THIS is the country music I wanted from Post Malone.
And I can’t get enough of “Never Love You Again,” which Posty played for the first time at the ACM Awards this past Thursday. In his debut performance at the show, he also played a little bit of “I Had Some Help,” his recent collab with Morgan Wallen.
While that duet is certainly catchy, and already smashing streaming records and running up the country radio charts like we knew it would, I was honestly hoping for something a little more on the traditional side from Post, because he’s spoken so highly of artists in that vein like Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson and Colter Wall.
And certainly he delivered here, on a single that will almost definitely be featured on Post’s debut country album, which will be released sometime this year.
Featuring heavy fiddle and woozy steel, Post laments a breakup and the aftermath of love lost, asking for forgiveness from this girl even though he knows he’s ultimately leaving and never looking back, because “this ain’t no cowboy Western.”
I’m obsessed with that line:
“Saw the Bible on the dresser
Save some forgiveness for me
Baby this ain’t no old cowboy Western
‘Cuz I won’t be looking back when I leave
It’s a long lost highway
And this road ain’t my friend
I’ll love you til tomorrow
And I’ll never love you again”
He also has such a unique and impressive voice, that I think he’s able to really show off with country music in a way that’s obviously not really possible in rap and some of his more pop-sounding music.
It’s unclear who the writers on this one are (I have a hunch that Ernest might’ve been part of it), and we have yet to hear the studio cut, but I’m hopeful that the production is really similar because it’s such a sad, gorgeous country heartbreaker (my favorite) with the simple fiddle and steel.
Also, I don’t know what it says that a rap star stole the show and easily delivered one of the performances of the night at a major country music award show in the ACM Awards, but I don’t really care because this is so damn good.
Many fans in the comments on Youtube and Instagram were surprised to find out this is in fact a Post Malone original, and not an old deep cut cover from the 80’s, which really says it all in my humble opinion.
Do yourself a favor and check it out… I can’t wait to hear how this sounds on the album. I can already tell it will be one of my favorites:
“I Had Some Help”
