Post Malone has recorded songs and albums in rap and R&B, pop and rock, but Sunday night at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio he delivered what might be considered the first country headline set in festival history.

Bold move? Absolutely. A success? Mmm, mostly.

Malone’s most recent album, 2024’s “F-1 Trillion,” went hard into country music, including collaborations with country stars such as Morgan Wallen, Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw and more. And while six tracks from that record made up roughly a third of his 19-song set, his choices from other albums also hewed closely to country rock.

Malone opened with “Texas Tea,” a song from his 2023 album “Austin” which mixes hip-hop tropes with country references. A few songs later, “Better Now,” a pop song from 2018’s “Beerbongs & Bentleys,” added country accents such as lap steel guitar and fiddle.

The emotions of the moment — headlining one of the biggest and most influential music festivals in the world — seemed to surface for Malone at times throughout his set. He paused frequently between songs, expressing his thanks for fans supporting his career or sometimes just seeming to need a moment to gather himself.

“I’ve been punched in the mouth a couple of times,” Malone said in reference to the curves life’s thrown him. “I just wanted to say thank you to every single one of you. It’s been a crazy kind of journey.”

Later, he apologized for an occasional shakiness in his voice that really wasn’t very noticeable.

“I apologize for being pitchy,” he said. “Auto-tune is a helluva drug.”

Five songs into his set, Malone offered up “Wrong Ones,” the first of the “F-1 Trillion” songs, and tune he originally recorded with McGraw. (None of the collaborators on that album, nor any guests at all, performed with him.) A few songs later, “Loser,” another one of the new countrified ones, this one recorded with Jelly Roll.

“M-E-X-I-C-O” might be the purest country song ever played at Coachella. An outlaw country tale, its protagonist on the run from a girlfriend’s daddy, bad decisions, and someone’s suitcase full of cocaine, the arrangement featured solos by the steel guitar, fiddle player and pianist in Malone’s sharp band.

Not every song fit the country mold. “Rockstar” is — no surprise — a rock song originally done with rapper 21 Savage. “Sunflower,” which closed the show and was originally done with rapper Swae Lee, is a dreamy pop song.

But tucked in with them were songs such as “I Had Some Help,” a straight-ahead country song recorded with country star Wallen, a No. 1 hit in 2024 when it held the top spot for six non-consecutive weeks, the most of any song that year.

As the fireworks blasted above the main stage and fans headed for the exits, Malone again expressed a heartfelt kind of thanks and wished everyone a safe trip home.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do and don’t break anything,” he said. “Keep giving love and keep receiving love.”