Song Review: 'Circles' by Post Malone is Pop Perfection

I would not say I qualify as a fan of Post Malone. I haven’t heard much of his music, despite his ubiquity, and I haven’t given much thought to what I have heard. Premise established, I love Circles. I adore this song. Yes, Circles is a very, very simple song. Yes, there isn’t anything groundbreaking in lyric or sound. I cannot stop listening to Circles. The tight bass line, the feathery light guitar and organ. I love it.

There is something almost calculated about Circles, as if he had written it specifically to be a hit song. That’s normally something I would complain about. Look at it from a strictly surface level, it’s a break up song, among the most common subjects imaginable. The bass line is brilliant but also rather par for the course for an average pop song. It sounds perfectly calibrated to appeal to a wide audience. You could sing just about anything over that bass line and it would be a hit.

So why does the calculated, formulaic quality of Circles not bother me as it has in so many other pop songs? It’s rarely as well executed as Circles is. The execution of Circles is perfect. Post Malone’s salty yet melodic delivery is spot on, the track is tight with a perfect intro and outro. At 3 minutes 30 seconds, it could be argued that Circles was created in a lab to be the perfect, radio friendly pop song.

Much like a popular formulaic Hollywood movie, Circles by Post Malone delivers the best version of a well worn formula. The best romantic comedies are often insanely predictable in their happy ending, the ones that you remember are the ones that deliver that formula in a fashion notably better. Better stars, better production, better execution. That’s what Circles is, it’s the best version of something highly familiar: The Breakup song.

“Seasons change and our love went cold,

Feed the flame 'cause we can't let go

Run away, but we're running in circles

Run away, run away

I dare you to do something

I'm waiting on you again

So I don't take the blame

Run away, but we're running in circles

Run away, run away, run away”

That chorus is so perfect. It’s the absolute money shot of the song. Other parts of the song are good, but this chorus could not be improved upon. It starts with that exceptional groove, that bass. Buttery smooth and compelling you to move with it. Malone’s lyric kicks in over that bass, supported by the soft guitar and precise drum machine, the lyrics swirl into motion, gently imprinting them in your mind for later ear-worming.

Half way through the chorus, Malone’s chorus rises to a cry and the emotion kicks. The taunt “I dare you to do something, I’m waiting on you again.” It’s angry but resigned. It’s sad more than bitter and that lack of bitterness feeds into how smooth the rest of the song is. If the lyrics were too bitter they would be less universal and the song would be less enjoyable. Malone pulls off the trick of making a sad song that isn’t completely sad and it’s a rather brilliant and underrated trick that he pulls off perfectly.

The rhyming scheme is another polished example of songwriting 101. The rhymes are nothing particularly special but Malone nails the cadence. The delivery is spot on, the rhymes hit the ear in a way that is memorable and nearly impossible to forget. This song will live for days in your mind, running circles through your memory bank for hours on end. Bad songs can do that just as well, so I am grateful for the fact that Circles is the kind of ear-worm I don’t mind having on constant rotation.

Do I want to rush out and start sampling more Post Malone? Eh, maybe, but, I certainly want to listen to Circles about a thousand more times. I want to live in that bass line for a few more days. Pop perfection is in rare supply, so let’s all enjoy Circles as long as we can.