Post Malone - F-1 Trillion Review
Post Malone’s feature-filled F-1 Trillion is a love-letter to country.
F-1 Trillion is Post Malone’s first country-only album, but he’s made it clear throughout the years that the genre has always held a special place in his heart – the outfit covered with Dolly Parton’s face back in 2019 was a subtle indicator. F-1 Trillion arrives off the back of Post’s performance at Stagecoach back in April, an event billed as “Country music's biggest party”, where he was joined on stage by the likes of Brad Paisley and Sara Evans. His decision to ditch all his own songs and fill this headline set with nothing but covers shows his dedication to the genre switch.
There’s often a feeling of trepidation when artists explore new sounds, especially when they’re stepping out of their comfort zone. At times, these switch-ups are logical – with Machine Gun Kelly’s aesthetic, a pop-punk project always felt inevitable. Other times – Snoop Dogg’s brief reincarnation as Snoop Lion back in 2013, for example – it can feel a bit half-arsed, or disingenuous. Post’s transition into country has been a long time coming though. It’s easy to forget that even before he emerged onto the global stage with ‘White Iverson’, “Austin Richard” was sharing acoustic Bob Dylan covers on YouTube.
And if anyone doubted whether Post knew his stuff about country, you just need to look through the F-1 tracklist and read out the features: Tim McGraw, Hank Williams Jr., Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Ernest, Sierra Ferrell, Chris Stapleton, Hardy, Billy Strings. From contemporary giants like Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen, to icons like Dolly who were selling out arenas back in the 70s, Post has managed to band together an eclectic array of country’s biggest artists.
This massive ensemble makes F-1 Trillion feel like a celebration, a barn dance where each participant has at least a handful of CMA awards under their belt. There’s a collaborative energy to the songs, and you get the sense that Post loved playing the role of caller, ensuring each guest is paired with the appropriate song and style. One of the many features, Hardy, sang Post’s praises on the Zack Sang Show, commending him for his honest, authentic approach to the project. “He immersed himself into the songwriting culture of the town”, Hardy says. “He came to Nashville and said, 'I wanna do this the way you guys do it.'”
The result is an album that delivers a variety of country stylings and vibes. There are heavier, country-rock tracks like the opener ‘Wrong Ones’, or like California Sober’, where Post and Chris Stapleton tell us a tale about a wallet-stealing hitchhiker. ‘Pour Me a Drink’ with Blake Shelton captures the celebratory atmosphere of the record, and is one of a handful that will quickly find their way onto party playlists. ‘Nosedive’ with Lainey Wilson and ‘Losers’ with Jelly Roll are some of the best tearjerkers. You even get shades of Post’s hip-hop roots emerging in the braggadocious ‘Finer Things’ (Hank Williams Jr. boasting, “my Lambo and my ammo's all camo-green… I got a ten-point blonde in the shotgun seat” is one of the album’s funniest moments).
It could be argued that it’s a bit excessive, with the album coming in at just under 58 minutes. But then you remember the title, and realise that’s kind of the point – it’s a supercharged country behemoth, packed with everything and everyone associated with the genre. With Post only appearing solo on 3 out of the 18 tracks, he at times can feel like a secondary character in his own project. But that also feels intentional – rather than being in the limelight for every moment, Post seems happy to be the conductor. Plus, his distinct tremolo tone makes his voice instantly recognisable.
Whether intentionally or not, F-1 Trillion is mostly retreading thematic staples of the country genre. Heartbreak and drinking, most notably – two things that Post is well versed in writing about, as they often act as the focal points on his previous albums. This can mean at times it feels like there are multiple songs saying pretty much the same thing, and that perhaps there’s room for Post to diversifying as a country artist, to create more of an identity for himself. Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter – both an homage and critique of the genre and its history – is a recent example of how that can be possible.
With that being said, there are moments where Post shows his maturity, both as a songwriter and as a person. “I’m slowing it down,” Post said in his interview with Apple Music. “I have a 2 year old. I’m 29 years old. I’m taking it easy”. It sounds like his country conversion has come at the perfect time – a time of peace, after periods where his substance abuse and mental health have sometimes worried his fans. The album’s closer in particular, ‘Yours’ – where Post sings about his daughter and imagines her future wedding day – suggests Post would be more than capable of tackling complex, varied topics if he were to continue down the country route.
And only time will tell whether he does. There’s a chance F-1 Trillion ends up being Post’s only country album – a one-and-done thing before returning to his familiar style. I don’t think it will be, but if it is, it was one hell of a ride.