Post Malone has found his way back to music for the better — expanding his sound and rediscovering himself in the process. Remaining relatively quiet since his 2019 Grammy-winning effort Hollywood’s Bleeding, the “Motley Crew” singer finally returned with his fourth studio album Twelve Carat Toothache on June 3.
Featuring The Kid LAROI, Roddy Ricch, Doja Cat, The Weeknd, Gunna and Fleet Foxes, the 16-track record ultimately redefined the essence of Post’s artistry. The deluxe additions showcase Malone in the throes of a toxic relationship, as highlights in “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” “Lemon Tree” and “I Cannot Be (A Sadder Song)” with Gunna all reassert the singer’s knack for innovatively charming melodies over pop-rap infused production.
Swiftly dropping the album’s deluxe on June 7 — which holds two new tracks in “Waiting For Never” and “Hateful” — Post also shared the frivolously unapologetic visual for “Insane.” Depicting Malone as a prisoner of his own loneliness, the video sees the superstar rapper poolside confined to one still frame — dancing, smoking, squatting and talking to himself as the track plays in the background.
A month later, Malone dropped the visual for “I Like You (A Happier Song)” with Doja Cat on July 26, showcasing the pair frolicking through a field of colorful flowers and photoshoots as Posty uses Doja as his muse to connect the song’s theme of crushing on someone.
Off the strength of the album’s promotional singles in “Cooped Up” with Roddy Ricch and “One Right Now” with The Weeknd, Twelve Carat Toothache officially debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 on Sunday (June 12) — selling 125,000 first-week units, per Hits Daily Double.
Along with TCT’s staggering sales numbers, Malone and Ricch are slated to hit the road together for the “Twelve Carat Tour” this Fall. Kicking off Sept. 10 in Omaha, Nebraska, the newfound duo is set to travel all over North America, finishing the tour on Nov. 15 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Tickets will be available for purchase this Friday, while CitiBank customers will have the opportunity to purchase pre-sale tickets on Tuesday (June 14).
Stemming from Posty’s Billboard cover story in January, his new record is not only filled with superstar talent, but wholeheartedly welcomed back of one of our generation’s most talented voices. Twelve Carat Toothache not only focuses on his feelings of isolation and the “sadness” that consumed him, but sees the 26-year-old singer come out stronger on the other side.
Now, the only thing that matters to Malone is the music. Rediscovering his passion for the craft while working on Twelve Carat Toothache in Utah, he said it felt like he was making his debut album Stoney.
“There was a switch that flipped, and it felt like I was making ‘Stoney.’ I lost that, and the hardest part is getting it back. It ebbs and flows. It’s figuring out: ‘Just because I’m not inspired to do it at the moment doesn’t mean I’m giving up.’ ”
Post Malone on his new album twelve carat toothache
Off the back of TCT’s release, his Billboard feature initially gave fans insight into his rekindled creative process — filled with unheard anecdotes about his rise to fame, finding peace at his Utah oasis, moving away from the chaos of Los Angeles, and rediscovering that “spark” that fuels his passion for music. Malone also revealed how he was bogged down by the music industry in itself, saying how difficult it was to retool his creative process after so much output over the years.
“Here [In Uath], there are very few distractions. You think about everything at the same time, and it’s f–king overload. There’s a lot riding on the music. There’s a lot riding on just being able to keep making songs. And that’s hard to do because you’re like, ‘F–k — I already talked about everything.’ And you kind of run out of ideas, and that’s scary s–t.”
Post Malone on being in Utah
He also spoke on being worried about not being able to replicate his success in the future, revealing that accolades, numbers and plaques mean anything to him anymore.
“Trying to shove 20 to 25 songs, it doesn’t work. Talking to the label [it’s like], ‘Oh, if you have less songs, you’re not going to stream as much,’ but the whole thing is that you don’t want to compromise your art and your gut vibe on anything. I’ve made a lot of compromises, especially musically, but now I don’t feel like I want to anymore. I don’t need a No. 1; that doesn’t matter to me no more, and at a point, it did.”
As the chart-topping superstar returns with resounding praise, Posty is as refreshed as ever on Twelve Carat Toothache.
Listen to ‘Twelve Carat Toothache’ below!
