It’s no secret that Post Malone is one of the most successful artists in the world and a pedigreed star in several different genres, from hip-hop, pop, rock, and now to country music. He’s been able to pull so many different groups of listeners thanks to great music, a great live show, and a personality that makes people care about him and his career. He has been dominant in nearly all of those genres as songs like “Sunflower” and “Circles” are two of the most streamed songs of all time, and his hit song with Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help,” is flirting with one billion streams less than a year after its release.
Posty’s attempt at country music came with much anticipation and lived up to the hype. F-1 Trillion was one of the year’s top albums, and it truly seemed authentic, unlike some of the other pop-crossover country albums in 2024. Post Malone dedicated real time and effort to enthrall himself in the culture of country music, not just to make it sound like genuine country music but also out of respect for this storied genre. This project was years in the making and something important to Post. Diving into the culture of country music allowed him to work with actual country writers, producers, and more. The record was just about as country as they come while it still mixed in some fun ones for the bro-country crowd. F-1 Trillion’s success raises one important question: was this just a passion project, or should we expect more Country Post in the future?
It’s an interesting crossroads for the 29-year-old. Another country album would be a career decision. This evidenced his intention to invest more in a country career rather than follow country music’s popularity. What makes this difficult case is that if Post drops another country album, can we begin to call him a country artist? If not, how many more songs (or projects) must he drop to be considered one?
He has very much stayed in the country music scene since the release of F-1 Trillion as he has played events like the CMA Awards and is gearing up to kick off his 2025 “Big Ass Stadium Tour” with Jelly Roll and Sierra Ferrell. Given that he’s on the road with two country artists, it’s safe to assume that his series of shows will be primarily country-based. He’s even played country versions of his hit songs like “Sunflower.”
All the signs point to Post sticking to country, at least for a bit, and he absolutely should. This version of Post Malone feels like it’s been years in the making, and to be completely honest, it was better than I imagined. Obviously, there were some question marks given the number of duets, but when he dropped the “Long Bed” version, it showed just how legitimate this transition was. He showed he could create genuine country music independently, but eleven songs weren’t enough. It opened the door to a world where Post Malone can be one of the top artists in country music.
At this point in time, Post isn’t a “country artist,” and you can’t help but wonder if he can return to rap or pop without skipping a beat. There is no question he can cross genres, but crossing back is a whole different story. Post Malone might be one of the world’s most well-known artists, but with this country adventure, he hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of listeners in the other respective genres.
Not to say he has nothing left in the tank in rap or pop, but it’s hard to imagine him being able to recreate another “Circles.” Even if he can, that’s what we saw for most of his career, and we know exactly what he’s capable of. This venture into country music is so new, fresh, and exciting that it would be a shame not to see how far he can go and what he can accomplish. The unknown can be an exciting thing, and with a larger catalog of country hits, he can certainly become one of the top artists in this genre. F-1 Trillion can be much more than just a passion project.
While it may not be the smoothest transition back and not necessarily the right move, Post Malone has achieved the status where pretty much anything he puts out will do well number-wise. His level of stardom will compel people to listen out of curiosity, if nothing else. He is in this weird purgatory with so many options but no real direction. It’s a blessing and a curse because he can’t really go wrong, but there is no “right” path.
Considering that, Post Malone is still in the public eye, but so far, he hasn’t given any idea of whether he’s working on music and what that sounds like. He’s not the only artist who takes some time before discussing his future music, but people have at least a general idea of what to expect from someone like Morgan Wallen. Post is in such a delicate spot where the future is, for lack of a better word, a big fat question mark.
The clear choice is to stick with country music. The genre is more popular now than ever, and he should take advantage. Not only that, but Post has seemed genuinely happy with the music he’s putting out, the shows he’s playing, and just about everything else going on in his career right now. There is much more to the story of “Country Post,” but it would be a massive letdown if it hadn’t been told. On F-1 Trillion alone, Post showed so much versatility from Texas country all the way down to bro-country. There is a world where we could see Post hone in on a singular sound and see where it could take him. A full country album with limited features would also assert him as a much more legitimate country artist. Post Malone loves country music, and country music loves Post Malone; it doesn’t make sense to go against that. There is no telling what Post Malone’s next move is, but any logical guess would be more country music, and hopefully, it comes sooner rather than later.
