Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding:

My Ears aren’t bleeding for once to his music

As a fan of jazz, 60s rock, and alt rock, I was probably the person least equipped for
reviewing Post Malone’s latest release, Hollywood’s Bleeding.  Gone are the days of needing
rhymes and well written lyrics, in favor of heavily autotuned mumbles. When no words are
pronounced as they should be, it seems everything rhymes for modern day rappers and singers.
That being said, I definitely commend Malone for his musical talent, as he’s able to make
tunes and rhymes that can draw the attention of unlikely listeners like myself.  With my first
listen through Malone’s sophomore album Bentleys and Bongs I found that I was drawn in by
Malone’s grasp on blending autotune with his natural voice to make earworms. And this trend
only continues through his newest album, Hollywood’s Bleeding in some of the best ways.
Late October 2018 was when I really noticed Malone’s music, hearing Sunflower from
the Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack. Simple but melodious, Sunflower had deep lyrics to go
with, and served as the antithesis to all my misconceptions of Malone as an artist. Sunflower
drew in listeners and had fans singing along all around, and it was only fitting that it was
included in Hollywood’s Bleeding.
And so, with the first three songs it is clear that Malone is aware of the effect fame and
fortune can have on people. Saint-Tropez and Enemies highlight this fact, as Malone’s lyrics
describe how as a famous singer, he can adorn himself in whatever he pleases. However, this
comes at the price of friendship, having to cut ties with those who only stay close with him for
his money. This is a common theme amongst most rappers, but it’s the way in which Malone
comments on the L.A. lifestyle with his music that makes it unique.
Aptly titled Hollywood’s Bleeding, the title track shows how the city, people, and
lifestyle can suck the life out celebrities. Other songs that further this point are Internet, and
Take What You Want, pointing out how even in his relationships he feels the life being sucked
out of him, which only match their melancholy moods that they create. And perhaps it’s this
blend of melancholy and surreal sounds that make Post Malone the hit that he is amongst us all.
These are the songs that appeal to his target audience, and for good reason, as they stack up to
his previous albums as well.
But the songs that stood out to me as a listener were Allergic, A Thousand Bad Times,
and I’m Gonna Be, as each of these had a sound that followed up Sunflower. These are the
songs that stuck with me after listening to the album, because of how different they were from
the rest of the album in terms of tone and style. The lyrics of the first two songs blend the story
of a doomed relationship with an upbeat melody, making for an interesting mix and adding depth
to the album.
Full of collaborations with some of today’s biggest ‘artists’ like Young Thug, Meek Mill,
and Future, Hollywood’s Bleeding is just what one can expect from Post Malone, a crowd
pleasing autotune fueled journey that may be deeper the more times you listen.