Post Malone‘s country streak is still going strong. On Wednesday night, the musician took the stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for a surprise performance during radio and television personality Bobby Bones’ annual Million Dollar Show concert. His contribution to the country-centric set was an acoustic cover of Hank Williams’ 1952 record “Honky Tonk Blues.”
“Well, I left my home down on the rural route / I told my paw I’m going steppin’ out / And get the honky-tonk blues,” Malone sang, strumming the song on guitar. His appearance rounded out the event which also featured performances from Bones’ band, the Raging Idiots, Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Megan Moroney, Nate Smith, Ian Munsick, Ben Rector, Mat Kearney, Edwin McCain, and Lauren Watkins.
The singer’s Post Goes Country campaign began months ago as he began to collaborate more frequently with figures in the genre, including Hardy and Morgan Wallen, in a tribute performance to Joe Diffie at the 2023 CMA Awards. He also appears on Hixtape Vol. 3: Difftape, Hardy’s tribute album to Diffie. In the past, he’s covered songs from Brad Paisley, Johnny Cash, Sturgill Simpson, and more.
Last week, Malone embraced the country denim aesthetic as he appeared as a featured artist on “Levii’s Jeans,” a deep cut on Beyoncé’s country-driven new album Cowboy Carter. In the coming weeks, he’ll appear alongside Taylor Swift on a song titled “Fortnight” from her forthcoming album The Tortured Poet’s Department, out April 19.
“To be honest, there’s nothing stopping me from taking a camera or setting up in my studio in Utah and just recording a country album and putting it on fucking YouTube,” Malone told the Howard Stern Show in 2022. “Maybe I’ll face some repercussions afterwards from the label and shit, but there’s nothing stopping me from doing that. I’m allowed to do that.”
