In case you were still skeptical of Post Malone's intentions in country music, he's dead set on proving you wrong. The genre's newest transplant devours the CMA Fest and establishes his roots by making some serious connections.
Post is basking in the limelight, performing every country classic you can think of. He starts the evening festivities by taking over an entirely different stage before he settles in at Spotify House. There, he launches off with his Morgan Wallen assisted number 1 hit, "I Had Some Help."
Afterwards, he discusses his upcoming album, a more official foray into the country genre. This way, he fully proves his commitment to the genre. Shortly after, Post Malone introduces Blake Shelton to the stage. Since Post was already teasing the album, the crowd was fortunate enough to hear an unreleased duet with him and Shelton. The title is, "Pour Me A Drink."
Then, Post tries his hand at country royalty. He eases the crowd into the George Strait classic, "Carrying Your Love with Me." "I'm going to attempt a cover and we'll see how this goes," he says somewhat sheepishly.
Midway through, the country crossover raises a Bud Light to the crowd. ""Cheers! I hope everybody's drunk. You're gonna have to be drunk to make it through this journey," he says before diving into "Sunflower"
Malone closes the show with one more cover of a classic country hit. He ends with his rendition of Vince Gill's "One More Last Chance," a song he workshopped at Stagecoach months before.
Post Malone Still Blazing His Trail in Country Music
It's really crazy that Post is actually good at this country thing. Naturally, I was more than a little skeptical but "I Had Some Help" is incredibly catchy. He understands the core elements of a country tune that keeps it from being unrecognizable.
Not only are the tunes great but Malone is reflective of a newfound country audience. Each decade or so ushers in a new essence of country lifestyle. You have your Outlaws with Willie Nelson and company in the 70s. The 80s and 90s saw country at its most powerful, embracing some of the heartthrob tunes of Keith Whitley and Brooks and Dunn. After 9/11, the genre sheds its cowboy yearning for a strong dosage of patriotism. By the 2010s, we go full bro-country, beers and women are heralded as artists try to cram rap into the equation.
Today, country music threads a mixture of it all. There's a fiery intensity from the 70s and 2000s. Similarly, artists take the thematic points of the 80s and 2010s, ushering in a new peak in country listening. Post Malone has the potential to spearhead the movement through his pop viability.
