Post Malone (on far right) appeared on “Saturday Night Live” earlier this year, but will be in North Texas this week. Photo: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC
Post Malone wasn’t born in Texas, but, as the saying goes, he got here as fast as he could.
The man born Austin Post in Syracuse 27 years ago moved to Grapevine when he was nine — his father, Richard, got a job working with the Dallas Cowboys (to this day, he’s still the assistant director of food and beverage at AT&T Stadium). Post also studied at Tarrant County College briefly, but told Fader magazine in 2015, “I went to school for six months and wasn’t feeling the vibe.”
He co-wrote, produced and recorded his debut single, “White Iverson,” not too longer afterward, and the rest is history. More than four billion Spotify streams this year alone, more than 80 million albums sold, multiple award nominations and a massive arena tour which will bring him back to his old stomping grounds for a rarity: An A-list pop act playing both Dallas (American Airlines Center on Friday) and Fort Worth (Dickies Arena on Oct. 26) in the span of a week. (Here’s hoping he’s got better luck with Texas stage floors than he’s had elsewhere.)
But if all you know of Posty is his (many) solo hit singles, you only know half the story. Here are five examples of how the gregarious, heavily tattooed singer-songwriter helps others shine on record.
Ozzy Osbourne, “It’s a Raid”
One of Post Malone’s greatest strengths is his chameleonic ability to shift between genres, sometimes within the span of a single track. This tune, from Osbourne’s 2020 LP Ordinary Man, is a full-tilt piece of head-banging rock, featuring Malone matching Osbourne’s unhinged intensity with exuberance and melody.
Kanye West, “Fade”
Post Malone’s ability to land in heavy rotation and stay there has been a hallmark of his career from the earliest days. With multiple top 10 singles and nearly as many number ones, Posty can add sparkle even to artists like Kanye West, who shine bright all by themselves. West drafted Malone and Ty Dolla $ign to contribute to the pulsing “Fade,” from West’s 2016 album The Life of Pablo. (Warning: This video contains language some may find offensive.)
Tiesto, “Jackie Chan”
As with his cameo for Kanye West, Post Malone shares the spotlight again on this single produced, in part, by Dutch DJ Tiesto, which originally appeared on Canadian rapper Preme’s 2018 album Light of Day. Here, Malone does what he does best: Sing an infectiously melodic hook amid some thumping electro-pop and get out of the way. (Warning: This video contains language some may find offensive.)
Watt, “Burning Man”
This 2017 single from producer Andrew Watt (who earned a Producer of the Year Grammy in 2021) is a savvy blend of funk, rap and rock attitude, befitting someone who has collaborated with everyone from Camila Cabello to Young Thug. Watt helped produce Post Malone’s major label debut, Stoney, so he returns the favor here, making a vocal cameo — and a physical cameo in the goofy, trippy video. (Warning: This video contains language some may find offensive.)
Era Istrefi, “BonBon (Post Malone Remix)”
Post Malone doesn’t just limit his collaborations to American artists: Kosovo-Albanian singer Era Istrefi had a massive hit with her 2015 dance-pop single “BonBon,” so when she re-released the track as part of a 2016 EP, she tagged the then-little known Malone to contribute his singular vocal stylings to her arresting performance — the result, like so much else Post Malone touches — is nigh impossible to ignore.
Post Malone at American Airlines Center, Dallas. 8 p.m. Oct. 21. Tickets are $239.50.
Post Malone at Dickies Arena, Fort Worth. 8 p.m. Oct. 26. Tickets are $145.50-$268.
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
