Post Malone brought the cigarettes and red Solo cups to his closing headlining set at Coachella on Sunday, melding the hip-hop hits of his earlier discography with the more recent country fare that powered his last few albums.
Throughout his hour-plus set, the singer, clad in waist-high jeans with a tee tucked in, held the spotlight without any of the guest stars that punctuated the singles from his career. Instead, he toured his oeuvre on his own, apologizing for being pitchy a few times (even though, admittedly, he wasn’t) and thanking the “ladies and gentlemen” many, many times for attending his set on a work night.
Malone loves to have fun on stage, from the hip-wiggles to the genuine bewilderment that people came to see his set. More than a decade into his career, he manages to keep his performances compelling, at ease with the pressure of carrying a show and treating it more like a shared experience. That’s what his Coachella set felt like, an interactive hang with your best buddy whose music you happen to love.
And he rolled out those songs in spades, from “Better Now” and “Go Flex” to “Goodbyes” and “Losers.” Some hip-hop tracks were reconfigured with country arrangements — “Rockstar” certainly had a twang, as did “Psycho,” a song written “about a wristwatch” — yet the genres felt fluid, much like the trajectory of Malone’s music throughout the years.
Above all, Malone seems to be having fun. “Ladies and gentlemen, I wrote this next song about my favorite shape, the trapezoid,” he said, introducing “Circles.” One highlight: “I Had Some Help,” his smash duet with Morgan Wallen, was vibrant and celebratory.
“Coachella, is everyone having a good night tonight ladies and gentlemen?” he said after “Wrong Ones,” toasting his Solo cup in the air.” “I just wanted to say how fuckin’ bitchin’ it is to be able to come here to play ladies and gentlemen. I’ve been to this festival a couple times in my life, and ladies and gentlemen, I’m 30 years old, on July 4 I’ll be 30 years old.” A pause to light a cigarette. “But I just wanted to say thank you to each and every single one of everybody in here who’s listened to the music for such a long time. i know it’s been a crazy fuckin’ journey and I just wanted to express how grateful I am to every one of you.”
As he rode out on “Sunflower,” making his way through the crowd, he made his mission clear: “Keep spreading love, keep giving love, keep receiving love. No matter what you’re going through right now, ladies and gentlemen, you’re loved more than you know it.”