‘’Hollywood’s Bleeding”: Post Malone Sings about Hollywood, Heartbreak, and Himself in Latest Album
Post Malone recently released his third-studio album, “Hollywood’s Bleeding” which features several collaborations with famed artists including Ozzy Osbourne, Travis Scott, Halsey, and Meek Mill. As the title of the album would suggest, Post’s new songs reflect on his emotions towards L.A. and the negative aspects that surround Hollywood culture as he sings “We’re running out of reasons, but we can’t let go/”Yeah, Hollywood’s bleeding but we call it home.” Post has made his feelings about Hollywood and its culture clear even outside of his music, first with his move from L.A. to Utah in 2018 and then later in interviews, stating in one with the Deseret News that he felt as though in Hollywood, there was “a strange vibe to where there’s a lot of vampires,” referring to the bloodsucking social scene in which everyone wants to be somebody and will “use every piece, last piece they can get out of you to better themselves.”
Throughout the rest of the album, he also seems to be reflecting on himself; the person he has become whether that’s through the relationships and heartbreaks that he has experienced or the effects that fame and the Hollywood lifestyle have had on him. In several songs, such as Enemies, Circles, Take What You Want, and Die For Me, we hear about disloyal women, one-sided relationships, and heartbreak as Post laments that “I had a thousand bad times/So what’s another time to me?” While listening to lyrics such as “You showed your tongue and it was forked in two/Your venom was lethal, I almost believed you,” it becomes evident that this album has a darker tone than his usually chill hits.
A fellow student and avid music lover, Nico Haet ‘22, called “Hollywood’s Bleeding” a provocative listen, referring to Post’s efforts to experiment with and blend different genres together as he has in the past with his two previous studio-albums “Stoney” (2016) and “beerbongs and bentleys.” (2018)” Some reviews, such as one by Riley Runnells on The Post, suggest that the unique combination of rock and trap in “Take What You Want (feat. Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott)” creates the “best track on the entire album.” Overall, despite the mix of genres and varying song topics, Post’s unique voice, catchy melodies, and clever lyrics come together to create a successful album, which is headed for the No. 1 album spot on the Billboard 200 and expected to launch with 475,00 to 500,000 album unit sales in the US, according to music industry experts.