What Will Post Malone's Next Era Sound Like?
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Post Malone’s music evades definition. The artist, whose real name is Austin Richard Post, has been cranking out hits since 2015. Over the years, he's changed his sound countless times, initially finding fame with his synthesized hit, “White Iverson.” Then, he explored pop music with songs such as, “Sunflower” and “Circles.” Nowadays, he’s veering toward what you might classify as alt-country. “Everybody comes up to me like, ‘When are you doing a country album?’” he says, referring to his upcoming appearance at Stagecoach 2024. “And this is a nice little step into that world.”
Still, Malone's exact genre is hard to pinpoint, but according to him, that’s the whole point.In a new cover story with Esquire for our 90th-anniversary issue, the 28-year-old singer opened up about his unique music style—and why the music industry is becoming less rigid. When Malone started making music, the industry relied on categorization. It was a way to market music effectively, while also uniting listeners. But in the age of streaming and instant access, Malone thinks we're straying away from identifying music by fixed genres. “You used to get trapped into one thing and you’re like, ‘Oh, well, this is all I can listen to,” Malone explained. “And that’s what I think has made my career so interesting, just being able to fucking take what I like and mix it in a way that is authentic to me.”
Malone’s latest album, Austin, is proof of that ideology. The 18-track collection has a bit of everything, with influences of pop, country, and rap sprinkled in. More often than not, Austin sounds nothing like his previous music—yet it still makes perfect sense. When asked what he “does,” Malone said, “I’m a professional Auto-Tune manipulator.” Malone was joking, of course, but he couldn't find an exact answer. “I don’t know,” he continued. “I just write songs and I sing them the best I can, and I’m just myself, and I just want to go and rock ‘n’ roll.”
The singer also revealed how this strategy—of trying just about anything out—has boosted his confidence. Early on in his career, Malone recalled wanting to emulate his favorite artists, but it didn’t feel authentic. Now, he’s leaning into his unique talent to create a new genre of music. “I’m just Austin, and that’s like the coolest job to me,” he said. “A long time ago, that wasn’t a cool job and I wanted to be someone else. And then one day, I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m going to try and do something different and just kind of put my own spin on shit. I’m happy now, and I’m so grateful, and I’m just doing the best I can.”
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