Pop rap sensation Post Malone returns with an enjoyable, if excessively lengthy sophomore album, ‘beerbongs & bentleys.’

Post Malone had an incredibly successful run with his 2016 debut album, Stoney.  Clearly, the 22-year old pop-rapper has a unique appeal, particularly to a younger fan base.  Kudos for that.   While Stoneydidn’t appeal to me personally, there’s plenty to like and appreciate about his highly-anticipated sophomore album, beerbongs & bentleys.  This isn’t a Post masterpiece – a magnum opus it is not – but it’s definitely not lacking hits.

“Paranoid”

“Paranoid” fitting commences beerbongs & bentleys in paranoid fashion – who would’ve ever expected that? Despite his paranoia, Post Malone is in full-on, exuberant melodic mode, while the record is set in good ole C major.  The record’s best attribute is the hook, something that characterizes the album as a whole. On “Spoil My Night,” the pop-rapper and fellow pop-rapper Swae Lee join forces.  Lee, who assists on the chorus and delivers the first verse, sounds pretty typical – airy, chill, laid-back, and incredibly mellow.  As for Post, well, he has a bit more bite to his flow. The results aren’t game changing, but definitely pleasant and enjoyable.  To quote 2 Chainz, “It’s a Vibe”.

Post Malone goes solo once more on the sleekly produced, moody “Rich & Sad.”  Despite the sadness, “Rich & Sad” is once more in a major key, and there’s still a brightness about it – weird.  Again, the melodic chorus is the biggest selling point. Standout “Zack and Codeine” is a flex cut through and through. Malone brags about a carefree, luxurious life that includes the excess of alcohol, lean, and heavy partying. He follows it up with another record about excess, “Takin’ Shots.” Still melodic, “Takin’ Shots” lightens up on the autotune, while the lines are carry a quicker rhythm.

“Rockstar” 

“Rockstar”, the crowd-pleasing centerpiece of beerbongs & bentleys, has its fair share of pros. The production is among them, sporting moody vibes from the onset.  Post Malone continues performing in his signature pop-rap style with agile rhymes, exhibiting a respectable flow. 21 Savage provides a nice contrast to Post’s more exuberant, emotional style. Even given its status as the ultimate crowd pleaser, “Rockstar” is enjoyable, but not transcendent. The aggressive, rhythmic guitars on “Over Now” are exciting, fueling Post’s energy. The chorus certainly lives up to the aggressiveness of guitars, particularly disturbing lyric, “I’m a put that bitch pu**y in a motherf*cking body bag / So you know that I’m never ever coming back.” Whoa, Nelly!

The hypnotic and infectious “Psycho” commences mysteriously with an instrumental intro. Once Post Malone enters, singing the hook, everything settles in. The hook is wordy, yet like Malone’s hooks of the past, irresistible. As a whole, “Psycho” continues the ultra-melodic vibes that make  Malone hella appeal. All in all, the execution is sound. The production work is light and mellow in quality, with a relatively simple palette of sounds – keyboard, synths, and sleek drum programming.  Ty Dolla $ign contrasts Malone with his coarser, more gruff vocals on the third verse. “Better Now” gets the unenviable task of following up another crowd-pleaser.  Pleasant in its own right, Malone reminisces on past relationship, again dropping a golden hook.

“Ball for Me” 

“Ball for Me” brings along a fired-up, resurgent Nicki Minaj, who once more delivers her signature line, “These bitches, I son ‘em like it’s daylight.” Minaj begins the second verse sans pitch, before evoking her own pop-rap skills.  As for AP, he’s on autopilot, even if “Ball for Me” isn’t particularly deep.  He’s definitely deeper on the moody “Otherside,”where he laments a relationship gone wrong. “Feels like I’m circlin’ a drain, all I see is the remains of an ugly truth.”  The style of “Otherside” truly stands out, blending electro-pop and a dash of rock/pop. 

Acoustic balladry arrives on the expressive “Stay,” which shows more versatility on Malone’s end of things. The harmonic progression is particularly lovely, not to mention Post’s vocals.  “Blame it on Me” brings back the rhythm, carried by percussion as opposed to guitars that is. The harmonized vocals are a nice touch on the pre-chorus and chorus.  Overall, the production is on-point.  Another star-studded collaboration arrives with “Same Bitches” which taps West Coast standouts G-Eazy and YG.  Expectedly, the Cashio/Swish-produce joint is a surefire banger.

“92 Explorer” 

On “Jonestown (Interlude),”Post Malone captures the spirit of the infamous cult, singing, “I’m hesitant, but I guess I’ll drink the Kool-Aid once again.” Hmm, wonder if he’s heard the Accept song, “Koolaid”?  Three automotive related cuts close out beerbongs & bentleys: “92 Explorer,” “Candy Paint,” and “Sugar Wraith.” “Candy Paint” originally appeared on The Fate of the Furious soundtrack, released in 2017. It’s arguably the best of the three, though none of the three supplant the more elite cuts of the album.

Final Thoughts 

The good news for Post Malone is the fact that he steps up his game on beerbongs & bentleys.  This is pop-rap album that’s chocked-full of hits and potential hits.  The rub of the album is that save for a few select moments, he doesn’t opt for truly deep, transcendent material.  He’s definitely a step or two above the SoundCloud rappers – “Rockstar” and “Psycho” were enough to get him over the hump – but the next step in his development as an artist is to dig even deeper.  Although entirely too long at over an hour, all in all, beerbongs & bentleys is a step in the right direction for the likable young pop-rapper.

Gems: “Spoil My Night,” “Zack and Codeine,” “Rockstar,” “Psycho,” “Ball for Me,” “Otherside,” “Stay” & “Same Bitches”

Post Malone • beerbongs & bentleys • Republic • Release: 4.27.18

Photo Credit: Republic