Bridging the gaps in music and being an inspiration to all is the name of Post Malone’s game. He never fails to display the dynamic quality of music while adding the signature “Post” style that fans love.
Finding the Secrets to his FAME
American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, Post Malone, added another accomplishment to his ever-growing docket at the 2024 VMA ceremony. With the release of various collaborations this year, it is no secret that Post Malone is well-respected and admired by many in the music industry. During their acceptance of the 2024 VMA award for Best Collaboration, Taylor Swift commented “There’s a clear reason why Post Malone is everyone in music’s favorite person to collaborate with.” Taylor was not only commenting on Post’s talent but also on his kind aura and polite tone.Â
Looking at the variety of artists Post Malone has worked with in 2024 alone is impressive. However, add in the fact that he transposed his career toward country music this year, and many have been left wondering how he has built his name to this high of a pinnacle. How has Post been able to fluidly float between genres without triggering drama or getting his name put on the back burner? His secrets lie in his humble beginnings.Â
Post Malone was born Austin Richard Post on July 4, 1995, in Syracuse, NY. His father was a disk jockey and introduced him to hip-hop, country, and rock music early on in life. Post’s true musical journey began when his family moved to Grapevine, Texas. He learned to play guitar here only for his strings to break during his first audition, according to IMDb. This did not cause him to lose hope, though, for he had had his stage name picked out since he was around 14 or 15. Post knew he was meant for this field. According to Post Malone, he chose this name because his last name was Post, and then used a rap name generator to come up with Malone. Ever since he has only continued to build this name up.Â
After moving to LA, Post Malone first got attention from record labels after the release of his single “White Iverson” and signed with Republic Records in August 2015. This is where Post’s secret to success really began to take root. The newly signed record label contract provided him with the opportunity to perform at Kylie Jenner’s 18th birthday party. There, he made the first of many friendships on the music scene that would send opportunities knocking at his door. Post Malone bonded with Kanye West at Kylie’s party which later led to their collaboration on West’s single “Fade”.Â
Another friendship blossomed with Justin Bieber shortly after. This gave Post the opportunity to open Bieber’s “Purpose” world tour. Having friends in low places really did pay off for Post Malone. While these friendships may have contributed to Post’s initial success, he never faltered in his character or went after friendships seeking fame. In fact, once he released his first album “Stoney” he issued a public apology for it coming out later than anticipated. He called the album “mediocre” only for it to be certified as double platinum. This humility and genuine spirit of hard work is part of what has made Post Malone’s name so big.Â
Post is also able to appeal to so many due to his wide range of musical capabilities. An article on IMDb discusses how Post has been called the “melting pot of country, grunge, and R&B”. America was once called a melting pot, so Post Malone is essentially the America of the music industry. The variety of influences that impacted Post’s musical development no doubt play into why he does not adhere to a strict genre. One of the biggest influences on Post’s music was popular 1960s American singer-songwriter, Bob Dylan. Dylan told the Wall Street Journal during a 2022 interview that “A great song mutates, makes quantum leaps, and turns up again like the prodigal son. It crosses genres.” This statement sounds awfully similar to something Post would say and makes it clear that Dylan has had an impact on the view Post has of music.Â
Post Malone has been playing with the idea of wandering down a country road and testing the waters for some time now. He premiered his song “Stay” at a Bud Lite Dive bar show in Nashville on April 27, 2018. The song does not directly correlate with the country music sound, but it does use a storytelling aspect that ties to country’s style. In this instance, Post was directly mixing his current music with country elements and a country scene to see how it would go. Now, Post has experimented enough to make a clearer switch.Â
Just two Instagram posts prior to his announcement of a collaboration with Morgan Wallen that helped jumpstart his genre shift, Post Malone was praising Taylor Swift and the opportunity to work with her. Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen are two other massive names in the current music industry but produce exponentially different sounds, content, and stories. The fact that Post Malone could explore this divided dichotomy in such a smooth way is yet another testament to his versatility. According to American Songwriter, Post Malone has his second collaboration with Wallen already in the works. This comes just after the release of his first full country album, F-1 Trillion, on August 15. This album contains collabs with other big names in country such as Tim McGraw, Hank Williams Jr., Blake Shelton, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, ERNEST, HARDY, and Chris Stapleton. Post expressed his love for collaboration in an interview discussing the songwriting process of him and Wallen’s first collab.Â
“[W]e were just all together… and it was just killer. I love writing songs with my buddies,” said Post.Â
The word “buddies” again brings up this aspect of friendship and connection building that has been central throughout Post Malone’s career. It started with Kanye West and has now spanned countless artists and genres. Post’s multifaceted style and impeccable character are part of his success. However, the true secret behind the growth of his name as an artist is the friendships he made along the way.Â
“He’s been hanging around Nashville making friends with all of us,” said Miranda Lambert at the 2024 VMAS. She was hinting that she may have something in the works with him, too. The boundaries of this unfailingly creative and kind man know no end when it comes to his music and building up the stage name “Post Malone”. Post has proven that being a good person with honest intentions and a spirit of openness can take a person farther than they could ever imagine.
Sources For Further Reading:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7970428/bio/