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Austin (album)

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Austin
Studio album by
Post Malone
ReleasedJuly 28, 2023 (2023-07-28)
StudioHenson (Los Angeles)
GenreSynth-pop[1]
Length51:27
Label
Producer
Post Malone chronology
The Diamond Collection
(2023) 		Austin
(2023) 		F-1 Trillion
(2024)
Singles from Austin
  1. "Chemical"
    Released: April 14, 2023
  2. "Mourning"
    Released: May 19, 2023
  3. "Overdrive"
    Released: July 14, 2023
  4. "Enough Is Enough"
    Released: September 8, 2023

Austin is the fifth studio album by American rapper Post Malone. It was released through Mercury and Republic Records on July 28, 2023. The bonus version of the album was released five days later to include a new track. Production was handled by Malone himself, Andrew Watt, Louis Bell, Max Martin, and Rami Yacoub. Austin was supported by four singles: "Chemical", "Mourning", "Overdrive", and "Enough Is Enough". A departure from the hip hop-driven sounds of its predecessor, it is a synth-pop album, influenced by rock or alternative rock, and is Malone's first project not to feature any guest appearances.

Austin received generally positive reviews from music critics and debuted at number two on Billboard 200 chart, in which it earned 113,000 album-equivalent units, of which 34,000 units were pure album sales.

Background and promotion

[edit]

On May 15, 2023, Malone posted a video on Instagram to announce the album, which is titled after his real first name.[2][3] The message hinted at a different artistic approach, possibly intensifying the sound of his fourth studio album, Twelve Carat Toothache (2022).[4] Malone revealed that he played the guitar on every single song on the album, calling the creation process a "fun experience".[5] He described the outcome as the "most challenging and rewarding music" he had ever made, which was a product of constantly making himself work to make it.[6] That same day, Malone also announced a summer North American tour called the If Y'all Weren't Here, I'd Be Crying Tour to accompany the release of the album, which later became a world tour that started on July 8 and ended on December 3, 2023.[7]

Singles

[edit]

On April 14, 2023, Malone released the lead single of the album, "Chemical".[8] The second single of the album, "Mourning", was released on May 19.[9] The third single, "Overdrive", was released on July 14.[10] The fourth and final single, "Enough Is Enough", was sent to Italian contemporary hit radio, on September 8, 2023.[11]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?5.5/10[12]
Metacritic66/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
American Songwriter[15]
Clash7/10[16]
The Independent[17]
NME[18]
The Observer[19]
Pitchfork5.5/10[20]
Slant Magazine[21]
Spectrum Culture40%[22]

Austin was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received a weighted average score of 66, based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 5.5 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[12]

Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic praised the album, stating, "Melodic and heartfelt, Austin surprises at nearly every turn, whether that's by an unexpected sonic detour or the simple fact that Post Malone has never sounded this fearless".[14] Erica Campbell of NME wrote that Malone's "shift from trap beats and hip hop delivery to purer pop suits [him] well, proving that slowing down can be a creative advantage, especially when you're heading in the right direction",[18] while Clash's Robin Murray described Austin as "an album that dares to buck trends, and at its best can be genuinely moving".[16] Variety critic Chris Willman said, "It sounds like sobering stuff on paper. But on record, a lot of these songs play out as breezily as Styles' "As It Was". It's a record that's in constant conflict with itself, using candor and humor as a self-conscious form of denial, maybe; the easygoing infectiousness of the music always is reassuring us that there's nothing to worry about amid all this conspicuous consumption".[23] Reviewing the album for American Songwriter, Thomas Galindo stated, "While his 17 new songs don't amount to a flawless masterpiece, they do paint a picture of a Post Malone who not only knows he needs to turn things around, but also intends to at any cost".[15]

Rolling Stone's Clayton Purdom wrote that "even if Austin is Post's guitar record, it's not his rock record", and found that "plenty of it works" even if "the immense self-loathing with which the record introduces itself finds no clear resolution by the end, despite many allusions on otherwise-peppy songs".[24] Paul Attard of Slant Magazine commented that "little on the album could be regarded as hip-hop-oriented" as its tracks "are primarily structured around stadium-sized pop hooks", which he found "all follow the same overly simplistic pop structure".[21] Writing for Pitchfork, Brad Shoup felt that Austin "is Post at his strongest: audaciously raiding the entire pop toolkit" and "even after forsaking Los Angeles for Utah, his life remains a movie: loaded with state-of-the-industry pyrotechnics, bristling with guns, and littered with synergistic product tie-ins", which makes the album "in directorial terms, a one-for-me situation: a passion project secured with almost a decade at the summit of pop rap as collateral".[20] Riff Magazine wrote that Austin was "influenced by '80s and '90s alternative rock," which tended to "slow down the middle of the album."[1]

Commercial performance

[edit]

In the United States, Austin debuted at number two on Billboard 200 chart, earning 113,000 album-equivalent units (including 34,000 in pure album sales) in its first week. This became Malone's fifth top-five album on the chart after all his previous studio albums reached the top five. The album also accumulated a total of 101.14 million on-demand streams of the album's songs.[25]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks produced by Post Malone, Andrew Watt, and Louis Bell, except where noted.

Austin track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Don't Understand"
3:03
2."Something Real"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
  • Billy Walsh
3:25
3."Chemical"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
  • Walsh
3:04
4."Novacandy"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
  • Walsh
3:17
5."Mourning"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
2:28
6."Too Cool to Die"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
  • Walsh
3:25
7."Sign Me Up" (producers: Post Malone, Bell, Max Martin, Rami Yacoub)
  • Post
  • Bell
  • Martin
  • Yacoub
  • Walsh
3:19
8."Socialite"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
  • Walsh
3:20
9."Overdrive"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
  • Walsh
2:28
10."Speedometer"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
2:42
11."Hold My Breath"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
3:29
12."Enough Is Enough" (producers: Post Malone, Bell, Martin, Yacoub)
  • Post
  • Bell
  • Martin
  • Yacoub
  • Walsh
2:45
13."Texas Tea" (producers: Post Malone, Bell, Yacoub)
  • Post
  • Bell
  • Yacoub
  • Walsh
2:20
14."Buyer Beware"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
2:53
15."Landmine"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
3:05
16."Green Thumb"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
2:39
17."Laugh It Off"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
4:06
Total length:51:27
Bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
18."Joy"
  • Post
  • Wotman
  • Bell
4:47
Total length:56:14

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

  • Post Malone – vocals, guitar (all tracks); drums (tracks 3, 7, 12, 15), tambourine (3), programming (4, 6), drum programming (5), piano (8, 15), bass guitar (12)
  • Louis Bell – programming (all tracks), piano (1–6, 8–11, 14, 15, 17, 18), drum programming (2, 3, 5–10, 12–15, 17, 18), bass programming (2, 4–10, 12–14, 17, 18), keyboards (2–10, 12–14, 17, 18)
  • Andrew Watt – guitar (1–6, 8–11, 14–17), bass guitar (1, 3, 6, 8–11, 14, 17, 18), drums (2–4, 6, 8–11, 14, 17, 18), keyboards (3), programming (4, 17, 18), piano (10)
  • David Campbell – string arrangement (1, 9, 11), conductor (11)
  • Paula Hochhalter – violin (1), cello (9, 11)
  • Josefina Vergara – violin (1)
  • Tammy Hatwan – violin (1)
  • Mick Jagger – maracas (3)
  • Max Martin – guitar, piano (7, 12); bass guitar (7), keyboards (12)
  • Rami Yacoub – bass guitar (7), guitar (13)
  • Jacob Braun – cello (9, 11)
  • Rodney Wirtz – viola (9, 11)
  • Linnea Powell – viola (9, 11)
  • Luke Maurer – viola (9, 11)
  • Songa Lee – violin (9, 11)
  • Sara Parkins – violin (9, 11)
  • Philip Vaiman – violin (9, 11)
  • Neil Samples – violin (9, 11)
  • Michele Richards – violin (9, 11)
  • Joel Pargman – violin (9, 11)
  • Mario De Leon – violin (9, 11)
  • Charlie Bisharat – violin (9, 11)

Technical

  • Mike Bozzi – mastering
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
  • Marco Sonzini – engineering (1–4, 6, 8–11, 14–18)
  • Paul Lamalfa – engineering (1–4, 6, 8–11, 14–18)
  • Louis Bell – engineering (4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 15)
  • Jed Jones – engineering (13, 15), engineering assistance (2, 3, 6, 8, 9)
  • Joe Dougherty – engineering assistance (1, 2, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18)
  • Braden Bursteen – engineering assistance (2, 4, 15)
  • Tommy Turner – engineering assistance (2, 4, 15)
  • Kelsey Porter – engineering assistance (14, 17, 18)
  • Marc VanGool – guitar technician, studio technician

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Austin
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[57] Silver 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Simons, Matthew (July 28, 2023). "ALBUM REVIEW: Post Malone props up 'Austin' with shining singles, some filler". Riff Magazine. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Paul, Larisha (May 16, 2023). "Post Malone Announces Self-Titled Album 'Austin'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  3. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (May 16, 2023). "Post Malone Introducing Austin On New Album, Summer Tour". Spin. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (May 16, 2023). "Post Malone Announces New Album "Austin"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Grant, Shawn (May 16, 2023). "Post Malone announces new album "Austin" for July, new single set for this Friday". The Source. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  6. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (May 16, 2023). "Post Malone Has A New Album, 'Austin,' Coming Soon, And It Features A Lot Of Guitar". Uproxx. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  7. ^ Darville, Jordan (May 16, 2023). "Post Malone announces new self-titled album Austin, shares release date". The Fader. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  8. ^ Muldoon, Brittany (April 14, 2023). "Post Malone is back with First New Single of 2023, "Chemical"". Melodic. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  9. ^ Kaufman, Gil (May 16, 2023). "Post Malone Announces Fifth Album, 'Austin,' 2023 North American Tour Dates". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  10. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (July 14, 2023). "Post Malone Drops New Single "Overdrive"". Complex. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  11. ^ Attanasi, Claudia (September 4, 2023). "Post Malone – Enough Is Enough (Radio Date: 08-09-2023)". EarOne (in Italian). Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Austin by Post Malone reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Austin by Post Malone Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Yeung, Neil Z. "Austin Post Malone". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Galindo, Thomas (August 2, 2023). "Review: Post Malone Holds a Mirror Up to Himself on 'Austin'". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Murray, Robin (July 28, 2023). "Post Malone – Austin | Reviews". Clash. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  17. ^ Brown, Helen (August 3, 2023). "Post Malone, Austin review: Good lines get lost in the sludge of pop-rock formula and mid-tempo pacing". The Independent. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Campbell, Erica (July 29, 2023). "Post Malone – Austin review: Posty gets honest about his vices". NME. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  19. ^ Morris, Damien (August 6, 2023). "Post Malone: Austin review – up close and whiny". The Observer. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Shoup, Brad (August 1, 2023). "Post Malone: AUSTIN Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Attard, Paul (July 30, 2023). "Post Malone Austin Review: The Inevitability of Pop Formula". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  22. ^ Stremfel, Thomas (August 6, 2023). "Post Malone: Austin". Spectrum Culture. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  23. ^ Willman, Chris (July 28, 2023). "Leaving Hip-Hop Behind, Post Malone Turns His Vices Into the Stuff of Pure Synth-Pop in 'Austin': Album Review". Variety. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  24. ^ Purdom, Clayton (July 24, 2023). "Post Malone Tries to Smile (Or Drink) Though His Pain On Austin". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  25. ^ Caulfield, Keith (August 7, 2023). "Travis Scott Lands Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With 'Utopia'". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
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  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – Post Malone – Austin" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
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  32. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Post Malone – Austin". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
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  38. ^ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – Vika 31 – 2023" [The Music – Albums – Week 31 – 2023] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  39. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  40. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Post Malone – Austin". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  41. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Digital Albums: August 7, 2023" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
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  43. ^ "2023 31-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 4, 2023. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  44. ^ "Charts.nz – Post Malone – Austin". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  45. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Post Malone – Austin". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  46. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 28.07.2023–03.08.2023 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  47. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Post Malone – Austin". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
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  49. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Post Malone – Austin". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  50. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Post Malone – Austin". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  51. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Post Malone – Austin". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
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  57. ^ "British album certifications – Post Malone – Austin". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
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