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Rapper brings fiery country show to Boston
Duluth

Rapper brings fiery country show to Boston

Somehow, this is the same Post Malone who burst into the mainstream nearly a decade ago with the sleepy rap song “White Iverson,” then doubled down on his hip-hop career with vibrant trap earworms like “Congratulations,” “Candy Paint” and “Better Now.” And somehow, reinterpreting those hits with a hint of twang fit perfectly with the tone of his recent country record, “F-1 Trillion,” on the Boston stop of his U.S. tour.

Malone closed out the 2024 concert season at Fenway with a two-hour, in-your-face performance in his current chapter of country music. Yesterday’s performance — with two guest artists as co-vocalists — proved his place in the genre, even if it’s more his “own thing” than a poster child for any musical style. It’s worth remembering that the guy also performed an ethereal pop number with Taylor Swift this year, though “Fortnight,” unsurprisingly, didn’t make the cut.

Post Malone performed at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.Ben Stas for The Boston Globe/The Boston Globe

Instead, Malone devoted most of the evening to cranking out his “F-1 Trillion” tracks, uncorking a whiskey-smooth flow of storytelling and hyped-up Western classics that are infectious. Malone can be serious when he needs to be; his performance of “Yours,” a song in which he imagines his daughter’s future wedding day, positioned him as a tender father and balladeer. Duets with special guests ERNEST (“Devil I’ve Been”) and HARDY (“Hide My Gun”) confirmed his ability to evoke the same level of authenticity as the two Southern singer-songwriters.

But even as a solo artist, Malone was a genuine country charmer, his charisma sparking the wistful love song/warning “Go To Hell” or spurring a saga like “MEXICO,” in which the narrator flees the U.S. after a series of whirlwind romances. The concert’s drama was heightened by a series of perfectly timed pyrotechnic displays, some of which matched the music note for note, but all of which caught the attention of the unsuspecting residents of Fenway-Kenmore.

Post Malone performed at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.Ben Stas for The Boston Globe/The Boston Globe

“I have a thing for the finer things,” Malone said on “Finer Things” in a seamless overlap with a sudden crackle of fireworks, like an appropriate boast. During the encore, when Malone moved on to his Swae Lee collaboration “Sunflower” (which was featured on the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack), his team set off so many fireworks that it looked like a real holiday.

Post Malone performed at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.Ben Stas for The Boston Globe/The Boston Globe

And to a certain extent, it was. As a venue, Fenway Park remains the Boston base for many country music tours, recently attracting the likes of the Zac Brown Band, Kane Brown, Morgan Wallen, and now Post Malone. Whether you love or hate his current musical direction, Malone has secured his place in that fold.

Last night may have been Post Malone’s first rodeo at Fenway Park, but it probably won’t be his last.

Post Malone performed at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.Ben Stas for The Boston Globe/The Boston Globe

POST MALONE: F-1 TRILLION TOUR

With Muscadine Bloodline and Dan Spencer

At Fenway Park, Wednesday

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