Song of the Week: “Allergic” by Post Malone

I enjoy listening to the song “Allergic” by Post Malone because of its captivating dynamics, satisfying vocal melodies, and interesting stylistic choices. As an artist, Post Malone blurs the genre lines perhaps better than anyone in contemporary pop music today, his songs touching genres from hip hop to pop to trap to rock to R&B, and this tune is a great example of his ability to genre blend in a way that is sonically pleasing. The song opens up with the sound of what could be metal grating, as if machinery is being operated, or keys are being dropped on to the floor, and that sound is played on loop in the background throughout the entirety of the song. The fast paced tempo of the two verses, highlighted by a shouting, sharp-pitched vocal from Post (“Allergic!...Allergic!”) and aggressive, staccato guitar chords, gives way to a soothing, slower paced, doowop inspired delivery on the chorus, where Post sings the lines “So sad but true / You’re friends with all my demons / The only one who sees them / Too bad for you / So sad but true / Give a hundred million reasons / But why can’t you believe them? / Too bad for you.” During the chorus, the harsh guitar is replaced with snap percussion and soft guitar strums, creating a different, more relaxed feeling than the verse just before it. The changes in dynamics between the verses and the chorus are very striking, but are part of why I enjoy the song so much. “Allergic” always elicits a range of emotional responses from me when I listen to it, from hyped up to serene to melancholy, and for a song that is only two minutes and thirty seven seconds long, that is an impressive feat. At the start, the verse’s loud and abrasive dynamic gets me energized and riled up, but then the loud guitar drops out during the pre-chorus before a trio of descending guitar chords gives way to the chorus, and I’m immediately transported to an oasis of serenity. The cool, calming vocal melody of the hook is extremely pleasing to the ears, and it plays off of the hotter, aggressive vocal in the verses very well. The high register Post utilizes in the shouting part of his delivery throughout the verses, coupled with the rambunctious guitar chords, contributes to the rock leaning feeling of the song in the early going, but when the guitar drops out and the snap percussion enters for the chorus, the same high register calls to mind more doowop and pop styles. Another interesting stylistic element of the song that I enjoy is the stark contrast between the dark, depressing lyrics about a toxic relationship and the energetic, at times sunny sonic atmosphere of the song. The pre-chorus consists of the lines “I took your pills and your drugs / Just to feel something else / ‘Cause I can’t feel you no more”, and yet the tone of the guitar and drums in the background while he sings these lines shows no signs of sadness or hopelessness, emotions that the lyrics, when taken on their own, blatantly elicit. Another one of my favorite parts of the song is within the final twenty seconds, in which all of the background instrumentation drops away, and all we are left with is the vocal performance of the chorus to showcase the beautiful melody, complete with background vocals that create a gorgeous harmony that trails off into what sounds like a long tunnel at the end. In all, Post Malone’s “Allergic” is a fascinating blend of rock, doowop, and pop. The entertaining dynamic shifts and beautiful melodies continue to draw me in, and I’ve listened to “Allergic” countless times since its release along with Post’s album Hollywood’s Bleeding in September.