WHO IS HE? The face-tattooed (and pretty much everywhere-else-tattooed) rapper and singer-songwriter whose real name is Austin Richard Post.
WHAT IS THIS? His third studio album in less than three years and the eagerly anticipated, closely guarded followup to last year’s global chart-topper Beerbongs & Bentleys, which spawned the hit singles Psycho and Better Now.
WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE? As always, Posty deftly toes the line between pop, rock, rap and R&B — though at first blush, this one feels a little poppier and more ballad-heavy than Beerbongs. Whatever direction an individual song takes, however, Malone seldom fails to attache a memorable melody and a catchy chorus. And of course, the 17-song set includes plenty of cameos, including spots by DaBaby, Future, Halsey, Meek Mill, SZA, Swae Lee, Young Thug and (for some unfathomable reason) Ozzy Osbourne.
WHAT WOULD BE A BETTER TITLE FOR THIS ALBUM? Post Modern.
HOW SHOULD I LISTEN TO IT? In your car, with the bass pumping so hard it makes your back tires bounce.
WHAT 10 WORDS DESCRIBE IT? Dark, personal, revealing, anxious, honest, determined, clever, druggy, languid, dusty.
WHAT ARE THE BEST SONGS? The Ozzy-laced Take What You Want is impossible to ignore, but the opening title track, the buzzy rocker Allergic and the fast-paced pop of A Thousand Bad Times are also strong contenders.
WHAT WILL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY SAY? ‘Damn! I hate to like an album from a guy who has face tattoos, but I have to make an exception in his case.’
HOW OFTEN WILL I LISTEN TO THIS? Doesn’t matter: It’s going to be ubiquitous for the foreseeable future.
IF THIS ALBUM WERE SOMETHING YOU BET ON, WHAT BET WOULD YOU MAKE? I bet that Ozzy Osbourne still has absolutely no idea who Post Malone is.
SHOULD I BUY, STREAM OR STEAL IT? He more than earns his pay — but again, it probably doesn’t matter.
