Post Malone is ditching beerbongs and Bentleys for rhinestone suits and pickup trucks.
Malone burst onto the scene in 2016 with the trap/hip-hop sounds of “White Iverson,” but he hasn’t stayed in that lane. From the alternative rock sounds of “Circles” to his heavy-metal love on “Take What You Want” (which features Ozzy Osbourne) and his faithful rendition of Nirvana’s catalog during a 2020 livestream event, Malone has flirted with multiple genres. Next, the Texas native plans to head back home with country western music.
The idea has seemingly been on Malone’s mind for years. He previously teased a double LP with country star Dwight Yoakam’s band and hinted “nothing” was stopping him from going full-on outlaw, dropping even more clues after the 2023 CMA Awards.
Malone is no stranger to country music, previously wearing T-shirts featuring Billy Strings, Colter Wall and Tyler Childers and forming friendships with Nashville’s music royalty, including Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood and Tanya Tucker. He’s also covered Sturgill Simpson‘s “You Can Have The Crown,” Yoakam’s “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” Hank Williams Jr.‘s “There’s a Tear in My Beer” and Brad Paisley‘s “I’m Gonna Miss Her.”
As fans wait for Malone’s album to drop, here’s a look at everything he’s said about the project:
April 2021
Malone announced that he was releasing a double album of country music. “I wanted to create something everybody can get down to. People who like country will like it. People who like folk will dig it. Even people who like pop will be into it,” he said in a statement, per iHeart. Malone cited Johnny Cash as one of his primary musical influences and said Dwight Yoakam’s backing band would help him make the album a reality.
“Some day he’s going to come with a country album,” added Recently Republic Records’ Monte Lipman.
While the statement indicated a late 2021 release date, fans noticed Malone made the announcement on April Fools’ Day. The album never materialized.
June 2022
Since the release of “Circles” in 2019, Malone began venturing beyond trap and hip-hop. In 2022, Malone stopped by The Howard Stern Show and said he wouldn’t be confined by genre.
“To be honest, there’s nothing stopping me from taking a camera or setting up in my studio in Utah and just recording a country album [to put] on YouTube,” he added. “I’m allowed to do that. I’m a human being.”
Malone continued, “I split my time between a lot of different things because I am happily obligated to do concerts and show love to my fans and then I’m happily obligated to write music and make beats by myself, and I’m happily obligated to, you know, take care of my family. So, it’s a lot of time, and it’s about finding that space to allot that time. If I get another year to myself, maybe I’ll make a f–king country album.”
April 2023
One year after Malone welcomed a daughter with his fiancée — and three months before he dropped Austin, his fifth studio album — he revealed via Instagram that he’d stopped doing drugs, “kick[ed] soda” and began eating better so he could “be around for a long time for this little angel.”
Malone also wrote that he had spent “a bit [of time] in the studio lately working on new music, and am so excited to share it with you.” In the post, fans noticed Malone lying next to a pair of camouflage cowboy boots. Malone also dropped three boot emojis in his caption, seemingly leaving an Easter egg about his pivot toward country.
Austin (a reference to Malone’s birth name) was a slight departure from hip-hop, with more alternative rock, synth-pop and indie sounds incorporated into the work’s sonic tapestry.
April 2023
Malone relocated to Utah in 2019, leaving Los Angeles in his rearview. He left his mark on his new home four years later with the opening of the Post Malone-designed Raising Cane’s restaurant. During the restaurant’s opening, radio station 93.3 The Bull asked whether Malone was considering making country music.
“I think I’ll do it whenever the time is right in the studio,” replied Malone. “I’m just vibing, f—king around. I think it’ll be a fun time [and] I just like creating stuff and making everything.”
November 2023
Malone updated fans on his country project during an event with Apex Legends. “Country album is coming,” he said on his Twitch channel while playing the video game. “I keep singing a song that we made while I was in Nashville, and it’s so f—kin’ sick, but it’s not out. We made such sick music down in Nashville. It was so much, so much fun.”
He also spoke about the “amazing” country artist HARDY, saying, “He’s such a sweetheart. I had the most fun time ever.”
Malone continued to hype up his country album at the 2023 Country Music Association Awards, where he joined Morgan Wallen and HARDY to cover Joe Diffie‘s “Pickup Man.”
Access Hollywood‘s Emily Orozco later caught up with Malone and asked how it felt to be on stage in front of a country audience.
“So much fun. I’m not nervous at all — that’s a lie!” said Malone. “I had so much fun. It was an amazing experience.” When asked whether the performance meant his country album would finally see the light of day, he said, “I think so. Yes, ma’am!”
One week after the CMAs, Malone earned his first placement on one of Billboard‘s country charts with “Pickup Man.” The 2023 single featured Malone, Wallen and HARDY singing along with the late Diffie’s vocals. The song peaked at No. 34 on the Hot Country Songs chart and No. 44 on the Country Airplay charts.
