Stoney is the debut studio album by the American singer Post Malone. It was released by Republic Records on December 9, 2016. After rising to prominence with his debut single "White Iverson" in 2015, Malone signed to Republic and began working on his debut album. Following the success of "White Iverson", he was accused of appropriatingAfrican-American culture and had been called a "culture vulture" by people online. During May 2016, he released his debut mixtape August 26th, which was titled after the original planned release date of Stoney. It was then delayed, which he has since apologized for. He had a goal to create a unique sound in hip-hop, as he found much of the music in the genre was "hackneyed" and "trite". He incorporated his guitar-playing and influences from rock music to make a "really fresh" sound.
Stoney was supported by the Stoney Tour across the United States throughout September and October 2017. It was promoted by six singles, all of which received multi-platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The RIAA certified the singles "White Iverson", "Congratulations", and "I Fall Apart" diamond. Stoney debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and later peaked at number four on the chart, and also appeared in charts in multiple countries. It was certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Post Malone moved to Los Angeles when he was 18 years old in search of a place to record music. He was sent to Stevie B's studio by a friend, where he met FKi 1st.[1] Malone released his debut single "White Iverson" in February 2015,[2] which was help produced by FKi 1st.[3] It became his breakout song,[4] and afterward he began working with high-profile musicians such as Kanye West, Scott Storch, and Justin Bieber.[5][6] He then signed to Republic Records during 2015.[2]Allen Iverson, the namesake of "White Iverson", responded favorably to the song during March 2016. He said that Malone did "an awesome job" and that we would like to meet him.[7] During February and March 2015, he toured with Fetty Wap on the Welcome to the Zoo tour alongside Monty.[8] Malone also served as one of the opening acts for Bieber's Purpose World Tour throughout 2016.[9] During May 2016, Malone released his debut mixtape August 26th, which was titled after the original planned release date of Stoney.[10][11] Following his early success with "White Iverson", Malone was accused of appropriatingAfrican-American culture and has been called a "culture vulture" by people online.[12][13] During August 2024, he revealed that he drank alcohol abundantly after the claims.[14]
In June 2016, XXL editor-in chief Vanessa Satten, revealed that Malone was considered to be on XXL's "2016's Freshmen Class" magazine cover, however, she was "told by his camp that he wasn't paying attention to hip-hop so much. He was going into more of a rock / pop / country direction."[15] Malone denied these claims, saying: "My love of music should never be questioned... I shouldn't be chastised for expressing myself in whichever way I see fit." He went on to explain that his mixtape, as well as his then-upcoming album are both hip-hop: "I have a hip-hop album coming out in August... I made a HIP HOP mixtape promoting my HIP HOP album."[16] He also worked with West and Ty Dolla Sign on the song "Fade", which officially released during September 2016.[17] From September to November 2016, Malone embarked on the Hollywood Dreams Tour with Jazz Cartier and Larry June, and FKi 1st.[18] The title of Stoney is in reference to Malone's old nickname, "Stoney Maloney".[19] In an October 2017 interview with Paper magazine, he called the album "mediocre",[20] and later told Nardwuar that he thinks "White Iverson" is his only "good song" during December 2017.[21]
Development
Malone began recording "White Iverson" two days after it was written. While staying at his house, he made the beat alongside FKi 1st of the production duo FKi, and later, Malone wrote the lyrics. They stayed up until 7 a.m., and Malone wanted to record it while the rest of the people staying at the house wanted to go to sleep. Raye Rich of FKi showed Malone how to use Pro Logic to get the main idea of the song down. After Rich heard what it sounded like, he knew he needed to record it. Malone called the process "a perfect culmination of everything".[1]Pharrell Williams contacted Malone and the two met at Bonnaroo, when the former said "Let's get into the studio". After the Bonnaroo festival was done, the two met in a recording studio in Los Angeles, and eventually created "Up There".[22] Halfway through recording Stoney, Malone wanted to hear every track that he was working, and picked out a track that the producer Frank Dukes had made. During January 2016, Bieber visited Malone while he was in the studio, and Bieber heard the track that Dukes made and wanted to appear on the song. Bieber started to freestyle in the recording booth, and he would trade ideas with Malone. The track ended up being the song "Deja Vu".[23] There was also speculation about an appearance from West on the album,[24] but it did not come into fruition.[25] He only wanted to work with people he liked on both a personal level and an artist level: "I just wanted to make a body of work that was not only dope to hear, but you could hear the vibes that we captured working together".[24]
On Stoney, Malone also had the goal of creating music that separated himself from other people in hip-hop, as he believed it is "so hackneyed and so trite in today's hip-hop". He wanted to incorporate his guitar-playing and rock music into one sound that is "really fresh".[11] He described the album as "a full culmination of [his] work for the past year or so", and simply wanted to have fun and play the type of music he enjoys. Across the album, he was inspired by rock, rap, and country, genres that his father would listen to.[26] He was also inspired by the music of Hank Williams, Dwight Yoakam, and Fleet Foxes on the deluxe edition tracks "Leave" and "Feeling Whitney".[25] He did not want "White Iverson" to dictate his sound for the rest of his career, and simply described it as "[allowing] [his] music to be heard on a large scale". He also commented about how everything on Stoney "came together naturally".[25]
Composition
Overview
The standard edition of Stoney includes 14 tracks; the deluxe edition contains four additional tracks.[27] The album predominately has a hip-hop[28][29][30] and R&B[29] sound. Malone's natural vibrato is shown in the album,[31] alongside lyrics that delve into money,[31] luxury,[28] drugs,[31][32] and women.[28][31] Malone generally sing-raps over the album's woozy production.[29] The album's sound is characterized by the influences that he absorbed while living in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. This includes the people of the area, the sound, and its atmosphere.[26] For HipHopDX, Eric Diep wrote that on the album, Malone shifts from pop, to country, to "made for radio" hip-hop.[28] Anya Zoledziowski from Exclaim! highlighted the album's club music sound, due to the heavy bass and trap snares.[31]AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung described the album's tracks as "bleed[ing] indistinguishably into one another", and that the album "provides an appropriate soundtrack for a certain type of recreational rest and relaxation".[29]
Songs
Stoney's opening track is "Broken Whiskey Glass", a country track[28] that contains "outlaw grit" according to Yeung.[29] Zoledziowski thought that it could "befit a country-western soundtrack", but commented how it doesn't fit the rest of the album.[31] "Big Lie" contains a "booming" Mustard beat that was compared to Rihanna's Anti and SremmLife 2 (both 2016) by Rae Sremmurd by Pitchfork's Matthew Ramirez. He also mentioned the song's hook as being one of the strongest on the album.[32] The laid-back[33] pop[28] and R&B[34] "Deja Vu" contains a feature from Bieber; his appearance was called "as buttery as ever" by Matthew Schnipper from Pitchfork.[35] It begins with a church organ as Malone's warbled voice sings atop the organ and a surf guitar.[35][36][37] As the two sing the hook, they are accompanied by an "echoed coo".[35] The track is about the beginning stages of Malone's relationship with his then-girlfriend.[38] It drew numerous comparisons Drake's song "Hotline Bling" from 2015.[35][36][34][39] "No Option" showcases Malone's vocals being pushed "to the limit" as described by Yeung.[29] Diep wrote that it has the potential to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.[28] Yeung wrote that, alongside the album's other guest appearances, River Tiber's background vocals on "Cold" "bolster Stoney with both atmosphere and credibility".[29] "White Iverson" contains "subtly hypnotizing" production and vocals that "wander through the song like a conversation" per Complex.[3] The vocals switch between singing and rapping, and is written about women, drugs, parties, and contains references to basketball.[40] Its title is a reference to Iverson.[41] Ramirez described it as "sleepy-eyed".[32]
"I Fall Apart", a breakup song that was compared to Staind by Ramirez, shares experience of heartbreak.[31][32] Over acoustic guitars, he sings about wanting to the numb the pain of the breakup using alcohol using his vibrato.[32][37] The following "Patient" highlights Malone expressing his frustrations about the music industry and the price of fame.[42] Referencing Stone Cold Steve Austin on "Go Flex",[37] he sings about the challenges that come with pursuing relationships and chasing money atop faint acoustic guitar strums.[43] With a "foot-stomp chorus" and the use of echoes that was compared to the Lumineers,[32] it also uses tambourines and drums that are reminiscent of classic rock.[44] "Feel" is a pop song that features vocals from Kehlani,[28][29] which Glenn Gamboa from Newsday called Kehlani's "star turn".[30] "Too Young", a trap song created with ASAP Yams in mind,[45][46] is about Malone wanting to live long enough to see his success and enjoying the results of his work using his raw sing-song vocals.[47][48] Featuring Quavo, "Congratulations" uses a trap beat to celebrate how being famous has changed Malone's life.[49][50] The penultimate track of the standard edition, "Up There", showcases Malone's soft singing flowing over a piano melody. It features a bass-and-snare beat that is gentler compared to the rest of the album.[31] The final track, "Yours Truly, Austin Post", begins with Malone announcing that he needs a "Bud Light break".[28] The track has a hazy atmosphere, and is about him coming down from the "high of [his] life".[30]
From the deluxe edition of Stoney, "Leave" is a country-influenced pop ballad that is about moving on from a past relationship.[51][52] It incorporates guitar strings into its mix.[53] "Hit This Hard" is followed by "Money Made Me Do It" featuring 2 Chainz,[54] a trap song that pays homage to Bankroll Fresh.[37] "Feeling Whitney" is an acoustic country song that delves into Malone's drug abuse.[28][31]
Promotion and release
The release of Stoney was announced on July 20, 2016, with its release date planned for August 26 of that year,[19] until it was eventually delayed.[10] He has since apologized for the delay of the album past its planned release date.[10] When speaking on why the album was delayed, Malone commented: "We're just figuring things out […] I think we're making a sound that's super fresh, hip, original, very fly" in an interview with Real 92.3.[55] During the same interview, he also revealed the album's guests, including Bieber, Quavo, Kehlani, and Williams.[22] On November 3, 2016, he announced the album's eventual release date of December 9, its track list, and the album cover.[54] The cover was photographed Nabil Elderkin, and depicts Malone in a pensive mood, resting his chin on his hands, against an orange background.[56] The album cover is a part of a set of photographs that were taken during a photoshoot. The other photographs were included in the album's packaging and press photos. Commenting on the concept behind the cover, Malone said, it "comes from me being myself and remaining calm despite everything around me changing super quick".[25]
Stoney was supported by several singles. Its lead single, "White Iverson" peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified diamond in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[57][58] It was followed by "Too Young" on October 9, 2015.[48] It was certified two-times platinum by the RIAA.[59] "Go Flex" is the album's third single, released on April 21, 2016.[44] It peaked at number 76 on the Hot 100 and was certified six-times platinum by the RIAA.[57][60] Featuring Bieber, "Deja Vu" was leaked online one day before it was released on September 9, 2016.[33][61] It peaked at number 75 on the Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA.[57][62] "Congratulations" featuring Quavo was released as a promotional single on November 3, 2016,[54] but was later sent to rhythmic radio on January 31, 2017.[63] It peaked at number eight on the Hot 100 and was certified diamond and 14-times platinum by the RIAA.[57][64] The album's final single, "I Fall Apart", was released to radio on October 17, 2017.[65] It peaked at number 16 on the Hot 100 and was certified diamond by the RIAA.[57][66]Stoney was also supported by two promotional singles. "Patient" was released as the first promotional single on November 18, 2016.[42] It was certified platinum by the RIAA.[67] The second promotional single was "Leave", from the album's deluxe edition, was released on December 2, 2016.[53] It was certified platinum by the RIAA.[68]
On June 9, 2016, Malone made his national television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, performing the song, "Go Flex".[69] During September 2016, he previewed "Congratulations" on the Hollywood Dreams Tour.[49] He also performed "Congratulations" on July 30, 2017, with John Mayer and Tommy Lee.[70] Throughout September and October 2017, he embarked on the Stoney Tour across the United States.[71]
Stoney was met with mixed reviews from critics. Diep acknowledged Malone's blend of pop, country and hip-hop. He mentioned how "Stoney adds to the canon of releases from Kodie Shane, D.R.A.M., and Rae Sremmurd who are redefining its standards through their curiosity and made directly for a younger audience". He lauded Malone's music, calling it "refreshing" and described him as "an emerging talent who can craft melodic hooks and infectious songs that stick".[28] Zoledziowski praised Stoney's emotional depth in songs such as "I Fall Apart" and "Feeling Whitney", and thought "Up There" was the best song on the album. However, she also expressed that though "White Iverson" is enjoyable, it seems out of place in the album's context, alongside "Broken Whiskey Glass" and "Leave". She summarized by saying she did not think that it was one of the strongest releases of the year, but thought that it showcases "Malone's ongoing ability to generate hits".[31]
Gamboa said that Malone's style on Stoney "generally pales in comparison to the inventiveness and the surprise" of "White Iverson". He also believed that though it is a promising album, it "doesn't quite live up to its potential".[30] Ramirez gave Stoney a negative review, giving it a 4.5 out of ten rating. He wrote that although "White Iverson" was catchy, it did not warrant a 68-minute album. He thought that the problem with the album is at the source: "This thing is completely soulless". He gave Malone credit for his attempt at authenticity, but overall believed that Malone's commentary on topics such as relationships, drugs, and alcohol is not memorable and does not provide a new perspective. He concluded the review by stating, "I have a perhaps wishfully optimistic hope that Stoney could mark the end of a specific kind of rap album: the spiffy cash-in after the viral hit or mixtape run".[32] Though Yeung believed that Malone's music is respectful of the hip-hop genre and culture, "there still seems to be something missing in the calculated white-guy-does-hip-hop formula".[29]Stoney was considered the 50th best album of the year by the staff from Pigeons & Planes.[72]
Stoney debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 with 58,000 album-equivalent units, of which 19,000 were pure album sales.[75] In its second week, the album dropped to number 23 on the chart, selling an additional 30,000 units.[76] On June 6, 2018, the album was certified three-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over three million units.[77] On the week of October 28, 2017, the album peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200.[78] By the end of 2017, Stoney had sold 1,564,000 album-equivalent units with 128,000 being pure sales.[79] By September 2018, Stoney had sold 1,044,000 album-equivalent units that year.[80]
Recorded at Kudo Studio (Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles) (tracks 1 and 9), Serenity West Recording (Los Angeles) (tracks 2–5, 7, and 14), Perfect Sound Studios (Los Angeles) (tracks 3, 5, and 10), The Gold House (Los Angeles) (track 6), Electric Feel Studios (Hollywood) (tracks 8, 12, and 13), Platinum Sound Recording Studios (New York City) (track 10), The Mekanics Studio (West Palm Beach, Florida) (track 11), Chalice Recording Studios (Hollywood) (track 13), and Germano Studios (New York City) (track 13)