Post Malone blends new sounds, but bloats on length

graphic by Jennifer Ren Austin Post, most commonly known by his rap-name-generator pseudonym Post Malone, is back with his third studio album “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” released September 6. Combining rap beats, pop melodies, and even some elements of rock instrumentation, Post’s work sounds like chart-topping material, which is proven by his previous success with fans. But how about critics? His past few releases have been deemed failures by blogs, magazines, and many credible music reviewers. Is “Hollywood’s Bleeding” any different? Let’s start with the good news. This record is undoubtedly catchy, which is most likely why Post gained and has kept his massive following. He and his songwriting team know how to capture the ears of listeners with hooks that stand out. Another great aspect of this record is the overall sound Post creates. Though it does succumb to hip-hop cliches at times, this record is the most interesting his production has ever been. Blending sounds across genres, “Hollywood’s Bleeding” contains the most audio depth of any Post Malone album so far. By Post Malone blends new sounds, but bloats on length

enlisting artists such as metal legend Ozzy Osbourne and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, producers developed a unique rock kick for “Hollywood’s Bleeding” through technically skilled session guitarists and musicians. Throwing in these elements is a creative twist that departs from the stale, though safely mediocre, sample rock songs other rappers are prone to releasing. Now for the bad news. The sound and vibe is here on the record, but one of the things that holds this record back is the lackluster, and sometimes plain stupid, lyrics. This is something Post has been criticized for in the past, and it’s improved a bit on this album, but there’s still bits and pieces of poor writing. Take the track “On The Road” for example, with crude cringe inducers like, “I got so many hits, can’t remember them all/while I’m taking a … look at the plaques on the wall.” A big reason why this album fails is in its length — seventeen tracks. Each track is two to four minutes long, but listening to the 50-minute run time of this album attentively is almost headache inducing. Even though the standard nowadays for contemporary pop or rap albums are fifteen or more tracks, with the hope that due to the longer tracklist, streaming numbers will increase from a singular album, it’s far too much in Post’s case. Although it’s understandable that artists want to maximize their streaming numbers, it goes too far when it makes an artist’s best album still not that great. That being said, “Hollywood’s Bleeding” succeeds at pleasing Post’s fans by doing something a little different and incorporating that into his usual upbeat rhythms, but not different enough to make him one of the best living artists.