Rapper Post Malone got his first big break in February 2015, after the release of his debut single “White Iverson.” In August 2015, Malone landed a record deal with Republic Records, which helped him drop his first album entitled “Stoney” which was released in 2016. For a new artist, he is certainly getting a lot of buzz. His single “Rockstar,” tallies a ninth (nonconsecutive) week at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart, with 55.3 million U.S. streams, in the week ending Nov. 23. It also makes twin 5-4 rises on Digital Song Sales, which it led for a week, with 58,000 downloads sold in the week ending Nov. 23, and on Radio Songs, with 86 million in all-format audience in the week ending Nov. 26.
Some could write him off as a wannabe white rapper who doesn’t know what he is getting into but after listening to his full album “Stoney”, those judgments fly out the window. The album starts off with “Broken Whiskey Glass” which has a western vibe to the song. His lyrics paired with the haunting production gives the song an element of mystery. It is almost like he is dissociated since he is living life in the fast lane, but seems to not actually remember it. It is a great start to the album that shows he has much more variety than what “Rock Star” entails.
“Big Lie” is a fun song that makes the listener want to dance and hold their drink up. It holds the quality of having fun but also being reminded of a past love who wasn’t honest with you. The tone of this song portrays still living your life and being confident in your own truth. “Deja Vu” is his collaboration with Justin Bieber that is a fun catchy song with flirty elements and lyrics. Basically, one can’t help but blush to this song. “No Option” is one of the stand-out tracks with a beat that makes you bob your head and turn it up full blast. The song’s best lyrics is in the chorus when he sings, “You know, baby, you don’t get a free pass, So I told her “ass, gas or grass.” Then it goes into a fast paced beat.
“Cold” is a play on words that make you feel like you have as much money as Malone does. This is a great transition to “White Iverson” where he sings about owning who you are and being confident about it. The next track “I Fall A Part” is even bigger than him and all of us. The lyrics and the musical production make a song that perfectly describes heartbreak. Although many artists and songwriters have primarily stuck to the topic of love for years, I haven’t heard a song quite like this that makes you feel the pain and the hurt all over again. The vocals that Malone puts in this song can show the raw passion of hurt that he feels. The song speaks for itself with 11 million views on a track that wasn’t even a single.
The tracks “Patient,” “Go Flex,” “Feel” and “Too Young” that follow are exceptional. They carry the tone of having fun, but also feeling vacant within the experience. Each song has its own quality and is in no way repetitive. Nothing on this album is a filler song, which makes the album so strong collectively. After that, we get the hit “Congratulations” which isn’t even the best song on the album. The following tracks are “Up There” “Yours Truly, Austin Post,” “Leave,” “Hit This Hard,” and “Money Made me Do it.” These tracks all have to do with smoking, but it’s more than that. He is able to correlate the high one feels with the celebration of life. The lyrics can be silly but the underlying meaning and tone goes deeper. The album ends with “Feeling Whitney” which is a stripped down track which Malone sings, “To each their own and find peace in knowing, Ain’t always broken, but here’s to hoping.” It is a great end to the album that is hopeful and ties together the party and emotional elements that convey his highs and lows in his life, ultimately having peace in the chaos.
Although Post Malone only has one album out, it has spoken to such a high degree and set a huge bar for his next album, and other rappers in the game. He is extremely versatile and a huge threat to artists that are not nearly on his level, musically and spiritually. He is able to convey the traditional aspects of rap such as drinking, smoking and having money but also find places in songs to convey his distaste for life, heartbreak and longing. This creates a perfect combination for a rock star. I am patiently awaiting his next album which is said to come out sometime next year to see what else he has to offer and expand on. This is certainly an amazing start and he is destined to change the game.
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