Post Malone keeps going country at Coachella

Post Malone closed retired the archetypal play of this year’s Coachella festival connected Sunday nighttime with a 90-minute show successful which helium remade immoderate of his smash pop-rap hits arsenic down-home state jams.

Sauntering onstage holding a reddish integrative cupful and a cigarette, the 29-year-old vocalist — who went Nashville successful 2024 with the chart-topping “F-1 Trillion” aft years of dominating popular and hip-hop vigor — opened his acceptable with twangy renditions of “Texas Tea,” “Wow” and “Better Now” that felt similar they could’ve been performed astatine Coachella’s state cousin, Stagecoach (where successful information Malone launched his state signifier past year).

“I apologize for being pitchy,” helium said aboriginal successful the show. “Auto-Tune is simply a hellhole of a drug.”

Dressed successful choky jeans and a weathered shot cap, Malone enactment crossed his accustomed self-effacing vibe arsenic helium ran done oldies similar “Go Flex,” “Goodbyes,” “Lemon Tree” and “Psycho,” the past of which had him yowling connected his knees. He besides did solo versions of immoderate of the state songs from “F-1 Trillion,” including “I Had Some Help” (which features Morgan Wallen connected record), “Losers” (which features Jelly Roll connected record) and “M-E-X-I-C-O” (which features Billy Strings connected record).

Despite his galore friends successful Nashville, Malone didn’t bring retired immoderate astonishment guests connected Friday — a determination successful keeping this twelvemonth with his chap headliners Lady Gaga, who brought lone her shaper Gesaffelstein, and Green Day, whose acceptable featured nary guests.

Before jumping into the assemblage to shingle fans’ hands arsenic helium finished his acceptable with “Sunflower,” Malone gave a small motivational code to present his opus “Congratulations,” telling the assemblage that helium remembered erstwhile a “lot of motherf—” were calling him a one-hit wonder.

But conscionable look astatine him now, helium seemed to beryllium arguing: a rapper who’d made himself into a state prima astatine pop’s astir important euphony festival.