Post Malone Explains How Recording His Album During Quarantine Affected His Creative Process

Since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown, Post Malone has been working on his follow-up to Hollywood’s Bleeding while holed up in his Utah mansion. In a new interview with WSJ. Magazine, the singer-rapper spoke about the impact of quarantine on his creative process.

Post took a positive outlook on how his music was affected by the global pandemic. “Being able to be in my house by myself and just vibe-out and see where my brain takes me—this has been a perfect time to make music, and to write songs about what’s going on currently,” he explained. “There’s so much to say in these times that will give people hope and hopefully uplift people’s spirits. Because it’s a dark time in America. It’s a dark time in the world. Honestly, for a songwriter to be in the house all day is a blessing and a curse. In the darkest of times I’m just trying to make something beautiful out of it.”

He continued by reminiscing about playing live shows, but added that staying at home has inspired him to step outside of his comfort range:

[I miss] the rush and the thrill of everyone calling out your name as you step onstage. But [I’m] able to be introspective and think about how [to] be a better person and help out more. To be honest I think everyone in America is going a little bit crazy sitting at home all day. So I’ve gone a little bit crazy, and I wanted to take more steps outside of my comfort range and make music that I think—to me—is some of the best I’ve made. And I probably say that every album cycle, but for me it feels so special. I want to make an album that will uplift and show that people are not alone in their times of loneliness and worry and that at the end of the day we all just need to show love to everyone on the planet and figure things out.

Although Post didn’t give any details about the album, he first shared plans for new material in late January. During the beginning of the pandemic, his longtime manager Dre London teased a potential album dropping this year.

Post’s latest album, 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, currently sits at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. He hasn’t released any new solo material in 2020, but recently landed a Hot 100 hit with a guest appearance on Tyla Yaweh’s “Tommy Lee.”

Read the full WSJ. Magazine interview here, and catch up on all the lyrics to Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding on Genius now.