Editor's Note: This article was updated twice: First, on May 20, 2024 with information about Post Malone's collaboration with Morgan Wallen, "I Had Some Help." Another update was published on August 15, 2024 with information about Malone’s ‘F-1Trillion’ release.
Since Post Malone burst onto the mainstream nearly a decade ago, he has continued to flaunt his genre-defying brand of musical brilliance. For his latest venture, it’s time for gold grills and cowboy hats: Posty’s going country.
Though his musical origins are in rap, Malone has seamlessly traversed pop, R&B, and blues, always hinting at his deep-seated country roots along the way. Before officially announcing his full foray into country music with the release of his album F-1 Trillion, his longstanding affinity for country music had already moved to the forefront, marked by appearances at the CMA and ACM Awards, a country-tinged Super Bowl LVIII performance, a feature on Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER, and a performance at California's Stagecoach Festival alongside some of country music’s biggest names.
Nearly four months later, Post has joined forces with country superstars again on F-1 Trillion. Recruiting everyone from Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson to Hank Williams, Jr. and Dolly Parton, he crafted an 18-song, fully country album — bringing the Texas-raised star back to his roots.
Read on for some of Posty's biggest nods and contributions to the country music scene over the years, leading to his own country foray.
A Slew Of Classic Country Music Covers
Malone has a history of channeling his musical heroes, often pulling on his boots to deliver heartfelt covers. He's paid tribute to country icons many times, including covers of Hank Williams Jr.'s classic, "There's A Tear In My Beer” in a 2018 fan-favorite video.
During a 2022 Billy Strings tour stop at The Observatory in Los Angeles, Malone made a surprise appearance and used the moment to honor Johnny Cash alongside Strings. The pair delivered an acoustic duet of Cash's infamous murder ballad, "Cocaine Blues."
And just this year, Malone covered Hank Williams Sr. during a surprise performance at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. On April 3, he closed out the annual Bobby Bones' Million Dollar Show with a rendition of Williams' "Honky Tonk Blues." The tribute came full circle with Malone's F-1 Trillion album, which features Hank Williams, Jr. on "Finer Things."
A Longtime Kinship With Dwight Yoakam
Malone has long collaborated with Dwight Yoakam, marking a friendship and professional partnership that spans his career. Yoakam is a GRAMMY-winning trailblazer known for his pioneering blend of honky tonk, rock and punk that shook up the country scene in the 80's with his blend of "cowpunk."
The pair frequently joined forces on Yoakam's SiriusXM Radio spot "Greater Bakersfield," where one standout 2018 appearance features Malone covering Yoakam's own “Thousand Miles From Nowhere” as the two laugh, strum and belt out the lyrics together in perfect harmony.
On April Fool's Day in 2021, they playfully teased fans with the prospect of a double country album release — which may not seem so far-fetched three years later.
It's fitting that Malone would find such deep inspiration in folks like Yoakam, a man who first rode onto the country scene with a new take on a traditional sound. Much like Yoakam bridged generations with his music, Malone brings a new yet familiar energy to the country scene, embodying the spirit of a modern cowboy in both style and sound.
A Country Tribute To Elvis
Malone teamed up with Keith Urban for a duet rendition of "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" during the "Elvis All-Star Tribute Special," which aired on NBC in 2019. Originally written and performed by blues musician and songwriter Jimmy Reed, "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" was famously covered by Presley and commemorated through Urban and Malone's unique blend of modern guitar-slapping country-rock charisma.
That wasn't Malone's only country collab that night, either. He also covered Presley's "Blue Suede Shoes" alongside Blake Shelton, Little Big Town and Mac Davis.
A Celebration Of Texas With Country Legends
In March 2021, Matthew McConaughey and his wife, Camila, hosted the "We’re Texas" virtual benefit concert, to help Texans coping with that year's disastrous winter storms during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following performances by George Strait, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, and Miranda Lambert, Malone — who moved to Dallas when he was 10 — served as the night's final entertainer. He performed Brad Paisley's "I'm Gonna Miss Her" followed by Sturgill Simpson's "You Can Have The Crown" backed by Dwight Yoakam.
A Rousing Tribute At The 2023 CMA Awards
At the 2023 CMA Awards, Malone joined country stars Morgan Wallen and HARDY on stage to cover late icon Joe Diffie‘s “Pickup Man” and "John Deere Green." Malone's first-ever performance at the CMAs felt more like a reunion than a debut, with Malone right at home among his collaborators.
“I’ve manifested this for years," HARDY told Audacy's Katie Neal. "Slight flex here, but I started following [Post Malone] when he had like, 300k Instagram followers. I was on the 'White Iverson' terrain, like the first thing that he ever put out and I was like, ‘this is dope,’ and I've been with him ever since.”
After the performance, Malone hinted to Access Hollywood that it might be the start of a new chapter. When asked if a forthcoming country album would be in the works, he answered, “I think so. Yes, ma'am.” (More on that later.)
A Countrified Appearance At Super Bowl LVIII
Before Beyoncé announced COWBOY CARTER in a Verizon Super Bowl ad, Malone offered Super Bowl Sunday's first country-themed clue at the top of the night with his tender rendition of "America The Beautiful." Sporting a bolo tie and brown suede, Malone delivered his patriotic performance with a characteristically country drawl while strumming along on acoustic guitar before Reba McIntire's star-spangled rendition of the national anthem.
Malone's performance followed in the footsteps of a long line of country artists who have kicked off the national sporting event, which started with Charley Pride in 1974 and has included Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Garth Brooks.
A Tip Of The Hat To Toby Keith
During a performance at the American Rodeo in Arlington, Texas, on March 9, Malone paid tribute to the late Toby Keith, who passed away in February. After pouring one out and taking a sip from a red solo cup (an homage to Keith's playful hit of the same name), Malone performed a cover of "As Good As I Once Was" for the Texas rodeo crowd.
His TikTok video of the performance quickly garnered over 4 million views, sparking enthusiasm among fans for more country music from him. "Sir. I'm now begging for a country album," wrote one user in a comment that has received over 11,000 hearts.
A Full-On Country Album
After confirming that a country album was in the works during a live Twitch stream on his channel in late 2023, Malone has spent much of this year making a name for himself in the genre. Before announcing F-1 Trillion, Malone debuted its lead single, the Morgan Wallen collab “I Had Some Help,” during Wallen's headlining set at Stagecoach in April. Officially releasing the track on May 10, the song didn't just prove to be a banger — it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for six weeks.
Malone continued to build anticipation for F-1 Trillion’s Aug. 16 release with the party-starting "Pour Me a Drink" featuring Blake Shelton, and the clever breakup tune "Guy For That" with Luke Combs. The singer also shared snippets of unreleased tracks, including another Combs team-up, “Missin’ You Like This,” as well as collaborations with HARDY, ERNEST, and Jelly Roll. And less than 48 hours before F-1 Trillion's arrival, Malone was officially welcomed to the country music family: he made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Aug. 14, where he premiered his duets with Lainey Wilson, Brad Paisley and Chris Stapleton.
With 18 original tracks and a who's-who of country guests, F-1 Trillion ushers Post Malone into the country world in grand fashion — and from the looks of it, both fans and genre stars alike are happy to have him.
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