Every Post Malone Face Tattoo Explained

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Seemingly overnight, Post Malone became a music and pop culture sensation. Since the release of his 2016 debut album, Stoney, the New York singer and rapper has gone on to have two number one records — 2018's Beerbongs & Bentleys and 2019's Hollywood's Bleeding (the latter of which had the biggest streaming week of any album in 2019, according to Billboard). As of this writing, the musician has scored six Grammy nominations, boasts close to 19 million followers on Instagram, and has earned an impressive net worth of $14 million.

There is one particular aspect of Post Malone that gets perhaps even more attention than his music, however, and that's his tattoos. More specifically, his face tattoos. Since getting his first tiny facial marking back in 2017, the young artist has quickly grown his collection, committing to the eyebrow-raising aesthetic wholeheartedly. 

But what does it all mean? Here's the story behind all of Post Malone's face tattoos, as well as the surprising impact they've had on the world around him. 

In December 2017, Post Malone got his first substantial face tattoo to complement the already existing barbed wire inked around his hairline and the tiny smiley face tat underneath his right eye.

Opting to ink the words "Stay Away" on top of his right eyebrow, Malone had fans convinced that he was paying tribute to Lil Peep, who had died of an accidental overdose the month before. The late rapper was known for his own face tattoos, including a similarly-styled cursive tattoo in the same spot. Given the fact that Malone had already paid tribute to his friend by getting a portrait of Peep inked on his arm, many believed he was just continuing to pay his respects. 

Unfortunately, those theories missed the mark. The "Better Now" singer set the record straight to a TMZ paparazzo, joking, "I kind of just wanted, I don't know, to piss my mom off. I know she's really upset, but I love you so much, mama, you're the best." He added, "I'm sorry." Pressed to reveal the real inspiration behind "Stay Away," Malone finally admitted, "It's f**king song lyrics." It turns out the tattoo was indeed a tribute ... to the Nirvana song of the same name. It was also a reminder to live in the moment. Malone continued, "I figured, how ignorant could I be and just f**king tattoo my face, you know what I mean? And just have fun. You only live once, man."

Post Malone has never done anything by the books, so it's not all that surprising to learn that he had a rather strange hobby growing up: sword collecting. When asked about the tattoo going down the right side of his face, Malone told Capital XTRA that it's not merely a dagger, but rather a very specific sword that plays into his love of all things Medieval. Revealing that the design is meant to be William Wallace's famed Claymore, he gushed, "I like swords and s**t ... Whenever I was a little kid, I was like 12, I had a collection of swords and I loved it."

That passion hasn't faded any with age. As it turns out, Malone is still coveting and purchasing new pieces regularly. "I just bought a dope-a** katana from Cold Steel and I like to [use it to] cut watermelons in half in my backyard," he told the outlet, adding, "That s**t is awesome. I love playing with swords!"

If you think Post Malone is running out of real estate on his face, think again. When asked by Capital XTRA in July 2018 if he had any plans to keep getting his mug tattooed, he didn't hesitate in declaring, "Oh, hell yeah! Oh, it's coming!" After all, this is the man who's gone from having one tiny, barely visible smiley face inked under his right eye in September 2017 to sporting a massive collection of 10 face tattoos and counting in just two years. 

To recap: By October 2019, Malone had adorned his face with barbed wire along his forehead, the sword down his right cheek, the Japanese waves on his left temple, "Stay Away" above his right eyebrow, "Always" under his right eye, and "Tired" under his left eye, as well as a tiny Playboy bunny and mini heart to accompany the original smiley under his eye. In November 2018, Malone added an Ace of Spades playing card on top of a Queen of Hearts to his forehead, just above the infamous "Stay Away" script. 

So, what could possibly be next? When Capital XTRA tried to find out what his next designs would be, Malone confessed, "I don't know. I just kind of freeball it." 

Post Malone's face tattoos have become such a major part of his identity that temporary versions of his facial ink are now a popular merch item. The singer sells his own version, dubbed the Hollywood's Bleeding Face Tattoo Pack, for $15 at his online store. Meanwhile, countless unlicensed versions have also appeared across Amazon. Before you pick some up, however, be warned that it's not easy being Post Malone.

Vice writer Ryan Bassil got decked out in Malone's face tattoos for a day and, as he soon discovered, it's not ideal. "Post's [design] selection feels like it's 180 degrees more overboard than it needs to be," Bassil wrote, noting how he learned that "it is not fun wearing Post Malone face tattoos out in public."

"Unsurprisingly, people in the street look at you in ways they previously wouldn't have," Bassil explained, adding, "Really, besides the subjective aesthetic value, getting these kinds of tattoos boils down to whether or not you're into feeling [ostracized]."

Close your eyes and try to imagine Post Malone without any face tattoos. Having a hard time? Not to worry: YouTuber Mitchell Wiggs gave the artist a Photoshop Makeover so you don't have to imagine. Putting his Photoshop skills to the test, Wiggs filmed himself slowly removing all of Malone's visible tattoos one by one until he was left with a clean-cut version of the Grammy nominee. The resulting image was so jarring and unexpected that the video quickly went viral, amassing close to 16 million views by November 2019. 

Viewers were divided by the result, however. While some love Malone just the way he is — "Why would [you] change him when he's already perfect the way he is?" one fan asked in the comments section — others were thoroughly impressed by the transformation. "He straight up looked like a Disney prince in the end," another person wrote, while another quipped, "You only did this cause he's not around, not around. But you made him look better now, better now."

You keep doing you, Posty.