Since his meteoric rise with 2020’s pop-punk pivot Tickets to my Downfall, Machine Gun Kelly has become widely revered as the champion of emo music and an antidote to the overabundant pop rock prevalent at radio and concert halls. Now headlining Madison Square Garden as well as appearing in Hulu’s Life in Pink and Netflix’s Bird Box series respectively; his most accomplished album to date features mainstream hardcore-influenced anthems like title track on this new release from him.
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker co-produced and contributed his signature drumming to this album, providing it with its foundation. However, MGK also leverages post-hardcore trend with songs like “Emo Girl,” featuring guest singer Oli Sykes wailing that fits nicely within this realm of post-hardcore trendiness.
Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) is no stranger to crossing over into rock music, having released four mixtapes prior to signing with Bad Boy Records and his first full album release with them. From its opening track’s aggressive tone, to confessional lyrics addressing issues like depression, drug dependency and suicidal thoughts set over urgent guitar riffs throughout, his confessionals battle depression, drug dependence and suicidal thoughts as a constant refrain set over urgent guitar riffs reminiscent of late 80’s punk bands such as Lil Wayne duet “Drug Dealer”, to similar styled songs featuring Young Thug– all work well but more seamlessly would’ve allowed his rap side into pop punk songs rather than clashing against it all together; regardless, his outsider anthems remain more relevant than ever – as are his fierce outsider anthems that address depression through song lyric’s lyrics that battle demons like depression through song; his powerful outsider anthems more relevant than ever;