On the one hand, Post Malone’s fans are so dedicated that they’ve propelled the 24-year-old Dallas rapper to the top of the charts numerous times. On the other hand, those same fans don’t like to be kept waiting. Weeks after promising that he would release “Circles” as the next single off his forthcoming album, Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post finally made good on his word. He released the track on Aug. 30, and just like he said, it’s a “little different.” Post sings instead of raps, and details two lovers stuck in a relationship neither should be in: “Seasons change and our love went cold / Feed the flame ’cause we can’t let it go / Run away, but we’re running in circles / Run away, run away / I dare you to do something / I’m waiting on you again, so I don’t take the blame.”
This new song sees Post stretch his alternative-rock wings, with “Circles” harkening back to the day of 1990s rock radio. The new single could be played somewhere in between “1979” by Smashing Pumpkins, Geggy Tah’s “Whoever You Are,” and OMC’s “How Bizarre” for a quick trip back to 1996. While the ’90s are back in vogue, Malone is not jumping on any current trend. While he’s mainly associated with hip-hop, Post has never shied away from his love for rock. Case in point: strapped on a guitar to perform with the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the 2019 Grammys and played alongside 21 Savage and Aerosmith at the 2018 MTV VMAs.
“It should just be music, you know?” Post told GQ when discussing his cross-genre stylings. “Because I’ve met so many people that’ll say, ‘I listen to everything except for this, or this,’ you know? And I think that’s stupid. If you like it, you should listen to it.”
Clearly, Post Malone’s fans like his music, and also — they hate waiting. Post debuted “Circles” during the NYC stop of his Bud Light Dive Bar Tour at the start of August. He called the track “a little f*cking different, it’s got a f*cking fat groove,” per Billboard. Footage from the performance made its way online, which only amped up fans’ desire for the new song. Post promised that he would release the song within a week, but that didn’t happen. Finally, after much haranguing by his supporters, Post announced the official release. However, by that time, the track had already been leaked online, according to Genius.
Post’s new album, Hollywood’s Bleeding, is out on Sept. 6. It follows 2018’s Beerbongs & Bentleys, and will include his previous two singles, “Wow,” and his collab with Young Thugs, “Goodbyes.”