[3][4] The message hinted at a different artistic approach, possibly intensifying the sound of his fourth studio album, Twelve Carat Toothache (2022).

[5] Malone revealed that he played the guitar on every single song on the album, calling the creation process a "fun experience".

[13] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic praised the album, stating, "Melodic and heartfelt, Austin surprises at nearly every turn, whether that's by an unexpected sonic detour or the simple fact that Post Malone has never sounded this fearless".

[15] Erica Campbell of NME wrote that Malone's "shift from trap beats and hip hop delivery to purer pop suits [him] well, proving that slowing down can be a creative advantage, especially when you're heading in the right direction",[19] while Clash's Robin Murray described Austin as "an album that dares to buck trends, and at its best can be genuinely moving".

It's a record that's in constant conflict with itself, using candor and humor as a self-conscious form of denial, maybe; the easygoing infectiousness of the music always is reassuring us that there's nothing to worry about amid all this conspicuous consumption".

[24] Reviewing the album for American Songwriter, Thomas Galindo stated, "While his 17 new songs don't amount to a flawless masterpiece, they do paint a picture of a Post Malone who not only knows he needs to turn things around, but also intends to at any cost".

[22] Writing for Pitchfork, Brad Shoup felt that Austin "is Post at his strongest: audaciously raiding the entire pop toolkit" and "even after forsaking Los Angeles for Utah, his life remains a movie: loaded with state-of-the-industry pyrotechnics, bristling with guns, and littered with synergistic product tie-ins", which makes the album "in directorial terms, a one-for-me situation: a passion project secured with almost a decade at the summit of pop rap as collateral".