Post Malone’s Country Album: The Collaborators Behind His Authentic Sound

While most fans know Post Malone as a rapper and hip-hop artist, his new album F-1 Trillion is a work of solid country music. After great success across musical genres with multiple hits ranging from serious rap to sweet pop, Malone has now added country music to the list.

Learn more about Malone's progression from rap to country, the artists he's collaborated with, and how working with these top country music artists, songwriters, and producers helped launch his 2024 album to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The multi-nominated GRAMMY Award artist known as Post Malone, was born on July 4, 1995, in Syracuse, New York, and was given the name Austin Richard Post. He was introduced to a variety of music at an early age by his father, who had been a wedding DJ in his youth.

At 9 years of age, Malone moved to Grapevine, Texas, during which time he was inspired to learn guitar after playing the video game Guitar Hero. When he turned 18, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and at 19 years of age, he released his debut single, "White Iverson," which caught the attention of established rappers. This song hit the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 14.

Shortly after, Malone released his second rap-inspired album, Beerbongs & Bentleys, which included the hit song "Rockstar," featuring British rapper 21 Savage. This album had four GRAMMY nominations, including Album of the Year in 2018, and was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eight weeks.

In 2019, we saw a different version of Post Malone with his hit "Circles"  from his album Hollywood's Bleeding. This song's style is pure pop, showcasing his diverse musical talents. "Circles" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for three weeks.

While Malone already had many fans in the rap/pop/urban musical genres, he became a household name in country music after singing a heart-warming rendition of "America the Beautiful" at the Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.

Growing up in Texas, Malone naturally developed a fondness for country music, but his real love for the genre, and Johnny Cash in particular, was inspired by his mother, who would play country music in the car.

While riding high on the wild success of his musical career, Malone took hold of these country influences and partnered with 14 country music artists, including some of the best songwriters and producers of the industry, to create his new chart-topping album, F-1 Trillion. Malone enjoyed the camaraderie with these greats of country music, and in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, expressed his admiration for everyone who helped create it.

A record producer's job is to see the full potential of an artist and bring that vision to fruition, from the initial ideas of an album to the final product. Malone was fortunate to work with some of the best producers of country music, who helped him create his country sound. 

The main producers of this album were Louis Bell, who has collaborated with Taylor Swift; Charlie Handsome, who has worked with artists such as Drake and Ariana Grande; and Jonathan Hoskins, who has collaborated with Khalid. Each producer brought a distinct style to the album, such as Handsome's spontaneous creations and mixing genres, and Bell's meticulous fine-tuning and polishing.

While Malone wrote the majority of the music on the album,  he also worked with hit songwriters, such as Ashley Gorely, who has written songs for Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, among others. Additional songwriters who co-wrote songs on F-1 Trillion include Morgan Wallen and his collaborator Ernest; James McNair, who has Keith Urban and Lady A under his belt; and Chandler Walters, who's worked with Bailey Zimmerman.

Country stars were thrilled to feature with Malone on this new album. Here's the lowdown, track by track, of the songs and the artists that helped make F-1 Trillion a global sensation across music genres:

The diversity these artists brought to the songs without a doubt helped make F-1 Trillion a true crowd pleaser and earner of a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The hit single from the album "I Had Some Help" and Malone and Shelton's "Pour Me a Drink," were also certified platinum, according to Billboard. At the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards, F-1 Trillion had seven nominations, including Best Country Album and Best Country Song, with Malone and Wallen's "I Had Some Help."

From his rap appearances and music history to his collaborations with legendary and new country music stars, Post Malone has become something of an enigma. His upbeat attitude, commitment to making high-quality music, and enjoyment of collaborating with other artists across genres highlight his impact on the country music scene. And with stars such as Parton, Shelton, and Wallen flocking in to create songs with Malone, it's clear that the country music industry is embracing his modern sounds and style.