If Brat summer feels a bit too reckless, a bit too heavy on strappy tops and just too damn green, then how about the equally ubiquitous country summer? Think Red Wing boots, Stetsons and chewing tobacco instead of Parliament Blues. We had country-pop crossover icon Shania Twain playing Glastonbury’s legends slot afternoon in June, while country-coded summer blockbuster Twisters featured a litany of the genre’s biggest superstars on its soundtrack. Meanwhile, in the US charts, the No 1 spot has been dominated by two songs: A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey, who was given a nudge into the spotlight via Beyoncé’s country crossover, Cowboy Carter, and I Had Some Help. The latter finds erstwhile SoundCloud rapper turned crooning pop superstar Post Malone collaborating with country jackass Morgan Wallen, whose two most recent albums haven’t left the US chart all summer.
For Texas-raised Post Malone, real name Austin Richard Post, this shift into country has felt like a long time coming. Back in 2015, just as his polarising viral trap hit White Iverson was taking hold, he was asked about his role in the rap ecosystem. “The old country singers, they were badass, they were the American badass people,” he replied, ignoring the specifics of the question. “I’m an American badass. At 40 years old, I’m gonna be a country singer.” At just 29, that shift is complete with F-1 Trillion, an exhaustive 18-track country flex crammed full of the genre’s biggest hitters, from Wallen to Luke Combs to Blake Shelton.
Hip-hop was often Malone’s vehicle for presenting entertaining silliness: the mention of “beautiful boobies” on 2018’s Spoil My Night; Something Real’s “I could play that pussy like it’s Für Elise” come-on in 2023 – or Drake-levels of “being famous is actually not always fun” (see 2018’s Rich & Sad). Then, in 2017, Malone said hip-hop was “fun”, but it was men with guitars that really got to the heart of the emotional wastelands. “If you’re looking to think about life, don’t listen to hip-hop,” he told Poland-based outlet NewOnce. “Whenever I want to cry … I’ll listen to some Bob Dylan.”
On F-1 Trillion there’s a bit of “real shit”. Opener Wrong Ones, which features Tim McGraw (“got a six pack and a farmer’s tan”), focuses on bad women who are always looking to lead these poor men astray. “Skipped breakfast at Tiffany’s for a little sermon with Bethany,” croons Malone, his voice switching between soft twang and full-bloodied belch. “Now I’m sittin’ at a bar on 17th, and I’m gone.” Musically, it’s a muscular country rumble that chugs along moodily until it runs out of steam in the final third. Lyrically I Had Some Help touches on similar ground – man, it can be hard for dudes to take responsibility for their actions – but it’s married to an undeniable pop melody and a gold-plated chorus that’s one of the year’s best.
The playful Guy for That is nearly as catchy, with Combs joining for a chorus that finally turns the blame inwards. “I’m pretty good at breakin’ down a heart / But pickin’ up the pieces is the hard part / She’s searchin’ for someone who’s gonna build it back / But I ain’t got a guy for that” they sing on the bouncy chorus, before listing all the manly things they can get help with, such as adjusting the sights on their rifles or getting their boots resoled. Have the Heart, injected with some much-needed feminine energy from Dolly Parton, is a sweet, fiddle-assisted take on falling back into bed with someone you’re meant to be leaving.
As with most 18-track epics, there’s a more successful album hidden away inside. Malone has a versatile, often sweet voice, but across an hour’s worth of music it doesn’t always hold your attention. The overstuffed guest list – only three songs are solo – makes up for those shortcomings, but also leaves you yearning for a different vocalist’s return. Lainey Wilson, for example, adds a strong sense of yearning to the lovely Nosedive, to the point where you wish Malone would cede a bit more of the spotlight to her. When he does decide to step out alone, as on the closer, Yours, he’s let down by his lyrics. A sweet (in theory) ode to his young daughter and her future marriage, Yours, comes across as a faintly toxic game of one-upmanship. “You might watch her walkin’ towards you, but I saw her walkin’ first,” he sings, before adding: “We’ll both love her forever, but I loved her long before.”
There’s a lot to enjoy about F-1 Trillion, and it feels tailor-made for chart domination, but as much as Malone felt hip-hop was limiting his oeuvre, it at least gifted him moments to really let loose, as on the ludicrous epic Take What You Want featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott. On F-1 Trillion, trussed up in full country cosplay, he’s shooting a little too straight.
• This article was amended on 16 August 2o24 because an earlier version described Malone as “Texas-born”. In fact he was born in Syracuse, New York, but moved to Texas as a child.
