The Country Music Association picked a stellar lineup of performers for the 2024 CMA Awards. Notably, Post Malone and Chris Stapleton each had two performance slots tonight. Both artists had solo sets. The show started strong when they took the stage together for “California Sober” from Malone’s debut country album F-1 Trillion.
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Co-penned by Malone, Stapleton, Louis Bell, Mark Holman, and Charlie Handsome, “California Sober” was a highlight from F-1 Trillion. The song tells the story of a man who gets hustled by a pretty drifter. Sonically and lyrically, it’s a ton of fun. That energy translated to their CMA Awards performance.
[RELATED: Behind the Meaning of “California Sober” by Post Malone and Chris Stapleton]
Right now, Post Malone is one of the most buzzworthy new artists in country music. At the same time, Stapleton has one of the best voices in the genre and has proven time and again that he can make anything sound golden. So, seeing them on the stage together and having a great time made this one of the best performances of the evening.
Chris Stapleton and Post Malone Discuss “California Sober”
Chris Stapleton and Post Malone discussed writing “California Sober” together in a backstage interview ahead of tonight’s CMA Awards.
Stapleton revealed that the two stars had never met before working on the song together. “[We had] maybe crossed paths in the hallway or something but then we got together to write a song,” he recalled. “We were there for twelve hours start to finish and the record was made in that moment,” he added. “It was a very organic, nice thing. We had a lot of fun.” About Malone, he said, “He’s a great writer and great artist. There was a lot of mutual respect in the room.”
Malone also shared his thoughts on their creative process. “It’s nice to be patient with songs. For a long time, I felt like I was super rushed but sitting there working with Chris, he’s super methodical about the way he goes about it,” he said. “It was cool to watch. Don’t rush into something that you don’t have to. It’ll come,” Malone added.
Featured Image by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
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