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Post Malone Solidifies Celebrity Status on Newly Released Album

Entertainment

Illustration by Anya Chytrowski & Fintan O’Sullivan

After waiting two years from Post Malone’s first album, Beerbongs and Bentleys has finally dropped, breaking records, and bringing more and more followers to Post Malone’s fanbase. The album was only released on April 27; however, it already has dominated the Billboard Music charts as one of the most popular albums to be put out all year. Malone’s album was also able to break the first-day streaming record on Spotify both globally and in the United States, previously held by Drake’s More Life in 2017. After breaking numerous records, and locking down the top charts, Post Malone has made an even bigger name for himself, and has proven his worth as a rapper and an artist.

Beerbongs and Bentleys is Post Malone’s sophmore studio album, and features the hit singles like the insanely popular “Rockstar,” “Candy Paint,” “Psycho,” and “Ball for Me.” In addition to these already popular singles, Malone showcased new heat in tracks like “Better Now,” “Paranoid,” “Stay,” and countless others. Malone is also able to strongly display his versatility as an artist, producing fun and enjoyable songs like “Zack and Codeine,” as well as emotional and more somber songs such as “Stay” and “Rich and Sad.”

“Stay” is one of the slower songs on the album, which talks about Post’s romantic struggles, and troubles with his relationships, revealing a more thoughtful and sorrowful side to the artist. Not only did this song carry the most meaning, but Malone was also able to put his ability to change flows on display, a quality that has often been forgotten with many songs, even aside from Beerbongs and Bentleys. This song truly exposes the audience to the more sensitive side of Post Malone, similarly found in “I Fall Apart,” a hit from Malone’s first album.

If you prefer a more positive feeling to your music, you won’t be disappointed with this album’s selection. “Psycho” and “92 Explorer” are perfect songs for when you’re in a upbeat mood. The songs feature strong beats paired with catchy lyrics, which is a perfect combination for most situations. These two tracks are only a fraction of this album’s long list of songs, and it seems that there is a song for every feeling and situation on this album, making the project versitile and diverse in it’s themes. While ambitious to produce an album lacking a  concurrent theme, Malone handles it with class.

As much as poppy feelgood music is fun and entertaining, it seems that Post Malone is strongest when he takes a more emotional route with his songs. These tracks tend to have the most meaning, both emotionally and story wise, and also display the best of his lyrical abilities. It is these raw emotions that allow the audience to better understand and connect with the artist, creating a more intimate bond with the song and Malone as a whole. Although these songs are more than fulfilling for a casual listen, I found myself wanting a bit more lyrical creativity from Malone. This lack of meaning, although a big issue, was perhaps the only thing holding this album back from it’s full potential. While some of the songs are meant for hype purposes, it is always nice when the lyrics over the good beat actually make sense. A song’s lyrics should all come together to create a story throughout the song, and sadly, Post Malone’s one liners  aren’t enough to make up for the album’s overall lack of an accomplished narrative and failed to complete this task in many of the  individual tracks.

Most breakout artists stumble over their second album. How do they capture the lighting in a bottle that created their celebrity status in the first place? Beerbongs and Bentleys effectively recaptures what originally made Stoney a fantastic album.

Anyone from the oldest of Post Malone fans to the newest listeners can find something to enjoy from this album. Although the lyrical aspect may be lacking in some of the songs, Post Malone’s versatility is truly put on display throughout these eighteen tracks, and the variety covers for the album’s weak spots. The majority of these songs are very strong, and  I  rarely skipped past a track on Beerbongs and Bentleys. Malone has successfully carried on the legacy of his previous album and has guaranteed his celebrity status as more than just a passing fad.