‘Mainstream Sellout’— Machine Gun Kelly [Album Review]
MGK’s latest effort is a mixed bag of innovation and sanitized radio pop.
Back in August, Machine Gun Kelly released the first single from an album titled Born With Horns. “Papercuts,” a single that sprinkled the guitar-driven pop-punk sound he’d debuted with the album Tickets to My Downfall with hints of Nirvana-esque grunge, was a promising track. The musical stylings suggested that the multi-hyphenate artist was once again re-inventing himself. A few months later, MGK announced that Born With Horns was now going to be released under a new title, Mainstream Sellout (2.5/5 stars). On the heels of this title change, he released the second single, “emo girl,” which features Willow.
In contrast to “Papercuts,” Mainstream Sellout’s sophomore single is safe and sanitized, reminiscent of a time when major labels were scooping up Warped Tour bands by the handful and paying them boatloads to crank out derivative radio anthems. The lyrics are cringe-inducing, causing listeners who were teenagers during peak emo culture to wonder: does MGK actually know what an “emo girl” is?
Unfortunately, the cavernous gap in quality between the first two singles permeates the entirety of Mainstream Sellout. It’s an uneven album, with a handful of cool moments and a bucketload…
