Last November, Post Malone stunned with his CMA Awards performance, for which he paid tribute to late revered country artist Joe Diffie alongside HARDY and Morgan Wallen. Later, backstage, he teased something many fans had long been hoping for: a country album of his own.
Now, that project has finally arrived. Titled F-1 Trillion, Post’s country debut, produced by Charlie Handsome and Louis Bell, features everyone from legends like Dolly Parton and Hank Williams Jr. to rising superstars Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll – among many other stalwarts of the genre.
Since first teasing the album, Post has made a series of intentional and well-respected strides into the country community. He’s performed at Nashville’s famous Bluebird Cafe alongside Wilson and delivered a guest-heavy country covers set at Stagecoach this summer – emerging after his own performance to join headliner Morgan Wallen on stage for the live debut of their Hot 100 No. hit “I Had Some Help,” which served as the lead single for F-1 Trillion. Two more heavy-hitter collaborations have followed: “Pour Me A Drink” with Blake Shelton and “Guy For That” with Luke Combs.
This week, Post celebrated the album’s release with a monumental show, making his Grand Ole Opry debut on Wednesday (Aug. 14), during which he welcomed several of the album’s collaborators – including Wilson, Shelton and Brad Paisley.
Earlier this year, Post scored another No. 1 for his feature on Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight.” He also appeared on Beyoncé’s country-inspired Cowboy Carter, duetting on “LEVII’S JEANS.”
Post has charted 80 songs on the Hot 100, including six No. 1s. On the Billboard 200, all five of his albums have charted in the top five, including two No. 1s with 2018’s beerbongs & bentleys and 2019’s pop-rock leaning Hollywood’s Bleeding. So far, he has released an album every year since 2022, beginning with Twelve Carat Toothache, followed by last year’s Austin and now F-1 Trillion.
UPDATE: Friday morning (Aug. 16), Post Malone released nine new tracks, under the title F-1 Trillion (Long Bed). They are all solo tracks (though some beg for collaborators) and, by and large, are far more traditional country than the tracks on F-1 Trillion, giving Post a chance to show his Texas roots and country bonafide. It works as a fine companion, especially for those looking for a little honky tonk and western swing in the mix.
Below is an early take on the best songs off the long-awaited country sets.
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“Hide My Gun (feat. HARDY)”
The pairing of Post and HARDY sounds like the late-night, drunken musings of two buddies asking big questions – and that is quite possibly how this song came together. While the story begins with “the world turnin’ back on,” Post wonders if he saw a message in the white and yellow street lines guiding him home, prompting him to worry just how far his partner would go for him. And while he questions whether they’d pack a go-bag or hide his gun for him, among other murder-adjecent hypotheticals, the story proves to be just that. “Lord, I didn’t do anything wrong,” whispers Post at the end, “I’m only asking just because.”
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“Hey Mercedes”
The most rocking song of Post’s solo 9-song set is about a coincidental encounter that “just might be fate, or a damn good time if it ain’t.” Arriving in the middle of the new project helps Posty step outside of his feels, adopting a manner of “it is what it is” – and helping transition into the project’s latter half, which ups the ante by picking up the swinging tempo.
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“Finer Things (feat. Hank Williams Jr.)”
Any fan of Post knows just how true this song’s title is, as the artist has never shied away from the finer things in life, many of which he rattles off here: “platinum on my teeth, and wagyu on my grill,” he sings, before declaring himself to be a “five-star hell raisin’ dive bar rockstar.” In that one sentence, Post manages to sum up many of his parts – and you can almost hear his self-aware grin coming through the speakers. Getting a legend like Hank Williams Jr. to join in on the fun makes this song all the better, as he lists his own lavish loves, from a “50-foot pontoon” to “Pappy Reserve.”
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“Fallin’ In Love”
As the first track of the bonus (Long Bed) project, which adds nine solo songs to the F-1 Trillion family, “Fallin’ In Love” bridges the gap between the wider appeal of the album itself, which boasts major talent with major hits to boot, with what seems to be the project that Post had wanted to make for most of his career. It’s as if F-1 gave him the permission to go exactly where he wanted, and (Long Bed) sure delivers.
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“What Don’t Belong To Me”
It’s not until the sixth track that Post takes center stage with his first of just three solo songs. And while “Belong” begins with a subtle twang, the song quickly transitions into a more classic Post Malone cocktail of pop, a splash of hip-hop and a touch of rock. The beauty is in that seamless transition, as this song shows just how natural this evolution has always been for the superstar. Plus, what makes it most country isn’t the production but more so the meaning, as Post counts all the people and places he’s already given his heart to, from “half-way lovers” to his “rockstar livin’ – and proves just how much of a softie, and romantic, he is when he declares, “If I knew I’d meet you one day, I woulda never gave it all away.”
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“Right About You”
Serving as the sole solo country song from Post on the album, “Right About You” is proof that he didn’t need help to make this project – or to have it be a success. But as evidenced by the stacked track list – and as he himself sings on the album’s lead single – he sure did have some help. And it’s those heavyweight features that make a song like this not only stand out, but feel even more special for and appreciated by Post’s day one fans who knew he had this in him all along. Bet they’re feeling pretty right themselves right now.
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“Have The Heart (feat. Dolly Parton)”
Post and the legendary Parton takes things back to the ‘70s with this throwback, rollicking, piano-laden duet that soars when the two sing together, as they do for the majority of the tune. These two lovers “don’t have the heart” to break up with each other so they simply keep falling back into each other’s arms and beds. The nearly 50-year age difference between the two may give some people the ick when lusty thoughts prevail, but it’s hard not to smile when Parton sings, “Oh what the hell, what’s one more night going to hurt.”
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“Ain’t How It Ends”
Post has a bit of fun breaking the third wall, as he sings of finding a way to work it out with his girl before admitting, “that ain’t how it ends in a country song.” He then declares that “Hank and Johnny, Strait and Ronny, Dunn made all the rules” – and considering this is Post’s debut country set, it’s only fitting he plays along.
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“Two Hearts”
Break-ups have very real consequences and Post Malone goes into the details here. If a line like “Sweet little girls, two and three, they can’t even spell custody,” doesn’t grab at your heartstrings, maybe the For Sale sign in the yard and the moving back to his mama’s house and sleeping in a room with a leak in it will on this delicate, fiddle-filled ballad.
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“Guy For That (feat. Luke Combs)”
On the first of two collaborations between Post and Combs on the set, they scratch below the surface as this uptempo tune belies a puzzling situation. They both know guys who can fix almost anything that ails them from the sighting on a rifle to the binding on a bible, but they come up short when it comes to finding a guy who can fix a woman’s broken heart — and they know they’re just going to have to live with the consequences of their actions.
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“Goes Without Saying (feat. Brad Paisley)”
On the heels of a break-up, Post lists all the things that he should have done differently on this track that utilizes classic country cleverness: It goes without saying that she’s not coming back and then as the train leaves the track, she goes without saying goodbye. Post and Paisley, whom Post first saw in concert when he was six, trade verses and Paisley’s guitar licks are tastefully on display, though he keeps the fireworks at bay (which may not be a good thing) in keeping with the low-key feel of the mid-tempo track. The tune sounds different from everything else on the album, especially with the subtle mandolin work, and could be a potential switch up single.
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“Killed A Man”
By this third song, it’s clear that the (Long Bed) edition of F-1 Trillion is less about celebrating the intersection of country and pop and much more about diving deeper into the raw emotion and storytelling of the former genre. With “Killed A Man,” Post seems to master the craft, leaving listeners to wonder if the man he speaks of was simply an outgrown version of himself.
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“Missin’ You Like This (feat. Luke Combs)”
In their second collab on the set, Combs and Post go straight for the feels with this traditional country ballad that sounds straight out of the ‘80s. Fiddles accompany the heartache as absence only makes the heart grow sadder even when, as Combs sings, “the next best thing is lying right here.”
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“Go To Hell”
Post kicks it old school on the album’s twangiest track. He grew up on country music and his roots are showing on this ode to a woman so smooth and intoxicating that she can tell you “to go to hell and make you like it… serve you humble pie and make you try it.” Around the 3-minute mark, the song leaps into outer space with a 90-second, knee-slapping instrumental with dueling guitar, piano and fiddle. It’s a shame he didn’t make this one a duet. It would have sounded awesome with someone like Clint Black or John Michael Montgomery.
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“Nosedive (feat. Lainey Wilson)”
Post and Wilson find the beauty in hitting rock bottom in this twangy, gentle ballad that the pair debuted at the Grand Ole Opry Wednesday (Aug. 14). “There’s learnin’ in the hurtin’,” Wilson sings as the pair trade verses and come together for the chorus. Their pain feels real and authentic, as does the redemption and hope as they sing the last chorus a cappella.
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“Back To Texas”
Post wouldn’t be the first native Texan to long to go back home, but he makes his point clear on this honky tonk tune where he laments that he has strayed into territory where it’s “all hat, no cattle/all belt, no buckle/all snake, no rattle/all honey, no suckle,” as he needs to “take my ass back to Texas” post haste.
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“M-E-X-I-C-O (feat. Billy Strings)”
Just as expected, a Post Malone and Billy Strings collaboration not only hits hard but man oh man is it fun. Everything from the high-speed bluegrass beat to the playful songwriting – in which Post spins a story about being paid off by his girl’s dad to skip town, only to find himself in a series of questionable situations while on his way down to Mexico – secures this song as an album standout, and surely one of the more lively tracks to hit the road with.
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“Never Love You Again (feat. Sierra Ferrell)”
This gorgeous ballad sounds tailor-made for moonlit swaying, with Post and Sierra Ferrell crooning in perfect, aching harmony about the impending loss of a lover – “I’ll love you ‘till tomorrow, then I’ll never love you again,” they sing matter of factly. There’s a beautiful simplicity both in the message and delivery from the pair, and in the greater context of the album, this intimate track arrives as a pleasant respite from some of its higher-energy companions.
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“Losers (feat. Jelly Roll)”
Post Malone and Jelly Roll tread familiar territory for fans of the latter with this mid-tempo, heavily produced track that wraps its arms around all the outcasts out there. “You might be lonely, but you’re never alone,” sings Post, before Jelly Roll comes in, assuring anyone who feels like they have nothing to lose, “there’s a spot for you beside me on this stool.” From two artists who have made no secret of their outsider status –real or imagined — it’s an appealing and relatable invitation.
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“Pour Me A Drink (feat. Blake Shelton)”
A litany of woes from the tedium of the work week to your favorite team losing and getting a speeding ticket are no match for the curative powers of your favorite libation. Shelton and Posty’s voices are indistinguishable as they blend on the catchy chorus that is sure to become a Friday 5 p.m. standard.
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“Who Needs You”
Western swing comes to the party with this track, which begs for George Strait to pop up as a guest. Post is full of self-recriminations, despite the up-tempo track, noting that he doesn’t need help from anyone else other than “me,myself and I,” when it comes to making himself miserable.
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“Dead At The Honkey Tonk”
This ominous track sees Post dive deeper into his storytelling sensibilities, as he sings of a man who dies at the bar from a broken heart. And while drinking and heartache are subjects Post has surely written about before, with the support of sinister country production the risk of losing it all hits much harder here.
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“Yours”
Oftentimes, a cliche is a cliche for good reason – and on F-1, Post surely saved the best of himself for last. While not nearly as rousing as some of the album’s standouts – especially the previously released singles – “Yours” is a stunning, singular ballad written not only for his baby girl, but also for himself. A proud father, Post spotlights his adoration on this album closer, managing to summarize the experience of loving – and being loved – endlessly in just 3 minutes and 19 seconds.
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“Devil I’ve Been (feat. Ernest)”
While the singles that preceded F-1 are the most pop appealing from the album, “Devil” fits in with the pack as Post and Ernest cooked up an inviting melodic fusion. For a song about salvation, its production is fittingly freeing; unlike other tracks here, the band takes a bit more of a backseat allowing Post and Ernest – and their message of leaving demons behind – to properly take hold.
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“I Had Some Help (feat. Morgan Wallen)”
The lead off track from the album proved to be quite the juggernaut: six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart (the most of any song this year) and five atop Country Songs, the first song to ever achieve such a double-fisted feat. It’s a leading contender for song of the summer for good reason: The undulating, swaying tune about a relationship gone wrong and an ex who doesn’t see her role in the mess is simple and infectious. Stop looking for any message or complexity here and just give in to the season’s top earworm.
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“Wrong Ones (feat. Tim McGraw)”
This rousing, twangy album opener perfectly sets the tone for the hour ahead as it begins acoustically – immediately proving Post as a vocalist in his own right – before slowly building into a booming, almost threatening beat, as if meant to foreshadow a bar brawl. Through it all, Tim McGraw (whose hits including “Real Good Man” and “Don’t Take the Girl” are playfully mentioned) is perfectly woven into the narrative and helps drive the instrumentation to its dizzying end. At which point, Post makes clear just how sonically lush F-1 Trillion set out to be – and boy does it deliver.
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“California Sober (feat. Chris Stapleton)”
Post Malone and Stapleton are clearly having the time of their lives on this tune that blends bluegrass, country, rock and just enough grunge to feel appealingly swampy. “She said, ‘Baby give me one more kiss before I kiss your ass goodbye,’” sums it up, as they wrap their voices around each other as they are left in the dust by a bewitching hitchhiker, who takes them for everything they’re worth. Someone needs to make Smokey & The Bandit IV just so this can be in it.