Overall, A Decent Effort
James Carlisle
Over a year after the release of his sophomore album Beerbongs & Bentleys, Post Malone has released Hollywood’s Bleeding, a 17-song, 51-minute-long production. This album delves into Malone’s struggles with relationships as well as the pitfalls of his fame. The record is a mixed bag, to say the least. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. One of the reasons why Post Malone has widespread appeal is the fact that he is not bound to one genre. His music incorporates elements of hip hop, rock, trap rap, pop, and R&B. Hollywood’s Bleeding is Malone’s most musically diverse record to date.
A shining example of this diversity is Malone’s collaboration with heavy metal legend Ozzy Ozbourne on the track “Take What You Want”. The track also features Astroworld rapper Travis Scott. On paper, it really should not work, but it does. This ambitious blend of rock and trap rap goes down as quite possibly the best track on the album.
Hollywood’s Bleeding boasts plenty of bangers. “Enemies” is a smooth, mellow track with a solid guest verse from “Suge” rapper DaBaby. Another highlight is the track “Allergic,” which is one of the more hard-hitting, rock-oriented songs on the album. “Circles,” a mellow, laid-back track about a dying relationship, is one of the album’s catchiest moments. “On The Road” has one of the best hooks on the album, as well as a strong guest verse from Dreams and Nightmares rapper Meek Mill. “Myself” is a relaxed, sentimental, retrospective track that reflects on Malone’s journey around the world.
Hollywood’s Bleeding is far from perfect. The song “Saint-Tropez” is substanceless and uninspired. “Goodbyes” is a well-produced track with some of Malone’s best lyrics on the album, but is ruined by an obnoxious, over-the-top feature from Young Thug. The track “Internet” is also overly grandiose and melodramatic, topped off with a bombastic orchestra instrumental at the end. The remaining tracks on the album, for the most part, are serviceable yet unremarkable.
Once again, this album is the epitome of a mixed bag. This is not to say that the album lacks vision or identity; Post Malone is one of the most musically diverse hip-hop artists today. That in itself is his identity. Hollywood’s Bleeding proves that Malone has the ability to make quality music in any genre he desires.
