser drives the song's meaning home on the chorus, which goes like this, "Next year's gonna be better than this year/ Next year's gonna be better than this 'cause / New Year's Eve comin' with a fresh kiss, yeah."
In the music video for the song, Macklemore finds himself surviving the most cruel and unfair scenarios, including a car crash, which allows him to witness the birth of his child — a baby that may or may not be his neighbor's. Macklemore, clearly, knows how to entertain as well.
Macklemore was initially nervous about working with Ryan Lewis again
According to Complex, "Next Year" marks Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' first collaborative effort since their joint album "The Unruly Mess I've Made," in 2016. The duo went their separate ways before reuniting for what the duo called an "exciting" experience. "Ryan first played this for me in his car, as a rough demo but it immediately stood out. I then wrote a bunch of verses quickly and went down to L.A. to record," Macklemore said about "Next Year" in a statement. "And with the time that had passed, I felt a little apprehension at first; however, once we started the creative process, it felt like we hadn't skipped a day."
Lewis echoed similar sentiments, saying, "We hadn't worked together in a few years and each of our processes had grown and evolved in that time working independently of each other, so it was scary and exciting to see how it would go getting back in the studio — all in all, it was like everything had changed and yet nothing had changed at all!" He ended his statement on a sweet note, saying, "I missed my guy."
While both think the song is a hit, Macklemore's daughter, Sloane, isn't so sure. In an Instagram video posted by the rapper, Sloane can be seen listening to the track and hilariously admitting, "Not your best but I still love ya." Sloane even offered suggestions for her dad's next collaborators, name-dropping Adele, Camila Cabello, and Taylor Swift. Talk about having good musical taste!