For the fourth time in two years, Syracuse native Post Malone has the No. 1 song in America.
Malone’s “Circles,” the lead single from his third album “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart published Monday. He took the top spot from Lewis Capaldi (“Someone You Loved”), which fell to No. 2; Lizzo’s “Good As Hell” came in third, followed by Maroon 5′s “Memories” and Selena gomez’s “Lose You to Love Me.”
According to Nielsen Music and this week’s Billboard chart (dated Nov. 30), “Circles” had 23.4 million streams in the U.S. this past week and 91.1 million audience impressions. The song has been on the charts since its release in August as Malone’s album debuted at No. 1 in September and he also sat atop the Artist 100 chart.
According to Billboard, Malone is the only artist to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart four times since 2017 -- breaking a previous tie with Drake at three. Posty first reached the mark with “Rockstar” (feat. 21 Savage) in 2017, followed by “Psycho” and “Sunflower” (with Swae Lee) in 2018.
The four-time Grammy nominee’s top 10 hits also include “White Iverson,” “Congratulations" (feat. Quavo), “Wow,” “Better Now,” “Goodbyes” (feat. Young Thug) and “Take What You Want” (feat. Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott). Malone performed “Circles” and “Take What You Want” Sunday at the American Music Awards, where he won the AMA for Favorite Album - Rap/Hip-Hop.
The 24-year-old singer-rapper’s real name is Austin Post. He was born in Syracuse in 1995 and lived in Central New York until he was 10 years old, when his family moved to Dallas.
Malone’s father, Rich Post, told syracuse.com in 2017 that he raised his son on a wide variety of music.
“I was a heavy metal, hair band kind of guy,” Rich Post said, fondly recalling the War Memorial and Carrier Dome, seeing concerts by Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, AC/DC, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Duran Duran and Billy Idol.
Post also worked as disc jockey for CNY weddings with Whirlin’ Disc DJs, so he was constantly listening to popular music and other genres that couples requested. That meant Austin -- who got his stage name from an online “rap name generator” -- was also listening to a wide range of music, including country, grunge, folk, hip-hop and classic rock.
“My dad was always playing music,” Malone told radio station Hot 97 in 2015. “Not like playing music, but listening to music. And he put me on everything... Folk and funk and rap. I moved to Dallas and I started making music. So, that’s really it. And from then on I just started making what I like. Playing guitar. And writing my own songs. And just making music.”
Malone, who got his stage name from an online “rap name generator,” had his first taste of success in Dallas when he won an eighth grade talent show with a metalcore cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” Now he’s sharing stages at awards shows with Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Osbourne; broke a 54-year record held by The Beatles; has his own line of Crocs; and sold out his own music festival, Posty Fest, at the Cowboys’ home, AT&T Stadium.
His family still owns a home in Baldwinsville and he stopped at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse last summer en route to a concert performance at Darien Lake.