Released: 2016
“Go Flex” by Post Malone is a bold declaration of his aspiration and ambition, a contemplation on the highs and lows of fame, and a candid commentary on the hedonistic lifestyle he’s living. This song, tinged with melancholy, underscores Post’s struggle with the cold world, his pursuit of success, and the material wealth that comes with it. He navigates this terrain, with a gold grill as his compass, ‘flexing’ as his mantra, and his crew for company.
Opening up, Post paints a vivid picture of his struggles, lighting up ‘stog after stog’ (a stogie is a cigar or a tightly rolled joint). Ignoring calls to quit, he uses smoke as a cope, a forget-me-pill for the cold, harsh reality. The lines ‘I don’t even know what I’m chasin’ no more’ reveal a sense of directionless pursuit, a chasing after the wind. His constant craving for fulfillment is depicted in ‘It’s never enough, cup after cup, blunt after blunt’.
Post gets raw and real, ‘I wouldn’t give one if I could find a fuck’, corroborating his IDGAF attitude. Caught up in drama and the arduous journey to the top, he can’t afford the time for women ‘on the come up’. It’s a choice between ‘the pussy or the commas’, an explicit contrast between carnal pleasures and the pursuit of wealth.
The chorus of ‘Go Flex’ is a testament to his desire to show off or ‘flex’. He dreams of gold on his teeth and neck, a symbol of wealth and status in the hip-hop community. The ‘stone cold flex’ denotes his icy demeanor, maintaining a stoic face amidst the flexing. Smoking up a check with his squad elucidates the extravagant lifestyle he maintains with his crew, burning through money like it’s nothing.
Amidst flirtatious provocations and attracting potential lovers, he boasts about his rapidly spreading music (‘all these hoes know what’s about to come next’). He’s got the ‘paper connect’, a reference to money, but it also could hint at his growing influence in the industry.
Despite his tough exterior, Post reveals a surging torrent of emotions in the bridge of the song. He acknowledges that all his flexing may not change a thing, yet he continues to voice his thoughts, to ‘the ones that’ll listen’. His assurance to ‘bring the heat’ shows confidence in his musical prowess. And no matter what, he insists that he’ll stay true to himself, never switching or changing.
“Go Flex” is a lyrical foray into Post’s journey to fame, the flashy life it brings along, and the existential contemplation it stirs within. It’s a raw, uncensored postcard from his world, a world where flexing is a way of life, despite understanding the hollowness it can sometimes bring.
