If this isn't the most talked-about country album of 2024, it's certainly going to be near the top of the list.
Post Malone just dropped one of the most anticipated albums of the year with
F-1 Trillion, his entry into country music. And he made quite the splash, calling in names like Dolly Parton, Hank Williams Jr., Morgan Wallen, Billy Strings, Blake Shelton and Lainey Wilson for his debut country album. Of course the album also comes at a time when it seems like everybody wants to get into country music - and for good reason. Country is as popular as it's ever been, with artists like Wallen, Luke Combs and Zach Bryan selling out massive stadium tours and country songs scoring top spots on the all-genre charts at a pace we've never really seen before. Along with Post, we've also seen artists like Beyonce, MGK and Yung Gravy release "country" songs this year, and more and more we're seeing pop artists call on country stars like Wallen and Chris Stapleton for collaborations. So it's easy to see why country fans are skeptical of any pop artist who decides they want to change gears and start making country music now that it's hot. And look, I get it, and in many cases I'm right there with them. Country fans are notoriously protective of the music they love, and for good reason. Country music is supposed to mean something. It's three chords and the truth. It's storytelling and heartbreak and love found and lost and all the emotions that make up the great country songs of the past. So when somebody decides to jump into country music as soon as it starts getting popular, it's easy to get defensive and think that they're only doing it to take advantage of the trend and not because they actually appreciate country music for what it is and what it should be. But country fans shouldn't be quick to dismiss Post Malone as just another pop artist chasing the trends. If there's anybody who's shown that they actually appreciate country music and its history, it's Post Malone. I mean hell, as far back as 2018 he was singing Hank Williams "Your Cheatin' Heart." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYQ_V2hIVE And when he had the chance to hop on stage at Tootsie's years ago, he didn't choose some pop country song to perform: He paid tribute to the legends and performed Merle Haggard and Hank.
He's obviously been performing country music for awhile: Remember his cover of Sturgill Simpson that he performed with Dwight Yoakam's band? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISuJrPQ3KA8 It's pretty clear that Posty has been interested in country music for awhile now - real country music, not just the stuff on the radio. And long before the release of today's album. But even with his appreciation for country music and its history, when you look at everything he's done leading up to the release of
F-1 Trillion, it's clear that he's gone out of his way to show his respect for country music, its fans and its legends. Often when an artist makes a country song you'll see them pop up in Nashville a time or two, long enough to get a couple of pictures to improve their country music credentials, and then hop on a jet back to LA. But it seems like Posty has planted roots in Music City lately. He appeared on the CMA Awards last year to perform his cover of "Pickup Man," a tribute to Joe Diffie from HARDY's latest
Hixtape album. And he also appeared at CMA Fest, where he shared a sweet moment with one of Diffie's sons along with performing a couple of songs from the new album. But aside from his appearances, he's also spent time in writers rooms and the studio with some of the best in country music. Post co-wrote every song on the new album, along with some of the best songwriters in Nashville, names like Josh Thompson, Rhett Akins, and Ashley Gorley. And of course many of the songs were written with his collaborators like Lainey Wilson, ERNEST, HARDY and Stapleton. These aren't songs that Post brought in from the pop world and decided to put a country spin on: These are songs that were written in the same writers rooms where some of country's biggest hits were written. If it wasn't obvious how much Posty respected country music, that became clear on Wednesday night when he made his Grand Ole Opry debut. I've seen country artists step in the circle who have no appreciation for the stage they were standing on - but when Post took the stage, you could tell he was overwhelmed by the history he was becoming a part of, telling the crowd that he was "terrified" but "beyond honored" to be there. All of that work that Post has put in led to the release of
F-1 Trillion today. And taking a listen to the album, you can hear all of the influences that he worked with over the years coming together in his sound. Are there some songs that lean pop? Sure. Is that the majority of the record? Absolutely not. The album is infused with fiddle and steel, and largely eschews the pop country tropes of drinking on a truck bed for deeper, thoughtful lyrics that you expect in country music. "Finer Things," his duet with Hank Williams Jr., has some of the swampy blues sound that Bocephus is known for. "California Sober" with Chris Stapleton is a boot-stompin' breakup song. "Nosedive" with Lainey Wilson is a thought-provoking ballad about finding beauty through pain. And on his extended album,
F-1 Trillion - Long Bed, there are songs like "Ain't How It Ends" and "Go To Hell" that sound like they would be right at home in a Texas honky tonk alongside Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. Country fans often (fairly or unfairly) expect an artist from outside the genre to prove themselves before they're willing to give them a chance. And from the love he's shown to country music, and the respect he showed it on his album, it's clear that Posty has more than earned the attention this album is going to get. So if you're a fan of country music, don't dismiss
F-1 Trillion just because Post Malone is a pop artist. He's done it the right way when so many haven't. And that's something that we should all respect.
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