Post Malone ‘Hollywood’s Bleeding’ – Review

Banger territory with disappointing throwaways

If anything, ‘Hollywood’s Bleeding’ highlights Post’s lack of self-analysis or critique. He seems to exist in a rich bubble of drink and cars, spending his free time blaming everyone else besides himself for the problems that arise in his friendships and relationships.

He’s quick to criticise the women in his life and big himself up, which comes off a bit grim, in all honesty. Lyrics such as ‘without that face, girl, you wouldn’t get far’ seem wildly hypocritical given that half of Post Malone’s original appeal was his unorthodox, rough appearance that doesn’t fit conventional trends. One rule for him and another for women, right?

On ‘A Thousand Bad Times’ he describes how a girl says she doesn’t know who he is, which he doesn’t believe. He’s too big to not know, of course, so any admirer should be expected to lap up in his fame. Elsewhere on ‘Im Gonna Be’ (spelt without the apostrophe) he indulges in alcohol, drinking until he’s ‘f***ed up’, and states that he’s going to be what he wants, and go hard until he’s gone.

Confidence is a great quality, but here it feels like a reckless charge of intensity that will inevitably end in burnout. Post Malone is a rich, young white guy calling women bitches, victimising himself, drinking too much and bragging about his cash. It’s boring, cliché, and comes off as gross, despite the smooth music that accompanies his vocals.

There’s so much more he could say about his unique perspective on the industry and his life, yet he chooses to play it safe, leaving us with a trap-pop hybrid that doesn’t offer anything new either thematically or stylistically.

Final Thoughts

If you dig Post’s previous albums then you’ll probably enjoy this too, as it follows a formula almost identical to the last two. For everyone else, though, ‘Hollywood’s Bleeding’ is further confirmation that Post Malone is best enjoyed in small doses, probably at parties or at a club, and should steer clear of long-form albums.

His cynical, distrusting attitude throughout gets grating, and his hypocritical double standards rubbed me the wrong way at times. There’s some bangers here and there, and tracks to enjoy when you’re out with friends, but for the most part this is one probably worth skipping until you hear it on the radio.