When you’re a kid, you’ll believe almost anything—like the period of time when Post Malone thought Blake Shelton named a song after him. Before Post Malone was, well, Post Malone, he was Austin Richard Post, a young kid growing up in Grapevine, Texas.
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Post was just five years old when Blake Shelton released his debut single, “Austin,” and for some time, the future rapper-slash-songwriter thought the song was about him. And no, it wasn’t because Post Malone secretly always knew he was going to be a star.
Post Malone Thought Blake Shelton Named a Song After Him
In an exclusive American Songwriter interview from July 2024, Blake Shelton talked to us about his collaboration with Post Malone off Post’s debut country album, ‘F-1 Trillion.’ But before we dove too deep into details about their duet “Pour Me a Drink,” Shelton revealed a heartwarming story about young Post.
“Post’s real name is Austin, and he told me that when he was a kid, his mom told him that that song was written about him,” Shelton said. “That’s what he told me, and he said he believed it. His mom was, I guess, the country music fan in the family, and his dad was the rock guy. So, I guess that’s how Post Malone was created.”
The mental image of a little Austin Post wholeheartedly believing that the rising country star’s debut single “Austin” was about him is pretty adorable, but it’s also an interesting look into Post’s evolution as an artist. His mother’s story about “Austin” undoubtedly made an impact on Post, likely planting the seeds that we’re watching bloom now in the form of his debut country record. “This guy grew up in Texas,” Shelton told us. “I think just naturally, he grew up hearing all this stuff, and so he’s just super excited about country music. I think he probably feels like a new artist again.”
Post’s Lifelong Love of Music is Obvious To His Collaborators
Years after Post Malone was growing up in Texas, daydreaming about country stars dedicating songs to him, his love for music is still apparent to everyone around him—including Blake Shelton. The “Baby” singer told us that his collaborator’s dedication to music itself, not just his career, was striking.
“He’s just so excited about music,” Shelton said. “I mean, literally, we spent an hour one night him just with his iPod playing me music that he is fired up about. I still, to this day, have never asked him, ‘Hey, why me? Why did you call me for this?’” He admitted that he had considered asking Post that question but stopped himself.
“I didn’t because, at the end of the day, for whatever reason, he asked me to do it. I’m proud of that record. I’m proud to have worked with him. I think he’s an incredibly talented guy. Now that I’ve spent some time with him, it’s no mystery to me that he’s as huge as he is as an artist and as successful as he is because he’s just somebody that you just love being around. He’s just so much fun.”
Photo by Steve Galli/Shutterstock
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