Scott Dudelson/WireImageGemini, Macklemore‘s first official solo album in 12 years, will be released next month. The rapper, who in the past has struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism, says finally, he was “in a good place” making the new set.
“I was happy and at home with my baby girl and my lady,” the rapper tells ABC Radio, referring to his daughter Sloane and wife Tricia. “And [I was recording] downstairs in the basement and everything was just good. So I think there’s definitely a certain spirit to the album that defines where I’m at in my life at this point.”
That spirit is certainly present in the album’s first single, “Glorious,” a collaboration with Skylar Grey. He says he wrote some of the verses, and then Skylar came in and they finished the song. “The beats just felt glorious to me,” says Macklemore. “That’s the word I kept hearing.”
“I picked that word,” Skyler argues. “The first time I heard his verses and I heard him say ‘glorious,’ I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s the title. That has to be the song.’”
The video for “Glorious” features Macklemore celebrating his grandma Helen’s 100th birthday by taking her on a series of adventures, like egging a neighbor’s house, singing karaoke, cruising in a convertible, playing arcade games and visiting a thrift shop.
“I had been wanting to..film her, you know, for the family — archival footage of this incredible woman in our life,” Macklemore explains. “And I thought, ‘Well, what if we did a crazy bucket list type of day with her?'”
“She was completely down,” he adds. “I mean, she didn’t know what was gonna happen, she had no idea what we were getting into, but she was down for the journey and completely with it.”
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