In front of the attendees at the Country Music Association Awards, Chris Stapleton took the stage, sharing the space with a full country band. As one of the leading country artists of the 21st century, Chris Stapleton’s appearance at the CMAs was no surprise. What Music Man readers may find more surprising, though, is that he was performing a duet with rapper Post Malone. Despite his renown as a rap artist, 2024 was the year Post Malone would make his first foray into the country music scene.
Playing their guitars center stage, the two musicians performed ‘California Sober’, from Post’s 2024 country album ‘F-1 Trillion’. The pair clearly had a ball as they performed the song, grinning as they played the track that Post and Chris wrote together. Many online fans commented on how much fun Post seemed to be having during the performance. In the comments of the online video that has received over 6K views in just eight days, one fan observed, “Post is in heaven bro, look at that smile.”
‘F-1 Trillion’ showed Post Malone collaborating with multiple titans of the country genre. Not only did Chris Stapleton make an appearance on the album, but so did iconic artists such as Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Hank Williams Jr., and Dolly Parton. For our Music Man readers who love country, it isn’t hard to imagine how a fellow country music fan like Post will have reveled in the opportunity to work with such influential figures in the genre.
He took the opportunity to celebrate another one of his collaborations at the CMA Fest five months earlier, as Blake Shelton joined him at the festival to perform their track from the album, ‘Pour Me A Drink.’ The performance once again had both musicians grinning as they played the upbeat country rock song. Post showed off his country-style vocals as the crowd danced and sang along with them. Once again, the performance proved a hit online, reaching over 1.6M views in a matter of months.
While country rap is a genre that has been growing in popularity over the years thanks to artists such as Lil Nas X receiving mainstream popularity, it is rare to see an artist make a complete shift between the genres. Whilst a tricky endeavor for any artist to navigate, Post Malone’s success with his album proves that a complete change-up in genre can be done. With ‘F-1 Trillion’ receiving a 2024 Grammy nomination for Best Country Album, Post Malone’s journey serves as a testament to the power of following your artistic instincts, no matter how unconventional the path may seem.
If you would like to hear more from this talented artist, you can subscribe to their YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Stay updated by following them on Facebook and Instagram. For more information, visit their official website.