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Post Malone Talks Sustainable Sunglasses Collab, Recording His New Album in Utah, and More

Post Malone seems to be having himself an eventful 2020. He’s won multiple Billboars Music Awards. He livestreamed a Nirvana tribute concert from his house to raise money for the World Health Organization. He’s appeared in Super Bowl commercials. He’s played beer pong with reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. And he’s even talked about aliens with Joe Rogan while tripping on mushrooms.

But another highlight for Post throughout the weirdest year many of us have ever lived through has been an ongoing collaborative partnership with Los Angeles-based sunglasses brand Arnette. Earlier this month, the duo released the third chapter of the partnership, the Bio-Acetate collection. Like many offering these days, these styles aim to be more sustainable than a traditional pair of sunglasses and are crafted using renewable materials. The AN4279 style in particiar is available in an array of colors ranging from traditional all-black to more extravagent options with white acetate frames and purple-tined lenses. There's something to cater to any personal style, appropriate for someone who’s wardrobe ranges from fringe green leather jackets to Crocs and a Dallas Cowboys jersey.

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Image via Arnette/Adam DeGross

“Creating is what I enjoy most especially with a team like Arnette. They allow me to just be Posty and each collaboration reflects that,” Post tells Complex via e-mail. “The brand, and these glasses specifically, are unconventional and I like to say that’s how they represent me and my personal style.”

The pandemic has impacted the rollout for this project though, as it has countless projects over the past few months. Rather than shooting the campaign in a traditional studio setting, Post and the Arnette team had to improvise. His personal photographer Adam DeGross set up shop at Post’s home and had a photoshoot during quarantine. The result was Post hanging out the side of his pickup truck, laying in some shrubbery, or sitting on his steps to model the new shades.

“Me and Adam had a blast shooting this. He came out to Utah and we just had a few cold ones and crushed it,” says Post who’s sentiment can be confirmed by the big smile across his face in a majority of the photos. “Adam knows me pretty well now and I feel like he can read when the timing is right.”

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Image via Arnette

Even over e-mail, it’s obvious that Post is just trying to make the most of the new normal we are all living through while he is stationed out in Utah. Some days he spends, like plenty of us probably have the past few months, playing Call of Duty for hours. Others are “for the boys and some cold ones.” He says sometimes he opts for screwdrivers (vodka and orange juice) or some red wine instead. Covered from head to toe in his own array (he says his recent head tat "hurt like a motherfucker”), he’s even tried his hand as a tattoo artist. But at the end of the day, there’s still a new album for him to make too. He gave some hints earlier this year that his latest project would be, "an album that will uplift and show that people are not alone in their times of loneliness” amid the “dark time in America” and the world. It’s still being worked on.

“I’ve been recording a lot of new music for the album,” he says. “Having the team here with me creating has been amazing. We have been experimenting with some new sounds and are really excited for the world to hear.”

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Image via Arnette/Adam DeGross

When asked if he had any parting words for his fans, the self-proclaimed “man of few words” reassures that there’s plenty to look forward to in the near future.

“I fucking miss you guys and I hope you’re ready for some new music and more real soon.”