Post Malone’s recent foray into country music has been embraced by the genre’s award show establishment, if not all of its fans. The “Circles” singer made his ACM Awards debut last night, performing a pair of his new songs, including “I Had Some Help” (ironically, without the help of featured guest Morgan Wallen) and “Never Love You Again,” which was that song’s debut, as well.
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Backstage, Post talked with presenter Bobby Bones about his transition into a country star. “I have been having so much fun and I went to Nashville probably about six months ago and I’ve always wanted to make a record in this vein,” he said. “I’m having so much fun and I love the people that I get to write with in Nashville. It’s the most amazing time.”
Post’s transition started earlier this year, intriguingly enough, at the Super Bowl, where he sang an acoustic rendition of “America The Beautiful” with a twangy guitar. The shift continued when he was billed as one of the performers at Stagecoach Festival, which raised some eyebrows among country music fans. He previewed what his new musical direction would entail as a guest performer on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album, appearing on the song “Levii’s Jeans.” His Stagecoach performance turned out to be a festival-defining set full of country covers like Brad Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her.” With his performance at the ACM Awards, it looks like anticipation for his album, presumably releasing sometime this year, will be as high as the Rocky Mountains. Stay tuned.