With Post Malone coming out as the most-streamed artist of 2019 on Spotify, it’s not a surprise that fans rushed to attend his Runaway Tour, chanting “Posty” in-between songs as fireworks and loud bangs rang throughout the Prudential Center. Many even got free temporary face tattoos (courtesy of the venue) to imitate Post Malone’s signature look, showcasing their love for the artist. The crowd ranged all the way from kids with their parents to the elderly, but everyone seemed to have one thing in common — they were all devoted fans who knew the lyrics to all of Post Malone’s top songs.

The Runaway Tour had rappers Tyla Yaweh and Swae Lee as openers, hyping up the crowd. Tyla Yaweh has recently been on the rise with his popular single “I Think I Luv Her,” and he brought the energy to the stage by jumping and running all around. Swae Lee has multiple collabs with Post Malone as well as his own hit songs, such as “Black Beatles” which made him an obvious choice to join Post Malone on tour. He emphasized the theme of love throughout his performance, telling audience members to tell their date they love them and calling up a girl to dance with him. People on the floor rushed towards him as he came down to sing his last song in the audience. Swae Lee seemed to enjoy his time on stage as he closed off by saying “I have to come to New Jersey more often.”

However, as the anticipation brewed and roaring voices chanted Post Malone’s name, it was clear people were waiting for the main attraction of the night. Post Malone initially started gaining traction in 2016 with the release of his first album “Stoney.” Since then, he has been nominated for six Grammys and released two other hit albums “beerbongs & bentleys” and “Hollywood’s Bleeding.” Although he initially told the audience he wasn’t feeling his best, his live performance sounded almost identical to his recorded songs.

After a dramatic entrance where part of the stage lifted up to reveal him, Post Malone performed all of his fan-favorite songs such as “Better Now” and “Goodbyes” (peaking at #1 and #2 on Billboard, respectively) which the crowd sang along to. Post Malone proved himself to be an incredibly diverse and versatile artist; each of the songs brought an entirely different vibe to the performance. He surprised fans with special guest Tyga to perform “Wow,” a hype song people danced along to. On the other hand, he also had sad songs such as “Stay,” where he gave the crowd an acoustic performance, and “I Fall Apart” which he dedicated to “those who got their heart broken.”

Post Malone tends to have a strong stage presence with great visuals. At one point he was getting on the floor with intense fire, smoke and loud fireworks going off in the background. Towards the end he even smashed his guitar on stage, garnering a cheer from fans. He engaged with the audience by sharing heartfelt messages like sharing his success story and urging his audience “to live your dreams because you can do it and no one can stop you.” The audience responded well, screaming to hype him up as he paused before finishing one of his songs.

There was a wide age demographic in the crowd demonstrating how far-reaching of an artist Post Malone is. He doesn’t fit into one single genre and embraces elements of rap, pop and rock in his songs. After attending his concert, it’s clear to me that many people love his music and he will likely continue stunning fans throughout the rest of his Runaway Tour.

Email Julia Mao at [email protected].