Taylor Swift. Beyonce. Justin Bieber. Drake. Kanye West. DJ Khaled. Meek Mill. Gucci Mane. Nicki Minaj. Ozzy Osbourne. Noah Kahan. Swae Lee. 21 Savage. Doja Cat. Lorde. Chris Stapleton. Luke Combs. Blake Shelton. Morgan Wallen. Tim McGraw. Dolly Parton.
What does each artist on this incredibly diverse and eclectic list have in common? They’ve all collaborated with Post Malone.
With 18 Grammy Awards nominations, 11 Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, seven iHeartRadio Music Awards and six MTV Video Music Awards to his name, rapper-turned-pop star-turned country musician Post Malone is enjoying his moment in the spotlight. The diamond-certified hitmaker rolled into Northwest Stadium, just up the road from our nation’s capital, during his “Big Ass Stadium Tour,” June 2.
Shortly after the sun set on a picturesque evening, Malone strutted out on stage with a red Solo cup in one hand, a lit cigarette in the other while donning a belt buckle the size of a modern SUV. As the audience of 50,000 or so stood and roared their approval, the opening notes of “Texas Tea” began to play through the stadium’s vastly improved sound system. Because the opening number was a mellow track, it enabled the 29-year-old artist to take a sip or a puff as momentum continued to slowly build before an explosion of fireworks brought the song to a conclusion and ultimately set the tone for the next two hours.
In his early days, Malone was viewed as a sort of underground novelty act. In less than a decade though, he’s quickly ascended to certified superstardom with six number one singles and an impressive 22 top-20 hits. If it feels to you like he’s come a long way in a short amount of time, well, you’re not alone.
“This is my first fucking stadium tour and I’m so fucking honored and so fucking grateful,” said Malone, while taking a step back to soak it all in. “I really appreciate it.”
“Been doing this quasi-professionally for about 10 years now. Thank you for giving me the courage to chase my dreams,” he added.
During “Wrong Ones,” an upbeat number featuring Tim McGraw, Malone sings: “I got fuck-you money. Girl, come on and get you some.” The Syracuse native is clearly speaking from personal experience. Don’t believe me? Back in 2023, Malone acquired a one-of-a-kind card from a Magic: The Gathering “Lord of the Rings”-themed set for $2 million.
One of the absolute highlights of the night involved two of the most loveable and tattooed individuals in music today, as Jelly Roll joined Malone on stage for “Losers.”
“I have never had more fun in my life,” said Jelly Roll, of touring with Malone. In response, Malone said hitting the road with such a quality human being like “The Son of a Sinner” makes him want to be a better person. These two admirable gentlemen clearly share a great affinity for one another, and it carries over into their respective performances.
A few songs later, Malone seemed on top of the world, asking the sellout crowd: “Are we still having fun tonight? Who’s got a cold beverage in their hand?” After a toast to the lively audience, he dove into “What Don’t Belong to Me.”
According to Spotify, Malone ranks in the top 20 most popular artist on the planet, with nearly 70 million monthly listeners. One of his most popular tracks, “Circles,” has been streamed nearly three billion times on the music service. As Malone sang the opening lyrics, 50,000 enthusiastic fans immediately joined in, as the entire venue performed the 2019 smash hit at full volume.
Like Donald Glover/Childish Gambino, artist Austin Richard Post was gifted his alter ego through a rap name generator. Another name he’s occasionally known as is “White Iverson,” the title of Malone’s quintuple-platinum single which he jokes most people believe it’s my only good one.”
Considering Malone already ranks among the 10 best-selling digital artists in history, it’s not a huge surprise that folks are expecting big things from F-1 Trillion, his fifth original LP in six years. For context, Malone’s 2016 debut album, Stoney, beat out Michael Jackson’s Thriller for most weeks in top 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart. After dethroning the King of Pop, it would be foolish to bet against Posty at this point in his musical journey.
Honestly, the dude can’t miss. Girls love him. Guys want to drink a beer with him. He’s reached rarified air and still makes sure to vocalize his love and appreciation for everyone who helped him get to this point. It’s tough to think of a more deserving person to enjoy such massive success during their first stadium tour.
Setlist
Texas Tea
Wow.
Better Now
Wrong Ones
Go Flex
Broken Whiskey Glass
Hollywood’s Bleeding
I Fall Apart
Losers (with Jelly Roll)
Goodbyes
M-E-X-I-C-O
What Don’t Belong to Me
I Ain’t Comin’ Back (Morgan Wallen cover)
Feeling Whitney (solo acoustic)
Yours
Circles
White Iverson
Psycho
Candy Paint
Finer Things
Pour Me a Drink
Dead at the Honky Tonk
rockstar
I Had Some Help
Sunflower
Encore:
Congratulations
photos + words: Brian Murphy