Post Malone, who made his name off of writing hit radio-friendly songs like “Sunflower” and “White Iverson,” changed up his game when he dropped his fifth studio album titled Austin in August.
This doesn’t count his various albums that are deluxe editions or his diamond collection of previous tracks that went viral. The album is focused on Post dropping many of his destructive habits of drinking too much and getting into toxic relationships. He also sings about sobering up and being a better person to his fans and his children.
The album features his highs and lows with tracks like “Chemical” and “Hold My Breath.” It’s quite the change in pace compared to his previous work which is mainly fast-paced and happier overall.
It’s a highly personal album, which is made even more apparent by the fact that there are no features from other artists on the album, and it’s named after his real first name, signaling his attempt to be more authentic in his songwriting. Comparing all the albums released in the past couple of years this one not only has the most powerful narrative but also radiates the most energy.
The first track in the album is called “Don’t Understand.” It’s a short and slow-paced track that’s just Post expressing his self-hatred in the form of questions to his significant other like how can she like him when he doesn’t like himself. He then says “Girl, you’re really something, everything to me.” It’s a clever use of opposite words to describe her as something, and something that is everything to him.
The second track in the album is called “Something Real,” which is faster-paced than the first song. In it he expresses that even though he has achieved so much in his career, a lot of that success came at the cost of his feelings. He sings that he would “trade it all to be at peace” and he acknowledges that despite being popular it won’t mean anything to him once he’s gone. He ends off the track asking for something he can feel which further reinstates feeling empty.
The third track in the album is called “Chemical,” and it continues the upbeat flow. Post talks about a toxic relationship and the love-hate side of it all. He also shares memories he is left with at the end of the relationship.
The fourth track in the album is called “Novacandy” in which he addresses his suspected drug addiction because of the sudden weight loss people started noticing. Post gives closure to fans who suspected that he was abusing drugs in an easy-to-find manner.
In the fifth track of the album called “Mourning,” Post addresses his problems with alcohol and how he is working on not drinking anymore. He says it makes him feel overwhelmed with parts of the lyrics saying “Who am I talking to?” while it sounds like he is asking multiple people questions from all these people.
The sixth track in the album is called “Too Cool To Die,” and it shows a very different side of Post where he instead views himself in a different light. He says “The world getting hotter but I’m too cool to die.” This is quite the revelation due to this song flipping the album themes upside down.
The seventh track in the album is called “Sign Me Up,” which features an upbeat pace and is focused on getting into a relationship despite all the red flags along the way, including passing the “bodies” referring to his lover’s exes. The song also goes into all the people including his mother trying to stop him despite him not caring about what they think. The song slows down when it mentions that she tried to take away his alcohol it means that he will rethink his life and has plans to change it
The eighth track in the album is called “Socialite,” which is a weird case because it doesn’t seem to fit in with the album. It loosely covers the same topic of not caring about his health. This track was just made for Post to have fun and make a song similar to what he has made before.
The ninth track in the album is called “Overdrive” in which Post expresses his gratitude for his fans and even directly says that he “would do anything to be cool to you”. This refers to his fans and his effort to seem cool and worthwhile to them. He even goes as far as to say that he would remove his tattoos just for them if it would satisfy them.
The tenth track in the album is called “Speedometer.” This one is also a weird track because Post talks about how he’s going fast and doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon, but even that seems to be out of the ordinary because Post has claimed in the past that he doesn’t like going fast in cars but his Lamborghini goes 225.
The eleventh track in the album is called “Hold My Breath”, and although I don’t listen to it as much as I listen to other tracks on the album I have to say it’s hands down Post at his most vulnerable. Post takes down all his defenses and asks for reassurance. This is likely aimed at his new fiance asking for reassurance with his daughter, who was recently born in May of 2022.
The twelfth track in the album is called “Enough Is Enough,” and Post starts off the track by talking about alcohol. It’s not confirmed but it is a solid guess that he is drinking with his lover when he starts to laugh because he is impaired. Instead of kicking him out, he wants her to keep him instead of picking the easier route of just kicking him out and leaving him alone. He then states that he feels alive when he’s with her, and we know that his family is just about the only thing he gets to feel for.
The thirteenth track in the album is called “Texas Tea,” and it of course it is in reference to an alcoholic beverage but other than that It doesn’t have anything to do with the main theme of the album. It’s another song where Post just has fun. He talks about his wealth and having 20 necklaces on and how it feels like a guillotine because of the weight of the jewelry.
The fourteenth track in the album is called “Buyer Beware,” and it is another track that loosely follows the overall theme Post has been building up to. He says “Baby, I don’t have the answers even though I’m a know-it-all. So let it go, you’ll never know, nothing’s written in stone” It talks about not spending your time and money on Post hoping he will give you advice that worked for him. (Dollar Store miracle)
The fifteenth track in the album is called “Landmine,” and here we find Post on the verge of a mental breakdown. He sings that he is working his way through a deadline which is historically a line used so that if prisoners were caught crossing they would be shot. Post goes on to invite his friends to smoke and do other self-destructive activities together seeking validation.
The sixteenth track in the album is called “Green Thumb,” and it has a slower pace than most songs on the album. In the live performance, Post sings while playing the guitar. The song talks about a dream he once had with a girl. He refers to this dream as flowers, it mentions how one is on their death bed, how she tells him to move on, and how the new man she is with has bought her new flowers to show she is starting a new dream with this new person. This shook him to his core because he talks about his new love Brandy, and how she pours herself out more than Post would even like to admit. He then ends the song by giving the same advice he was given but didn’t take earlier in the song.
The seventeenth track in the album is called “Laugh It Off” This song is aimed at his fans or former fans. He expresses how he has listened to what his fans have said about him and his past and how they want the old happier Post back. Post laughs it off when he acknowledges what they say.
The eighteenth track in the album is called “Joy.” It may have a faster beat and sound calm, but it isn’t about being joyful. It’s more about how Post experiences joy less and less and the more successful he is the harder it is to experience it. The song is about being miserable and how Joy is the coldest lover he knows because she doesn’t come around. The pauses in the song are meant to be used as a time of reflection and contemplation.
Overall I think this is one of the best albums I have listened to simply because of the sheer emotion Post can portray. This album had a message and meant something while still sounding amazing, for that reason, I recommend this album to anyone, and that is why I would personally give this album an 8 or 9/10.
