It was Brad Paisley who invited Post Malone to make his Grand Ole Opry debut, right before Post Malone’s first country album, F-1 Trillion, was released. The record, which includes collaborations with Lainey Wilson, Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs and more, might have seemed like a diversion for some for the rapper-turned-singer, but according to Paisley, Post Malone has more than earned his right to be part of the country music community.
“He deserves to be welcomed because of his love for it and his immersion to it,” Paisley shared with Everything Nash and other outlets, during a recent media event. “I know how many hours of sleep I’m never gonna get back from working with him and the amount of dedication and hours and blood sweat, and tears — and liver damage — that he has been doing
“He’s been working really hard on becoming a country artist, and it’s not some whim and sometimes over the years,” he continued. “We’ve all seen the foray into country music by people that are like, ‘I’ll try this for a moment.’ That’s not what he’s doing. I get the feeling this was his goal all along; he’s just that serious about it. He did it great and with his record; nobody has any complaints. It’s just really cool, and it’s been really eye-opening to see the creative process that he does so different than mine.”
Post Malone’s new record may or may not be an indication of his future as an artist, but Paisley says Post Malone deserves any success he gets from the record.
“He will work all the time on music and he just will not stop,” Paisley praised. “I’m thrilled for him.”
Opry member @BradPaisley is sending out a special question to @postmalone. How’s August 14th sound?
🎟️ https://t.co/jc7j6reLPl pic.twitter.com/xxHX0WNrSn
— Grand Ole Opry (@opry) July 31, 2024
When Paisley invited Post Malone to make his Grand Ole Opry debut, the West Virginia native acknowledged Post Malone’s deep love of country music.
“So what I’m about to ask is going to mean a lot to you, I think, knowing you, and knowing the respect that you have for country music and this journey you’re embarking on now as a hillbilly singer, which is gonna be massive and remarkable and amazing for both country music, and I think you,” Paisley said. “Would you like to play the Opry? Come play with me in August.
“Total invite, and it’s going to be the first of many appearances, I have a feeling, from you,” he continued. “Come experience what it’s like to play the show that started it all. You and I can jam together, and a lot of your friends will be there, and we’re gonna have a blast.”
Paisley was one of the writers on F-1 Trillion, along with Combs, Ashley Gorley, Wilson, Dean Dillon and more. Whether he makes another country album or not, Post Malone vowed that he will always be part of the Nashville music scene.
“I gotta keep writing in Nashville,” Post Malone said. “I’ve always wanted to make a record like this, but for the longest time, it [seemed] so inaccessible because I [didn’t] know how the hell it [worked]. I didn’t know how band day worked. I didn’t know how session dudes worked, and I was just like, ‘Well, is it like these particular artists’ band that they go with all the time?’… It was just so cool. And I’m just mind-blown.”
Paisley just released a brand-new song, “Truck Still Works.” Find all of his music and upcoming shows at BradPaisley.com.
F-1 Trillion is available at PostMalone.com.
Photo Credit: Grand Ole Opry/Chris Hollo