Linus Roth Bach: Solo Violin Partitas Review
Previous
RANDOM
Lynne Arriale The Lights Are Always On Review
Next
machine-gun-kelly-chalked-up-reviews-hero-rock
Rock

Machine Gun Kelly Mainstream Sellout Review

by March 31, 2022

Machine Gun Kelly Mainstream Sellout Review

MachineGunKelly_cdMachine Gun Kelly has become a beacon of hope for thousands of kids across America with his clever guitar work and songs about things ranging from addiction to family issues; MGK is a symbol of relentless perseverance to his fans. MGK lived in almost a dozen places, including Egypt, before moving to Denver, Colorado, with his father after his mother began a new life with a new man. ‘I don’t have a relationship with my mom; she left when I was nine years old,’ says MGK. As his dad fought depression and unemployment, the young MC split his time between wearing two school outfits and being bullied by the neighborhood kids. ‘I used to stand out because I was tall, and I couldn’t really fight back then,’ says MGK. “Then I got tired of getting beat up, so I started fighting people with my words instead. I got the name Machine Gun Kelly because of my rapid-fire delivery when I was 15 and started doing shows,” says MGK. Since then, MGK has become an actor and famed songwriter and singer, with his early material being rap-rock, but with Tickets to My Downfall, marking a change to pop-punk. Machine Gun Kelly is releasing his sixth album, Mainstream Sellout, via Bad Boy Records and Interscope Records.

About the Album

Mainstream Sellout continues where Tickets to My Downfall left off and has Kelly and Travis Barker working together again, with Barker being the producer for the new album. Kelly described the album as “darker” and more “guitar-heavy” than Tickets to My Downfall. The album features thirteen songs and a host of guest artists.

Our Favorite Tracks

“emo girl” features WILLOW on vocals and is a sound that fits MGK the best. A driving pop-punk groove brings the songmachine-gun-kelly-1 to life. The vocals have fewer effects and auto-tune, making the song a lot more enjoyable than some of the selections on the album. WILLOW and MGK blend nicely, and the songwriting has a nice flow. Barker’s drumming is excellent and energetic. In addition, MGK sounds excellent on guitar, and overall, this is a fantastic direction for his vocals and playing.

“papercuts” is another moment when the sections of the pop-punk style make the song. The combination of Hip Hop styled ‘vocals’ section combined with the musical driving ones brings Kelly’s artistry to a new level. The angst and aggression can be felt, which brings the song power. In addition, Kelly’s vocals and rapping are not overproduced and effected, giving them a natural and organic flow that is much more enjoyable and believable.

In Conclusion

machine-gun-kelly-2Mainstream Sellout has some high points that will interest music lovers. MGK fans will find the project overall a positive experience. However, as a general music lover, I found many moments puzzling and the overproduced vocals and auto-tune off-putting. On the other hand, Kelly sounds excellent when singing and playing the guitar in a pop-punk style, and I hope there is more of that in the future. Until then, there are undoubtedly multiple high points on Mainstream Sellout to enjoy until then.

Overview
Artist

Machine Gun Kelly

Album

mainstream sellout

Features

Machine Gun Kelly – vocals, guitars
Travis Barker – drums, production
Bring Me the Horizon – guest (Track 3)
Lil Wayne – guest (Track 4 and 12)
Pete Davidson – guest (Track 5)
blackbear – guest (Track 7)
Willow – guest (Track 8)
Iann Dior – guest (Track 13)
Gunna – guest (Track 14)
Young Thug – guest (Track 14)
Landon Barker – guest (Track 14)

Label

Bad Boy/Interscope Records

Release Date

March 25, 2022

Report Card
C.U.R. Grades
You Grade The Music
Rate Here
Originality
B
Sound Quality
A
Production
B
Songwriting
B
Vocal Quality
A
Art Work
A-
Melodies
B
Riffs
B
B+
C.U.R. Grades
You Grade The Music
You have rated this
What's your reaction?
I Love It
0%
Cool
0%
It's OK
0%
What?
0%
I'm Sad
0%
I Hate It
0%

Leave a Response

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.