Hip-hop artist, Post Malone, just released his debut album, Stoney, and to the surprise of critics it has already been streamed millions of times. Originally dated to be released this past August, Stoney  finally hit the shelves on December 9th, but not without receiving some backlash from fans. Post set his standards high after his first major hit, “White Iverson”, soared to the Top 100 songs on Billboard for a whopping 30 weeks, rising to the Top 20 multiple times. However, “White Iverson” would only mark the beginning of the newfound craze over Post Malone. He followed up the successful single with another popular hit “Go Flex” which saw 25 million YouTube views. Then in May, he released his mixtape, August 26th, which would suddenly propel the young emcee from a one hit wonder to a respected musician in hip-hop. The mixtape featured prominent artists like 2 Chainz, Lil Yachty, Jeremih, and even a guest appearance from Jaden Smith. The title of his mixtape served as a bold announcement of the release date for his debut album Stoney. But as August 26th rolled around, Post failed to deliver, losing the credibility he worked so hard to gain. After his fans displayed their disappointment with the failed release, Post published an apology letter on Instagram to console fans.

Post’s vague apology left his fans wondering when the album would actually be released and for the first time, Post Malone’s reputation as an up and coming artist was in question. When Post finally announced the album release date in November for a December 9th drop, fan expectations of Stoney were at an all time high because the album would have 3 extra months of work before its initial release. But once again, Post exceeds the expectations of his fans and delivers the “super fire” album he promises he would. His deluxe album has earned a 4.5 star rating on iTunes and the catalogue has more than 100 millions streams.

One of Stoney’s early releases “Congratulations” has 10 million streams on Spotify while crowd favorite, “Deja Vu”, already has more than 30 million streams. His other songs “Patient” and “Leave” are following similar trends of popularity. Stoney’s success can be credited to it’s uncommon fusion of hip-hop and folk that give the music a unique feel. His melodic rapping flows with undertones of country and tasteful auto-tuning, allowing it to stand out among other artists in the industry. The hip-hop community is latching on to this revolutionary combination due to its commercial success and aesthetic appeal. Stoney’s songs are also very relatable, discussing topics such as humble beginnings and themes of lost love that appeal to a wide audience. Through his ability to produce innovative music and connect to his listeners, he continues to gain traction in the music industry.

In a recent radio interview with 97.1, Post says this debut album will mark the the beginning of his long term road as a hip-hop artist. We get a taste of Post’s feverish passion for his new lifestyle in “Congratulations” where Post expresses his excitement to finally be in the limelight where he intends to stay. He stresses how he has “dreamed it all ever since [he] was young”  but now he can finally say he “made it” and rightfully so. The performance of his album foreshadows a promising career driven by his unique style of rhythmic music. This theme of ambition finds its way into other songs in Stoney. “Patient”, for example, parallels “Congratulations” by describing how Post has transformed from a complacent kid into a serious musician, ready to make his mark.

Through the continual success of his songs on platforms like iTunes, Spotify, and Apple Music, as well as his exceptional video success on YouTube, you can expect to hear more of him in the near future. Check out music videos to Stoney songs like “Go Flex” and “Too Young” to get a visual feel for Post’s emotions behind the music of the album.