This is the latest album from New York rapper Post Malone, who had quite a big 2017, starting off by releasing the single “Congratulations” from his last album “Stoney” at the beginning of the year, a track that hit #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also finished 10th on the Year-End Hot 100. Later in the year, he released “I Fall Apart” from that album as a single as well, and it saw some success (it’s hit #16 on the Hot 100 so far), but not before releasing the HUGE leadoff single from this album, “rockstar,” a song that became his first #1 single on the Hot 100, spent eight weeks there, and even reached #56 on the Year-End Hot 100 despite only being out for the last few months of 2017. He also wasted no time hitting the ground running to start 2018, as he released his second single “Psycho,” which has thus far peaked at #2 on the Hot 100.
Now, some of you may remember that I didn’t really care much for Post Malone’s first album “Stoney.” Sure, it had some good singles like “White Iverson” and “Congratulations,” but most of it just felt like music you can only enjoy if you’re spaced out or high while listening to it. However, I have to say I was pretty excited heading into this album because, while it’s an hour long, I’ve been very impressed by the aforementioned singles “rockstar” and “Psycho,” and I think they are some of Post’s bests. I feel like he’s definitely showed some growth with those singles, so I’m excited to see if that continues on with this album. Let’s find out, shall we?
Paranoid: Post Malone starts off this album by talking about how frustrated he is about his rise to fame making him feel like he doesn’t have friends. Already, I’m really digging that Post seems to be moving away from the “overly spaced-out stoner sound” of “Stoney” in favor of more vibrant, upbeat production on this one. It’s head-noddy and enjoyable, and once again, Post’s vocals are really great. I always get skeptical when albums are an hour or so long, but so far, this one is definitely off to an amazing start.
Spoil My Night (ft. Swae Lee): Another more upbeat track about flexing, Post enlists the help of Rae Sremmurd’s Swae Lee to help provide some pretty nice vocals. Even if he’s drowning in autotune, his falsetto doesn’t sound too bad, and he blends well with Post’s really beautiful vocals and great flow on his verse. Obviously, it’s not a deep track (Post says “I ain’t even see her face but she got beautiful boobies,” which is honestly a laughable line), but it’s got a really good vibe to it, I like this track a lot.
Rich & Sad: This track sounds a little bit too much like the last few, but it’s still got a few cool things going on: the production is still pretty moody and cool, and Post shows once again that his vocals are pretty great, even when he’s in his higher register. Also, for as upbeat as it is, it’s honestly a pretty emotional track, especially when he says “I just keep on wishing that the money made you stay.” I can see this one getting some repeat listens out of me.
Zack and Codeine: A clever name that plays on the title of the show “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” this one sees Post talking about his raging party-going life in the hotels he stays at. It’s clear Post wants to move as far away from “Stoney” as possible as, even though this one still sounds pretty moody, it’s very energetic and upbeat, and Post’s vocals are more vibrant and exciting overall. His vocals have generally been pretty smooth, but it’s cool to see him jump into a slightly higher register here. Another good track.
Takin’ Shots: This track takes things down a slightly darker route, but once again, it’s got that exciting, upbeat feel of some of the last few cuts. The song talks about how Post is gonna live while he’s young, get super drunk, and just not stop partying. I once again like his vocals a lot (I feel like Post is one of the only people that can say “me and Dre came for the pum pum” and not have it sound super silly), and the song has a cool vibe and a really hypnotic, memorable hook. Really liked this one a lot.
rockstar (ft. 21 Savage): One of the biggest singles at the end of last year, this is a song that still rings off for me and stays great with multiple listens. Some really cool click-clack percussion on this one, a really nice dark, moody-vibe, a hypnotic hook only aided by some great vocals from Post, and a 21 Savage feature that easily stands as one of his best appearances on a song. This one really got stuck in my head at the end of 2017, and it didn’t seem to want to leave in 2018, but that’s perfectly fine because it’s easily one of Post’s best to date.
Over Now: Interestingly, this one starts off with some cool, pretty interesting string plucking. It’s actually a really emotional, somewhat introspective track (helped a lot by lyrics where Post says things like “I was an idiot”), and it’s aided by Post’s more gritty tone and somewhat angry vocals throughout the song. It’s also got some pretty cool, dark instrumentals, and a pounding drum beat, too. Really enjoyed this track a lot.
Psycho (ft. Ty Dolla $ign): For me, this was something of a “sequel” to “rockstar.” Not only because it was the second single, but because it kept the more upbeat, but still dark and moody vibe from that track, and it also had a prominent feature in Ty Dolla $ign. Once again, the hook on this one is hypnotic. I’ve gotta say, if nothing else at all, Post is too damn good at making hooks that can stick in your head long after the first listen. Again, his vocals here are pretty sharp, and Ty Dolla $ign sounds good as well. If this really was a “sequel” to “rockstar,” I’ve gotta say it’s definitely a very worthy follow-up.
Better Now: A track where Post remembers back to a past relationship, Post talks about how he and his ex might still have feelings for one another, but that they are trying to hide them so as to “win the breakup.” I like Post’s flow on the hook of this one, it kinda gives me some weird throwbacks to older R&B songs, and his vocals mesh nicely with the moody, somewhat nocturnal instrumentals on this song. Halfway through the album, I’m really enjoying this right now!
Ball for Me (ft. Nicki Minaj): Another cool-sounding turn-up song with some cool production and sonic effects, I’m not all that crazy about the hook on this one, but Post’s still got some pretty solid vocals, and Nicki Minaj’s verse singlehandedly made the song better. I like her rapid-fire flow and clever lyrics, and her sing-rapping towards the end of her verse sounds really nice. The second half of the album is off to a pretty great start, I must say.
Otherside: Another more emotional track, Post talks on this one about how, no matter how drunk he gets, it won’t help bring his girl back. I really like the beat on this one, it’s very head-noddy and fun, and Post’s vocals feel very varied throughout, as it feels like has multiple different voices on the track. And yet, even though he has so many voices here, they all sound very smooth and nice on the ears. It’s a surprisingly emotional track that I really dig a lot.
Stay: Keeping things on the topic of his rough relationships, Post takes things slower on this one, singing over an acoustic guitar on this one. It feels like a few of the tracks from “Stoney,” like “I Fall Apart” and “Feeling Whitney,” but with a lot more energy and plenty of really great, emotional vocals from Post. It’s admittedly a really sad song, and there’s a lot of really cool things going on with it. I really loved this track!
Blame It on Me: Another more emotional track where Post seems to feel blamed for…something, this one has a rather dark instrumental and some nice vocals from Post, but I think I’m not digging it too much because it sounds a bit too much like some of the stuff on “Stoney.” Honestly, it feels a little like a more dark, somewhat drab version of “Congratulations.” It might grow on me with a few listens, but it’s definitely not one of my favorites from the album.
Same Bitches (ft. G-Eazy and YG): A really dark, somewhat sinister-sounding track, Post’s vocals and flow sound really strong, as he, G-Eazy and YG talk about women who don’t have a sense of themselves. There are some really cool keyboard riffs on this one, and G-Eazy’s verse is really solid. I don’t usually listen to his music much, but he sounds pretty good here. YG’s performance was a little strange at first, but he’s got some pretty solid flow on his verse. Good track!
Jonestown (Interlude): A really short, very sinister interlude about the Jonestown cult massacre, I feel like I won’t come back to this one very much in the future, but it’s a really interestingly scary-sounding track with some really cool production. I would’ve liked to see it lead into another track, but it’s still pretty well-made.
92 Explorer: A song inspired heavily by Post’s 1992 Ford Explorer, this one has some really bright, head-noddy production, and Post’s vocals remain really smooth and pretty. I also really like the hook on this one, I feel like it has the potential to be really ear-wormy and hypnotic. I really enjoyed this track a lot, I think I’ll be coming back to it quite a bit in the future. It’s cool to see that this album seems to be wrapping up nicely.
Candy Paint: A single Post released and included as part of the soundtrack of “The Fate of the Furious,” this song talks about cars (not shocking, it’s on an album called “beerbongs & bentleys,” and it was also featured on the soundtrack of a “Fast & Furious” film) and the “candy paint” finish they have. I never got to listen to this one before this album was released, but I’m already loving the hook. It’s really hypnotic and the song itself is really head-noddy. I like the bright production here and Post’s flow throughout is strong. Really digging this track a lot!
Sugar Wraith: Ending things off with a track about (what else?) cars, I’m really digging the upbeat sound of this track, much like the album as a whole. Post’s flow throughout the song is great, as it takes some really interesting, different twists and turns, and his vocals remain awesome as always. I also think that, with Post talking about wanting to “make it last before we die” on this, it feels like a very appropriate end to the album. Really great track, I’ll definitely come back to this one in the future!
Overall, I have to say that, even as excited as I was for this album, it surpassed my own expectations! Sure, the first few singles were great, so I was already excited, but when I heard the album was going to be an hour long, I admittedly got a little nervous. Considering that we’re living in a day and age where several rappers are starting to throw extremely long albums out there just to boost streaming numbers, this actually feels like an album that isn’t that, and it feels like a huge improvement over “Stoney.” The production is tighter and more vibrant, as Post moves away from the “stoned, space-out jams” of his last album in favor of more upbeat, turn-up styled songs. His flow throughout the album is also varied and his vocals are very strong, and a lot of the songs are more memorable than the stuff from “Stoney.”
Now, obviously, Post is still turning up on this album so don’t expect the deepest lyricism in the world, but honestly, that’s the point. Not all music needs to be deep or have some insane lyrical meaning. Post’s music isn’t meant to be that, it’s music that you can vibe to and turn up to, and in that, it succeeds. This is an album I feel like you’ll be able to dig even if you aren’t much of a Post Malone fan. It’s far different from his last album, and it’s far more successful as well. Post really hit it out of the park with this one, and I’m really excited to see what other singles he pushes from this album. Even if you don’t listen to Post’s music much (or if you weren’t too interested in “Stoney”), check this album out! You might be surprised. I sure as Hell was.
Good stuff, Post.
Favorite tracks: Paranoid, Spoil My Night, Rich & Sad, Zack and Codeine, Takin’ Shots, rockstar, Over Now, Psycho, Better Now, Ball for Me, Otherside, Stay, Same Bitches, 92 Explorer, Candy Paint, Sugar Wraith
Least favorite tracks: Blame It on Me (if I had to pick one)
Rating: Excellent
No comments:
Post a Comment