Post Malone Releases Hollywood’s Bleeding

by The Cowl Editor on September 19, 2019


Music


A Diverse New Project Born from Collaboration

by Daniel O’Neill ’21 A&E Staff

Post Malone is arguably one of the most influential and successful artists in music right now. Although initially branded as a sure one-hit wonder after his debut single “White Iverson,” he has managed to prove everyone wrong. This is in part due to his ability to create incredible songs in many different genres.

Everyone knows Post Malone for his hip hop tracks and catchy, in your face choruses. Hollywood’s Bleeding was released on Sept. 6 and proves this idea. His beats have stayed innovative, and his songs feature artists across all genres. Most importantly, his subject matter is focused, and he possesses an uncanny ability to express heavy emotions in many different forms. 

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPOTIFY

The most impressive part of the album is Post Malone’s success in pairing artists together in unexpected collaborations. This is entirely true for the heavy rock song, “Take What You Want,” which features Travis Scott and Ozzy Osbourne. The song combines Osbourne’s Black Sabbath chanting and Travis Scott’s experimental vocals to make something that seems to be a new genre entirely. However, the creativity does not stop there. The song “Circles” reflects the style of alternative music, sounding like it came out of the garage rock era. 

Post Malone wrote with the likes of Kanye West and Father John Misty. With the latter, Post Malone created the song “Myself” that is more R&B than anything he has made before. By collaborating with Father John Misty as a co-writer, the idea of a sad Post Malone is still present. 

If you miss the old Post Malone, listen to “Saint-Tropez.” More importantly, listen to the lyrics. The typical hip-hop feeling flows entirely through the previously released “Wow.,” “Sunflower,” and “Goodbyes” to round out Post Malone’s most diverse work to date. 

Where beerbongs and bentleys was shorted for being too stereotypical and predictable, Hollywood’s Bleeding has its own feelings and becomes what sounds more like a mixtape spanning different decades than the third studio album of a pop star. This album is made for a generation that is heading in multiple directions but still finds time to stop and listen to the music. Hollywood’s Bleeding is hip-hop, rock, folk, country, and indie all in one, and Post Malone makes it into a masterpiece. Post Malone took a huge risk by combining different genres into one album, and the outcome is proving to be worth the risk.