Established hip-hop and rap artist Post Malone branched into the country music scene on August 16, 2024, with his newest album, “F-1 Trillion.”
This release is Malone’s sixth studio album and features a total of 18 tracks. He collaborates with country powerhouses including Morgan Wallen, Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, and Tim McGraw to encapsulate the country sound. The major shift from Malone’s usual hip-hop and rap-based discography has been positively received by fans and critics.
Malone’s presence in the country world is nothing entirely new. Before his breakthrough in the music industry, Malone began his music career recording country covers of his idols on YouTube. Since 2020, he seems to have been planting the seeds of his jump into country. He has made multiple appearances performing with top country names and just earlier this year was featured in Beyonce’s “Levii’s Jeans” from her country-pop album, “Cowboy Carter.” He has made it clear of his desire to transition into country from the very start.
“WHEN I TURN 30 IM BECOMING A COUNTRY/FOLK SINGER,” said Malone via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, back in 2015.
“Wrong Ones (Feat. Tim McGraw)” opens the album with a Southern Rock influence. Malone recounts how he has yet again ended up drunk at a bar, a theme common in his music. He then transitions to an intense acceptance of his excessive life and narration of how he searches for the right woman for him, yet he contradicts his efforts when he cannot resist the temptation of “the wrong ones [that] keep lookin’ at me.” Legend Tim McGraw ends the song by reinforcing the idea of being unable to help himself from the charms of the wrong women and makes clever references to his own song titles.
In the second track, Malone joins forces with Country Music Hall of Famer, Hank Williams Jr. The song’s rhythmic drums and twangy guitar keep listeners hooked as they listen to Post Malone and Hank Williams Jr.’s playful lyrics about the luxuries and pleasures that life has to offer. From indulging in catfish caviar and wagyu meals to flaunting diamond rings and an F-1 Trillion limousine, the pair invites listeners to seize the moment and join in on a life of extravagance and lavishness.
Malone follows up with “I Had Some Help (Feat. Morgan Wallen),” “Pour Me A Drink (Feat. Blake Shelton),” and “Have The Heart (Feat. Dolly Parton).” These catchy dance tunes have listeners grooving left and right and singing about the trials and tribulations of break-ups.
Malone has crafted a more heartfelt and meaningful vibe to “What Don’t Belong To Me.”
He sings of the lengths he would go to show his love but is overcome in guilt for not being able to provide the one most important thing in a relationship: emotional availability. This is Malone’s apology from the heart to the woman who deserves everything in the world.
The aftermath of a breakup is a difficult time for everyone. Malone perfectly illustrates the different sides of the mind during this mentally tolling period in his next five songs. Descriptions of a lover moving on when you have not, fixing a broken heart, finding beauty in the tough times, feeling like a loser, and maybe even a devil, and making the bitter decision to never love someone again are situations many listeners can find themselves relating to.
A personal favorite, “Missin’ You Like This (Feat. Luke Combs)” is a regretful ballad sung to the girl he never got over. Malone’s voice is full of sorrow as he says that years have passed, yet he still dreams about her. Despite being with a new partner, he still feels lonely and reminisces on the moments spent together. He remorsefully ends the song by saying, “I swear to God I woulda never done what I did if I knew that I’d be missin’ you like this.” This is a message that one never realizes the true value of a person until they are gone.
Malone continues his storytelling in “California Sober (Feat. Chris Stapleton),” “Hide My Gun (Feat. HARDY),” and “Right About You.” He explores concepts such as the adventurous life coming with a cost, wondering about the lengths his lover would go for him, and being loved no matter what, even through the highs and lows. Malone then transitions into an electric dance tune, “M-E-X-I-C-O (Feat. Billy Strings),” about his memorable night out.
Closing the album, Malone presents a tender ode to his future daughter. He sings of the bittersweet feeling of his little girl finding true love and leaving to start her own family. This ballad is filled with paternal love that is sure to pull on heartstrings.
After the initial release of the album, Malone dropped a deluxe reissue with an additional nine solo tracks titled, “F-1 Trillion: Long Bed.” It garners even higher ratings from fans as it truly showcases Malone’s craftsmanship. Both the initial album and bonus release have made Post Malone a chart-topper on multiple Billboard charts.
“F-1 Trillion” brilliantly encapsulates the signature country sound and aesthetic. The album demonstrates the great potential of Malone’s versatility and artistry and proves that he will be a name we see grow big in the country music scene.