Post Malone’s Thanksgiving halftime show had energy and a country twang, but some fans were anything but thankful.
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Malone’s performance during the Red Kettle Kickoff halftime show at the Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs Thanksgiving game on Thursday was intended to entertain NFL fans and also support The Salvation Army’s charitable efforts.
The performance was a special one for Malone, as his father, Rich Post, was the Cowboys’ assistant director of food and beverage for many years. This connection allowed a young Malone to spend a lot of time at the stadium.
“It’s just beyond something that we could’ve imagined when he started this musical career,” the 30-year-old told NBC 5 Dallas–Fort Worth. “Growing up, the only rule in the family was that Malone had to be a Cowboys fan.”
Malone’s connection to the team runs deep. He has been attending games at Texas Stadium and AT&T Stadium since he was a child and even performed at a Cowboys Christmas party in 2015.
During the halftime show, the singer performed a medley of hits, including “Wrong Ones” and “I Had Some Help” from his 2024 country album, F-1 Trillion. He was also joined by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders for a performance of “Wow.”
The NFL’s official Instagram shared a clip of Malone’s performance with the caption, “got em sayin’ wow Post Malone.”
Many NFL fans loved Malone’s halftime performance and took to the comments to lavish praise on the former rapper.
“Would’ve rather this for the Super Bowl halftime show,” one onlooker wrote. “America wants Morgan Wallen and Posty as the Super Bowl halftime show,” a second fan with questionable taste declared.
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However, an onslaught of OG Posty fans weren’t feeling it. Many seemed to think he country turn was ultimately a bad move.
“Miss old post. His country stuff just isn’t good,” one fan opined. “As a post Malone fan, this was bad,” a second fan agreed.
“Post Malone turning to country is by far the worst thing ever. F—ing terrible. Total flop,” another blunt onlooker wrote on X.
“Post Malone: A kid from New Jersey who grew up in a rich Dallas suburb as an emo kid, cosplaying to appeal to the people who picked on him in high school, is a different type of mental illness,” one brutal X comment read.
Other critics of Malone’s halftime performance just felt it was amateurish.
“If you had no idea who Post Malone was, you’d never guess this guy is an even remotely successful musician. This is 15 beers deep karaoke bad. Truly embarrassing stuff,” entertainment journalist Brian Cantor wrote on X.
Meanwhile, other fans were left wondering why he was turning his rap anthems into something you’d hear at a bro country red cup party. For them, this country crossover felt less like a fresh take and more like a disservice to the Posty they knew and loved.
“This post Malone halftime show f—ing sucks. Wtf is this? Post Malone needs to go back to R&B or Pop. His country style is cringe asf,” one fan reasoned.
“Post Malone is even trying to retroactively turn his hip-hop hits into country rock during live performances. Pure insanity how do people not see the grift?” another viewer added.