Not many people can say that their music has been listened to over 25 billion times on Spotify, but Post Malone can. The American rapper broke through in 2015 with “White Iverson”, after which his debut album immediately did well. Now he is releasing his fourth album and is more popular than ever. Few rappers can match Post Malone’s success and his recognizable style, in which he moves between singing and rapping. The versatile artist also enjoys collaborating with a variety of artists and discovering the new Twelve Carat Toothache is a good example of this, because during a listen you get to hear Doja Cat, The Weeknd, The Kid LAROI and Fleet Foxes in addition to Mr. Malone.
Chilly piano sounds open “Reputation” and with his rough voice Post Malone immediately starts off with: ‘Take my own life just to save yours’. Pure honesty and reflection on the press and expectations of fans with lines like ‘I got a reputation that I can’t deny / You’re the superstar, entertain us’. Not a grand, impressive opener, but an (emotional) entry. “Reputation” overflows into “Cooped Up” with Roddy Ricch, which comes in a little less hard. The song feels rather superficial and also monotonous. Roddy Ricch does not add much value and as a whole the song feels a bit too much like Post Malone trying to imitate Post Malone.
“Lemon Tree” sounds a bit more sincere, partly thanks to that subdued music. With an acoustic guitar, the artist is talking about how sweet his life is, as sweet as a lemon. Dark thoughts are brought to light when Malone talks about burning down his lemon tree. Uptempo and cheerful appearing are two characteristics of “Wrapped Around Your Finger”. The song feels a bit like a funfair attraction with twinkling lights in the dark. If you listen more closely, you will hear that the American is not just madly in love wrapped around someone’s finger, but again heavy themes are discussed. Alcohol, drugs and depression seem to be constantly lurking around the corner while the song is about unrequited love. At first hearing there are those twinkling lights, but in the end Post Malone seems to be mainly looking for light at the end of the tunnel.
‘There must also be a happy song on my album’ Post Malone must have thought and for that he called none other than Doja Cat. The American can be heard on “I Like You (A Happer Song)” and the two also sound ‘happy’. The romantic song is accompanied by a catchy beat and is simply a nice collaboration. However, the love turns out to be short-lived, as Post Malone soon discusses a relationship with Gunna in which the two are held back by their lovers. They feel trapped on the unmemorable “I Cannot Be (A Sadder Song)” and a little later they create dramatic and liberating music together with Fleet Foxes. Musically, it’s a bit like 2WEI, giving the song a totally different vibe than the rest of the album. Post Malone naturally puts his stamp on it with his recognizable voice and lyrics (about alcohol again), but it still feels a bit uncomfortable.
On “Wasting Angels” Post Malone and The Kid LAROI look back at their lives before fame and while the lyrics are undoubtedly straight from their hearts, the song feels a bit weak. Throughout the rather quiet song you are waiting for a twist or a build-up to a climax and the repetitive outro is just not enough. “Euthanasia” and “Waiting For a Miracle” are sick in the same bed, so that the schwung disappears from the album at times. The soft beat on first mentioned feels a bit like a heartbeat and the message being conveyed feels like a goodbye.
We asked for more swagger and so “When I’m Alone” immediately kicks off energetically. The rushed and chaotic atmosphere is the exact opposite of previous songs and also seems to confuse the rapper. It’s a bit like Post is on a different vibe here, so that his tempo and that of the music don’t quite match. Where things are going well again is on “One Right Nowwith none other than The Weeknd. The two artists are well balanced with each other and although you wouldn’t put them together right away, their musical baby is successful in itself. Is it the best song ever? No, both artists have better solo material and it’s a bit basic, but it’s at least better than most of the other songs in the second half of the record.
Post Malone’s new album is a roller coaster ride. There are definitely good songs on it Twelve Carat Toothache, certainly on the first part, but the level is not the same all the time. Lyrically, the American once again exposes his soul and sometimes it becomes very painful to listen to, but the music that accompanies it is not always captivating. There are also times when Post Malone comes across as a bit uninspired and goes on with the same musical idea for too long, making certain songs a bit too monotonous and the album sinking in after a while. Post Malone has lost the north at times and is looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. For now, he can keep looking.
