No entity living, dead or divine could manufacture an entertainer more perfect for 2018's pop culture climate than Post Malone. A 23-year old white rapper/singer that regularly pumps out polarizing chart-topping hits and headline-grabbing pull quotes is an eternal blessing for the social media firing squads that thrive off of loud, pointed outrage that disappears just as fast as it arrives. In the shadow of the constant dragging and "Post Malone is over" tweets, he's only managed to get more popular, pumping out a trio of top 10 singles ("Congratulations", "Psycho" and "Rockstar"-the latter of which held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight straight weeks) and smashing multiple streaming records since the start of 2017. His second full-length album beerbongs & bentleys provides ample evidence of the easygoing attitude and slept-on gift for crafting memorable vocal melodies that has allowed him to overcome all of the bullshit internet noise to become one of hip-hop's biggest breakout stars.
On the surface, beerbongs & bentleys isn't exactly a dynamic album. It's a lengthy meditation on the pros and cons of becoming famous that features plenty of soaring choruses, atmospheric production and guest verses from some of modern hip-hop's most prominent figures (Nicki Minaj, Swae Lee, 21 Savage, G-Eazy, YG, Ty Dolla $ign). Despite this pile of familiar characteristics, Post's consistently memorable vocal melodies and energetic delivery ensure that beerbongs & Bentleys never becomes stale. This colony of massive earworms that are tailored to match the subtle stylistic changes present in each moody yet melodic beat make the relatively gaudy 64-minute runtime fly by while also possessing a special addictive quality that practically begs you to keep coming back to these tracks. In less bizarre words, roughly 75% of the hooks and bridges on this record haven been stuck in my head since I first heard this last week, which is an undeniable sign that a pop rap album has done its job.
beerbongs & bentleys is a two-pronged W for Post Malone. It's a breezy LP full of catchy-ass songs that are ideal for a party or any laid-back summer activity as well as a more confident and polished effort than its predecessor (2016's Stoney). While it's a longshot to end up on my year-end best list, this is still a highly enjoyable effort from a talented artist that I feel gets far more flack than he deserves.
Grade: B
Standout Tracks
1.Over Now
2.92 Explorer
3.Zack and Codeine
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