Post Malone grew up thinking Blake Shelton‘s breakthrough debut chart-topper “Austin” was written about him.
Now, the men have a song together, and Malone recently shared the story with Shelton.
“Post’s real name is Austin, and he told me that when he was a kid, his mom told him that that song was written about him,” Shelton told American Songwriter. “That’s what he told me, and he said he believed it. His mom was, I guess, the country music fan in the family, and his dad was the rock guy. So, I guess that’s how Post Malone was created.”
Malone, who was born Austin Richard Post, and Shelton collaborated on their new song, “Pour Me a Drink.” The duet is from Malone’s debut country album, F-1 Trillion, which also includes collaborations with Brad Paisley, Morgan Wallen, Dolly Parton, and Tim McGraw. F-1 Trillion will be available on August 16.
Post Malone Named After a Blake Shelton Song?
Malone co-wrote “Pour Me a Drink” with producers Louis Bell and Charlie Handsome, along with John Byron, Rocky Block, and Jordan Dozzi. However, the song is so similar to Shelton’s content and style that it sounds like the alcohol-fueled anthem could have come from any of Shelton’s recent projects.
“I think he’s getting my songs now,” Shelton joked. “I don’t know really their side of the story. And as much time as I’ve spent with Post now, which is we spent about three days together since this thing’s been going on, those days have been unbelievable.”
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Shelton said the men had so much fun listening to music and laughing together that the last thing he wanted to do was ask Malone about the business side of his music.
“He’s just so excited about music,” Shelton said. “I mean, literally, we spent an hour one night him just with his iPod playing me music that he is fired up about. I still, to this day, have never asked him, ‘Hey, why me? Why did you call me for this?’”
The former Voice coach said he almost asked him once and then decided against it.
Blake Shelton Says Post Malone Is “So Much Fun”
“I didn’t because at the end of the day, I just, for whatever reason, he asked me to do it—I’m proud,” Shelton said. “I’m proud of that record. I’m proud to have worked with him. I think he’s an incredibly talented guy. Now that I’ve spent some time with him, it’s no mystery to me that he’s as huge as he is as an artist and successful as he is because he’s just somebody that you just love being around. He’s just so much fun.”
Shelton said Malone played him 13 or 14 of the songs he was working on for F-1 Trillion, along with some George Strait and Asleep at the Wheel songs he loved.
“This guy grew up in Texas,” Shelton said. “I think just naturally he grew up hearing all this stuff, and so he’s just super excited about country music. I think he probably feels like a new artist again.”
Shelton theorized that Malone probably always wanted to make country music, but that life took him down a different path.
“Now he’s doing it, and you can tell he’s been holding it in for a while, and he’s super fired up about it,” Shelton said.
(Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for CMA)
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