One of the greatest gifts that the universe bestowed upon mgk was his ability to impact and comfort many people through his honest storytelling, and his recent single ‘times of my life’ is the ultimate proof. After yearsssss of fans asking for this melancholic song from the Tickets To My Downfall studio sessions – which leaked after he took it off the tracklist – he revisited it with Travis Barker and some of his closest musical friends, who helped him create the triumphant lost americana last year. It feels like an amalgamation of so many of his different eras, between the seeming inclusion on the future deluxe edition of lost americana, its origins during the Tickets To My Downfall sessions, and the Hotel Diablo umbrella he holds in the music video.
In the days since ‘times of my life’ came out, I’ve seen fellow EST adopt this song into their lives in so many beautiful ways, from celebrating the fun memories they’ve made at concerts (partly fueled by the song appearing on the pre-show playlist at the lost americana Tour) to cherishing the time they got to spend with loved ones who have passed. And I know I speak for most mgk fans when I say that this release proves just how moving his music can be.
“I hope you are fine knowing you hold all my best times And without you, I’m lying to myself saying that you’ll come find me…”
Like so much of EST, mgk’s music found me when I needed it the most. He had pretty good timing because I heard ‘I Think I’m OKAY’ on the radio for the first time on a day that wound up flipping my life upside down. Hotel Diablo became a lifeline in the fallout from that day as I tried to figure out where I wanted to go and who I wanted to be. I didn’t necessarily relate to the specific stories or topics, but I admired how open Kells was about things that are very difficult to be open about. It’s like he knew that his own catharsis would be cathartic for others and pushed through to deliver that for the people who needed to hear an honest success story from a fellow underdog with the odds stacked against him.
Hotel Diablo doesn’t close with a happy ending, but ‘I Think I’m OKAY’ is the perfect conclusion. It sees Colson admitting, “I think something’s f**king wrong with me.” He knows that the power isn’t in pretending you’re fine, but knowing that just being “okay” is enough sometimes. Still standing after going through difficult, life-altering things like he describes throughout the album is a victory in itself. He owns up to his vices, destructive tendencies, and dissatisfaction with his life at the time in a way that’s refreshingly raw and real.
He spoke to Genius about the “it’s just my life and I can take it if I wanna” lyric, explaining that the darker meaning you might hear at first listen isn’t the full story, much like how there’s a whole life on the other side of whatever you’re facing at the moment.
I think a lot of people think it immediately means suicide, and I think it’s really just, like, ‘I can take back my life.’ Take your destiny into your own hands. You know, manifest what you want and make your life yours.
mgk to Genius
The Tickets To My Downfall era epitomized that idea, bringing mgk into the pop-punk spotlight after years of being a massive fan and integrating rock’s most distinctive elements into songs like ‘Save Me’ (featuring Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows and Synyster Gates) and the Kellin Quinn-assisted ‘Swing Life Away.’ A few hours before he recorded ‘Save Me,’ as shown in the song’s music video, he told Slim, “I just don’t see stuff going very well.” Slim pushed, “So you wanna give up and quit? Sh*t on me, sh*t on everybody?” This is the album cycle where things started going very, very well for mgk and his rightful recognition as a music icon, holding his musical family and EST close to his heart in the midst of a massive rise.
With help from one of Colson’s musical heroes, Travis Barker, Tickets To My Downfall taught us how to dance through destruction and embrace the fun in life that coexists with what’s bringing us down. It was exactly what the world needed in the midst of the COVID pandemic, delivering nostalgia and pure joy to EST and pop-punk fans on a wider scale. In the process, it became mgk’s first #1 album on the Billboard 200 and has since gotten a 2x Platinum certification.
It felt like he had finally hit his stride and I was starting to find mine, too. I started blogging just a few months after Tickets To My Downfall came out and joined The Honey POP a little while later. He was embracing his lifelong love of pop-punk and I was embracing my lifelong love of immersive music and the artists behind it. He doubled down on it with mainstream sellout, a heavier sister album of sorts that also hit #1, and I kept exploring new content formats and topics, even writing an analytical review of the recordfor THP.
Where Tickets To My Downfall felt like a rebellious rave of sorts, mainstream sellout addressed similar topics and themes with a less playful attitude and a less shimmery sonic mood. mgk told Sunday TODAY, “I went and studied Tickets and I heard the bright sound that I had, and for this album, I just turned the lights off.” You can hear the shift from the very first track – ‘title track’ reveled in his infamy while “selling tickets to [his] downfall,” but ‘born with horns’ acknowledges “there’s no happy endings” and sees Kells taking a more honest, direct approach while describing his mental health struggles and qualms about the spotlight.
His openness about the ups and downs of being a polarizing figure in the music industry sparked a lot of thought about how artists are treated online, and even earned mgk his first-ever GRAMMY nomination in the Best Rock Album category. The man who wondered whether his hard work would ever truly pay off before recording ‘Save Me’ had officially broken through and created a thought-provoking project that demanded respect and recognition from his peers and the powers that be.
My own journey through the music industry eventually brought me to one of the coolest, most meaningful opportunities I’ve received to date: becoming a mod for mgk’s official Discord server! I wore my Tickets To My Downfall hoodie on launch day and watched as thousands of passionate fans joined in, excitedly connecting with each other and eventually Kells himself. The server felt, and still feels, like a place where EST can tune out the noise of traditional social media and the world around us to unite over what we love. It’s a reminder of how magical things can be when we come together for good, perfectly tying into the fandom name of Everyone Stands Together.
In July 2024, we came together to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Hotel Diablo with an interactive trivia puzzle throughout the server. And in one of the two most full-circle mgk moments in my life, I got to host a live Q&A with him for the puzzle winners and EST. Over 400 people who completed the puzzle got to listen in, while the fastest few to finish it were able to ask him their own questions. I talked to him about Hotel Diablo, we joked about the 32483498 nicknames he has, and he even took the time to thank me personally at the end of the event. It was such an honor to make my personal dream of interviewing him come true while sharing the moment with fans who love him just as much.
Hearing his excitement about crossing over into country with Jelly Roll on ‘Lonely Road’ (which hadn’t been officially announced yet) and seeing how much EST loved connecting with him on a deeper level had me reconsidering the possibilities of my own career in the music industry. And somehow, things made more sense to me than ever in an industry that’s constantly changing and shifting. It reminded me that there are truly no limits unless you put them on yourself or let the people trying to put them on you have the last word, something mgk has never let them do. Like our favorite rap-rock chameleon, you can try new things and take new paths and have fun with them even if they’re not what you initially imagined for yourself. In my case, it’s been expanding beyond blogging into music marketing and fandom engagement, wanting to “champion artists” like he said I do on the call and help them grow their bonds with fans, so more people can experience how powerful a kind, devoted fanbase like EST can be.
The second full-circle moment I’ve had with mgk came about a year and a half after the Q&A. After that formative day I mentioned earlier, when I heard ‘I Think I’m OKAY’ for the first time, anxiety became a really obstructive force in my life that separated me from some of the things I loved most. Colson’s music was right by my side through so much and the ultimate test of that was braving various fears to go see him live at the lost americana Tour. Anxiety is still something I regularly deal with, and I expect it will continue to be that way, but screaming all the lyrics to ‘I Think I’m OKAY’ with 12,000 other people made one of the most fragile parts of me feel like things could be okay again.
I don’t know who I’d be right now if mgk hadn’t stumbled into my life and music library. As I sit here recounting my favorite EST memories, wearing the same Tickets To My Downfall hoodie I wore the day the Discord server launched, it feels so surreal that just happening to hear a certain song on the radio six years ago has had such an impact on my life. But that’s part of the magic of mgk. You never know where his music will lead you, whether it’s through genres, through immersive lyrical stories, or through chapters and experiences that shape you.
To Colson and EST, some of the best times of my life were the ones when I was with you. Here’s to many more for all of us <3
What ‘times of [your] life’ did mgk help you through? Do you have any predictions for a possible deluxe edition of lost americana? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also buzz on over to our Reddit community to chat with us.
“The media has no idea what to make of me, and you know what? I hope they never do,” mgk confessed to a crowd in Brooklyn, NY on December 13th, 2025. “I [am] here to disrupt the game because I am different. I’m looking at 12,000 people asking you to also be different. Don’t ever be a replica of something else. And even you being here tonight, against what the internet would say about mgk, you are different because you have the [courage] to like what it is that you wanna like.”
In a single, short speech before performing ‘wwiii’ to that crowd, Colson Baker was able to summarize exactly what has made his current chapter such a meaningful journey for his fans, EST (short for “everyone stands together”). Those fans who didn’t buy into the narrative, but instead watched as mgk continued to carve out his own.
2025 brought the release of his critically – and criminally – misunderstood lost americana album, a celebration of the fifth anniversary for Tickets To My Downfall, and so much more fun music and content that kept us hooked all year long. And while we didn’t secure that GRAMMY nomination or a #1 Billboard 200 album, it’s certain that we “didn’t need no help for a hell of a time.”
Join us as we take a look back at some special moments of mgk’s standout 2025!
Dingo Forever
mgk’s 2025 unfortunately came with a very difficult start, including the news that his favorite recording studio burned down in the Los Angeles wildfires in January shortly after leaving rehab, as well as the loss of one of his best friends, Luke “Dingo” Trembath. He described him in a tribute post on Instagram as, “a true rockstar without ever needing to make a song, the most loyal, loud, charismatic, funny, and annoying human [he’s] ever had the honor of knowing.”
After Dingo’s passing, Kells brought some of their friends together for a stunning musical tribute in the form of ‘your name forever.’ He wrote the song with his bandmates and soul brothers Slim, Baze, Rook, and No Love For The Middle Child, along with phem, Dark Waves, Emma Rosen, and Beauty School Dropout’s Colie Hutzler. Add in some backing vocals from Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows, Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, and MOD SUN, then lead guitar from A7X’s Synyster Gates, and you have a moving celebration of Dingo’s legacy and the memories he made with such a creative, impactful group of people.
“Tell me, did you know it was time to say goodbye? Tell me, did the heavens align where angels fly? What happened, what happened when you kissed the sky?”
A New Saga (Blade) Begins
But luckily, we also got some pretty amazing news in the first quarter of the year! mgk and Megan Fox welcomed their first daughter together, Saga Blade Fox-Baker, who might be in the running for the most bad*ss baby name of all time. We’re so excited for their family and know Saga will grow up surrounded by so much love!
Her journey, the five years of her culmination of coming, disappearing, coming back again, disappearing, coming back again, she’s an epic story and that’s what Saga means. I’m also of Norwegian heritage, and so that’s a Nordic goddess of storytelling, and I think she has a storytelling future ahead of her.
mgk on The TODAY Show
EST knows how much mgk’s oldest daughter, Casie, means to him, so getting to see him welcome another daughter into the world while sober and focusing on his healing has been nothing short of magical.
Creating The lost americana Album
As we mentioned earlier, mgk’s favorite recording studio burned down during the Los Angeles wildfires, so he had to get a little crafty while making his seventh studio album. He spent some time away with Casie and wound up embarking on a creative reset, restarting the project from the ground up and setting up a home studio with his best friends and band.
I knew for sure that the music I had made for whatever the album was supposed to be the last two years, I couldn’t stand. So I erased all of it, kept my palms up, and I felt like the Akashic records just sent me some downloads, and I started making lost americana. The exploration was, ‘we are not gonna pick any genre, we are going to make this freely.’
mgk on Popcast
We also learned during Kells’ Popcast interview that he was debating whether to delete the album he had already made when he got the news that Bob Dylan had posted an old performance of his on Instagram! Colson called it a “d-side mgk video from the 17th page of [his] YouTube channel,” yet OGs have had that Park Ave CDs performance in their rotation this whole time. Call it kismet or the coolest coincidence, but that repost was like a sign that he was making the right choice! Bob went on to narrate the album trailer for lost americana.
He announced that he finished the album we now know as lost americana on April 17th, shaving the beard he accrued during the creation process. We think this was a symbol for the renewal and evolution he explores on the album, with the shave representing that he’s letting parts of his past and the stories he tells on the record go.
With a new outlook on life, a new addition to the family, and a new album ready to unleash to the world, it was time for a celebration! Kells celebrated his birthday on April 22nd with a lost americana-themed party that had EST squinting our eyes at every single post trying to find Easter eggs. We didn’t know the album title at the time, but his Lost XX t-shirt and sign, along with a cigarette-themed cake, gave us some big hints of what to expect.
High-profile party guests included Young Thug, Jelly Roll, MOD SUN, Rook, Slim, Baze, and of course Casie.
Special YouTube & Standalone Releases
Towards the end of the creation of lost americana and afterwards, mgk gave us quite a few surprises on his YouTube channel! April and May both brought new covers and even a freestyle that reimagined a total classic we know you know. First up was a medley of Juice WRLD’s ‘Empty Out Your Pockets,’ Green Day’s ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams,’ and Kells’ own ‘LATELY’ that blew us away. During the ‘LATELY’ section, he swapped out “Grew up a screw-up, pierced my ear and dyed my f*cking hair” for “Grew up a weirdo, 20 piercings and some bleached hair.” The new version acknowledges his growth and offers more compassion for his past self, refusing to call himself a “screw-up” and instead just noting that he was different from the people around him.
Next was a cover of Ryan Adams’ ‘Come Pick Me Up,’ including most of his touring band and MOD SUN! He posted it on his birthday as a gift to EST. According to a fan on Reddit, Ryan once said he didn’t enjoy playing it live anymore because it went against his sobriety and focused on a feeling of hopelessness that he no longer related to. Now that Kells is sober, we hope that he can feel more optimistic for his future, because we know it’s very bright.
The next two releases were recorded after mgk finished lost americana, since his facial hair from the recording process was gone! He and No Love came together to produce an awesome freestyle over *NSYNC’s ‘Bye Bye Bye’ (full-circle moment, as the boy band lover he is) that teased what we could expect from his then-upcoming album and its lead single.
“Don’t ask me no questions, like what genre this album is I’m Gordon Ramsay cheffin’ in this kitchen, no suggestions…”
“I’m sober now, but the next single gon’ pop like pills Come out singing like I’m Justin Bieber…”
The last standalone release in this series was a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls’ timeless track ‘Iris,’ featuring the incredible Julia Wolf! Julia wound up being the opener for the 2025 U.S. leg of the lost americana Tour, so EST fam who attended got to hear this one live. We were lucky enough to, and, yes, it’ll give you twice as many goosebumps in an arena as it does at home! Their voices blend so beautifully together and add a nice edge to the song.
And with that, EST was officially activated for Kells to properly kick off his new era…
Sounds ‘cliché,’ But It’s Iconic
The lost americana era started with a bang when mgk dropped the lead single, ‘cliché,’ in May! In the process, he delivered the summer pop bop we were waiting for, complete with a fun, choreographed music video that would put even your favorite ‘90s boyband to shame. The song purposely strings together cliché ideas of romance to make something you can’t help but dance along to.
“Tell me, would you wait for me? Baby, I’m a rolling stone I got a lot of right in me, but I don’t wanna say this wrong…”
And EST weren’t the only ones who ate ‘cliché’ up – Spotify made Colson the cover of their New Music Friday playlist for the first time, the number of streams made it his biggest solo Spotify debut ever, and he got to perform it at shows like The TODAY Show and the Kids’ Choice Awards. We had soooo much fun and things were only just kicking off for us!
Tracklist Reveals & Chaos On Twitch
Some of the best memories we made with mgk this year were definitely when he started streaming on Twitch! He went live to unveil the lost americana tracklist, show us new merch designs, and even play some Fortnite. Every stream he did was such a blast and we’re patiently waiting to bond with EST in the chat on the next one!
Finding lost americana & Landing The Three-Peat
On August 8th, chosen for the synergy of 8/8, mgk officially unveiled his seventh studio album! We could go on about lost americana all day (and we have, so check out our full review), but we’ll “keep it short like a haiku” for now and focus on the wider themes and takeaways from the project.
lost americana is one of Kells’ rawest projects to date, exploring mental health, fame, the state of society, and identity through the lens of a man who has never been more himself. As he told Popcast, “There’s no beguiling on this album. This album is not a character.” This is mgk, Machine Gun Kelly, El Pistolero, and Colson Baker in his purest, most distilled form, and every moment of it is an absolute gift.
lost americana is the ultimate homecoming as mgk starts to trust his inner voice and integrate each aspect of himself into a fully realized identity, all while harnessing his musical talent across genres and avenues. He’s come home to himself and is proudly hanging postcards from each of his detours on his wall to remind him of everything he’s learned along the way.
lost americana is a personal excavation of the American dream. A journey to find what’s been lost. This album is a love letter to those who seek to rediscover. The dreamers, the drifters, the defiant. It’s a sonic map of forgotten places, a tribute to the spirit of reinvention, and a quest to reclaim the authentic essence of American freedom. From the glow of neon diners to the rumble of the motorcycles, this is music that celebrates the beauty found in the in-between spaces where the past is reimagined and the future is forged on your own terms.
Bob Dylan in the lost americana album trailer
Along the way, mgk makes fun references to American music icons – for example, the ‘sweet coraline’ title parodies Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline,’ while ‘starman’ nods to Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Californication’ and interpolates Third Eye Blind’s ‘Semi-Charmed Kinda Life.’ This pattern cleverly brings you to place him in that lexicon of music legends on a psychological level, in case you didn’t already think of him as a legend in his own right. He’s ready to prove he’s worthy of going down in music history and can add his own flair to things we already love.
As he’s become more successful, Kells has been able to travel the world and perform in some of the most incredible cities. Hometown references throughout the album become a symbol for our purest selves and his past as he faces it, leading the listener to wonder, how much do you owe to who you used to be? How much do you owe to the situations that shaped you? What happens when you want to change? Do you bring your past with you, or does that stifle who you’re becoming?
To understand mgk’s music and the creativity behind it, you need to be willing to sit with it and go beyond the surface of what you assume or expect. Some will shrug aside the meaning of his work and say it’s shallow or unoriginal, while others will tell you he’s an artistic mastermind who purposefully plays into and subverts expectations. No matter which end of that spectrum you consider yourself to be on, there’s something to be said for taking things slow and really processing what you’re hearing in a time when we can listen to seconds-long snippets of songs or loud opinions on why those songs suck in the span of a few scrolls.
Despite the many loud opinions that talk down on mgk, the numbers stand to prove that he moves tons of people with his work. lost americana debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 album chart, but managed to top the Rock & Alternative album chart, cementing the “three-peat” Kells wanted – 2020’s Tickets To My Downfall and 2022’s mainstream sellout debuted at #1 on both charts. 40,500 of his 63,000 album units were from pure sales, which means it was the best pure-selling album of that week and debuted at #1 on the Top Album Sales chart, just like his past two albums did. Nothing to sneeze at in the streaming era!
Showing Out For MGK Day
The fourth annual celebration of MGK Day took over downtown Cleveland for a weekend of fun events and activities, all while donating proceeds to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Shoes & Clothes For Kids to give back. Some standout moments on the schedule included XXcon (a mini convention and performance where mgk announced his Floor 13 record label), a pop-up at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, and the Art & Community festival, which included a fireworks show!
And in the ultimate show of fate, the dates lined up with the release date of lost americana, starting on its release date of August 8th and continued through that weekend. He captured some of the magic in a music video for ‘tell me whats up.’
The timing of MGK Day is, ironically, what some fans think prevented lost americana from reaching a #1 debut on the Billboard 200, since so many superfans were at events over the weekend instead of streaming. But isn’t that what finding americana is truly about? Returning to a time of unity, togetherness, and hope? Perhaps such a pure americana never existed in the first place, but thanks to the power of music and passionate artists like mgk, we’re closer than ever to creating it.
The CoolEST Road Trip Ever
As if the man hadn’t given us enough already, the week after MGK Day saw him and the band traveling across four states for a special mini-tour called the Lost XX Road Trip! Fans in Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota got to be some of the first to hear lost americana songs live… some even on a roof. Someone give Reed a raise to make up for the stress he probably felt that night!
Heading Back To Warped Tour
mgk was an underrated staple back in the prime days of Warped Tour, and he got to head back to the main stage at two of this year’s festival days! Both nights, he took the crowd on a genre-bending adventure surrounded by a graffiti-laced set celebrating his Tickets To My Downfall album’s fifth anniversary – more on that milestone shortly. He first took the stage in Washington, D.C. before dropping lost americana, and his appearance in Orlando, FL happened after the album release, so he was able to show off two different setlists and integrate some new music for the second crowd!
A Style Icon Getting Recognition
If you’re anything like us, then your Pinterest homepage is flooded with mgk fashion inspo any time you log on. So you already know we were absolutely stoked to find out he got a Style Icon Award from Daily Front Row’s Fashion Media Awards during New York Fashion Week! It made it even more special to know his bestie Pete Davidson was the one to present him with the award, and Casie was in the audience to support him.
I think that my style can be unconventional to some… I am completely unapologetic with my authenticity in what I sing and what I wear.
mgk at the Fashion Media Awards
His status as a fashion icon also brought about some of the coolest memorabilia collabs that mgk has done in his career! He celebrated the release of lost americana with special merch capsules in partnership with Harley Davidson and Ed Hardy, as well as releasing his first fragrance with Dossier. So not only does he express his own unforgettable style, but he wants to make sure EST can dress and smell as nicely as him. What a king!
That’s Professor mgk To You
mgk is smarter and more strategic than most of the internet gives him credit for – including his music, 27 Club Coffee shop, and investments in companies like Liquid Death – and his business savvy culminated in an invite to speak at Harvard Business School this fall! A student who attended his guest lecture told Boston that one of the topics was how he deals with online hate, sharing:
He said, ‘I just had to employ the mentality that I simply can’t care about this if I want to be in this industry. I’m doing this because I love what I do, and I love the artistic part of my job.’ And then the second piece he said that I think was a little bit easier to take something from, was that you’re always going to have the loud minority and the silent majority. What he kind of meant by that was how many times do you go online to your favorite artist and write on their Instagram ‘Oh my gosh, you’re my favorite artist. This is an awesome post.’ Hardly ever. Because the people who are gonna comment are the ones who are gonna have something negative to say.
Harvard Business School student Peter Kiesel
Our All Access Pass To The World Of Tickets To My Downfall
One of the biggest things that made 2025 special for mgk was that it marked the fifth anniversary of his iconic Tickets To My Downfall album! He knows that EST lovessss a good album anniversary celebration, especially after last year’s Hotel Diablo re-release and fan Q&A, so he had a special treat up his sleeve for this one.
Tickets To My Downfall (All Access) expanded his pop-punk masterpiece with five new tracks: ‘no cellphones in rehab,’ ‘home bittersweet home,’ ‘i tried again,’ ‘me or you,’ and ‘secrets.’ And being the generous king he is, he gave us DIY videos for each one, along with adding ‘love race’ with Kellin Quinn to the tracklist. We didn’t think Tickets could get any better, but somehow it did!
Taking Over North America With The lost americana Tour
With two albums to celebrate, it was time for Kells and the band to hit the road for the lost americana Tour! They prepared an epic, changing setlist with over 30 songs, complete with pyrotechnics, a giant Statue Of Liberty onstage, a descending guitar (unless you were in Brooklyn, where it got stuck mid-air), and support from the amazing Julia Wolf.
Anyone lucky enough to catch the 2025 tour dates got a special anniversary performance of the Tickets To My Downfall album, including every single song on the main record. And anyone lucky enough to be in Rosemont, IL are definitely the universe’s favorite people, because they even got a special performance of ‘forget me too’ with Halsey! But no matter which show you attended, you could feel how much mgk and his touring family love what they do.
Speaking of the touring family, we want to thank his amazing band for not only bringing our favorite mgk songs to life, but also being superstars in their own right! Slim delivers so much energy and makes sure everyone is having a good time, especially when he comes out on the XX runway for ‘ay!’ and ‘Wild Boy.’ Baze’s basslines blend all the sounds together and give such a stunning lifeline to each performance. No Love is a fantastic addition to the band for this run and wears so many hats throughout the show, tackling each one with ease. Sophie is a guitar powerhouse and her excited smiles are so infectious. Jus is another guitar mastermind who never ceases to amaze us, especially when he plays on the runway with his guitar behind his head. Finally, Rook constantly inspires us with his persistence and dedication to his drumming craft.
And of course, thank you to Sam for capturing so many memories for EST through his photography, and Reed for making sure Kells stays safe throughout the night!
More Collabs For Our Collection
Even though lost americana doesn’t technically include any features (phem and MOD SUN appear on ‘indigo’ and ‘treading water,’ respectively, without a feature credit), we did get some official features and collabs from mgk throughout the year! Of course, we started with the Julia Wolf-assisted ‘iris’ as Kells dropped some songs ahead of lost americana.
His next collab of the year was ‘WHO I WAS,’ a thoughtful appearance on an NF track that brings up alllllll the feels possible. Fans begged these two to work together for years and it was so worth the wait! Like the lost americana album, ‘WHO I WAS’ explores evolution and the hard lessons we face to meet our truest selves. Colson uses his verse to reflect on his biggest losses, mistakes that shaped his life, his relationship with religion, and more. He really poured so much of himself into this beautiful track!
“I’ll follow my heart but my heart is scattered Like my father’s ashes in the back of the rental after I dropped his urn Probably a metaphor for everything I’ve learned…”
Remember that scene of Hannah Montana when Miley spots the Jonas Brothers for the first time and yells, “Sweet mama, it’s the Jonas Brothers?” That was our reflexive reaction when we found out they were hopping on an energetic remix of ‘cliché’ after mgk made a surprise guest appearance at the band’s Vancouver, CA show. Having one of THE boy bands of all time join him on a song drawing from the golden boy band era is so meta and we can’t get enough!
Finally, we had one last gift from Kells this year when he appeared on King Chip’s ‘FAT RAPS 4,’ which dropped on Christmas. He’s known Chip since the two of them were growing up in Cleveland, so ‘FAT RAPS 4’ serves as a fun reunion that lets both of them celebrate their success and rap skills!
Taking A ‘Lunch Break’ With Lyrical Lemonade
Between shows on the lost americana Tour, mgk stopped by Lyrical Lemonade for a freestyle that truly feels like a victory lap. Like his verse on ‘WHO I WAS,’ the ‘Lunch Break’ freestyle draws from all sorts of experiences he’s gone through and how they’ve shaped him to become his strongest self. Meanwhile, his band and closest friends hype him up in the back, showcasing that he’s never alone in the things he faces.
And some very important details: the lunch he got in the studio included Prince Street pizza, Caesar salad, cheesecake, calamari, bruschetta, and pasta with Bolognese sauce. One word, three letters, Y-U-M.
“Never let anyone’s opinion block your intuition You gotta stay driven on this impossible mission You gotta make sure that a sequel coming after this one The meek will inherit the earth, good riddance Everybody equal, but some of us built different…”
A Whole Lot Of Personal Growth
Above all, the most magical part of being EST this year is seeing how much mgk has evolved and been able to create his own peace and stability. He knows with how much negative media attention he gets that the public would chew him up for the mistakes and missteps he describes on lost americana songs like ‘treading water.’ But what matters to him is coming clean for accountability and to express how he genuinely wants to fix things, for the people he hurt and also to get closer to his ideal self.
Growth is never easy and we could only imagine what it’s like to try to improve yourself and your mindset as the whole world is watching. Kells is ready to take true responsibility for himself and his evolution no matter what it takes or what anyone thinks about it. We’re so proud of him for improving his mindset and refusing to let his struggles define him!
He shared at his lost americana Tour show in Brooklyn, NY, “I never wanna undo the progress that I’ve been making with my life… I spent so many years of people misinterpreting the human that I am, the soul that I am. And my soul is pure, but it’s covered by an exoskeleton that’s been broken by the outside world. I refuse to let the outside world break me anymore, and I’m standing here in front of you as a changed man, as someone who is embracing the light, and the love, and all of this high-frequency beauty that’s been happening around me.”
What were your favorite memories with mgk this year? Did you get to see him and the band live at the lost americana Tour, Warped Tour, or one of their one-off performances? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also buzz on over to our Reddit community to chat with us.
Whether fans wanted it or not, the Rap Devil singer painted quite the explicit picture in their heads over the weekend when he compared his libido to the fiery engine of a race car! Speaking with DailyMail.com on Friday at the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas, the 35-year-old tooted his own horn big time:
“And just so you know, I’m not much far off from an F1 racer when I’m in the bedroom, because I’m very fast and it takes me a long time to get to the finish line.”
TMI! LOLz!!!
As fans know, MGK and Megan Fox split last November amid rumors of infidelity after announcing they were welcoming a child together. Megan gave birth to their daughter Saga Blade in March, and she let MGK move back in to help with parenting duties.
Since then, reconciliation rumors have swirled between the two, but the Jennifer’s Body star has been hesitant to let MGK “fully back in” to her heart. But despite everything, their baby girl has reportedly “brought them closer together.” As of now, neither celeb has posted anything on social media confirming their relationship status.
What are your thoughts here, Perezcious readers?? Is MGK talking about his sex life with Megan? Let us know in the comments down below!
When mgk delivers, he delivers. The man promised us a legendary tour for his latest album, lost americana, complete with a fifth anniversary celebration for 2020’s Tickets To My Downfall, and we can safely say that this tour will shape up to be one of his best yet. He plays over 30 songs from across his discography (hearing ‘Wild Boy’ live in 2025 was not on our bingo cards), scales a punked-out version of the Statue Of Liberty, and plays a guitar that sends out sparks! We’re mourning the loss of the classic ‘Floor 13’ pit tradition, but she served us well over the years and we’re stoked to see more songs getting concert recognition.
‘don’t wait, run fast’ to get your lost americana Tour tickets, then check out the setlist below to make sure you know every lyric to sing along! This setlist is accurate as of the first show in Glendale, Arizona on November 18th, 2025. We may update this article as the tour evolves and the Tickets To My Downfall sections might be altered after the album’s fifth anniversary year passes.
Absolutely unreal, isn’t it? mgk is just the gift that keeps on giving.
Which songs are you most hyped to hear on the lost americana Tour? Will you be tuning into fan livestreams for any shows you’re not going to? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also buzz on over to our Reddit community to chat with us.
Get excited for your show with some more sweet mgk content!
On September 25th, 2020, mgk changed the course of pop-punk history and brought an overlooked genre back to the mainstream spotlight with the release of Tickets To My Downfall. He recruited pop-punk titan Travis Barker as executive producer, brought on some of our fave alternative artists for unforgettable features, took over MTV and the internet, and was so confident in all of it that he tattooed the album title along the base of his neck. That confidence and his full-send passion for the album earned him his very first #1 on the Billboard 200, as well as giving us one of the most iconic eras of his career.
Let’s celebrate Tickets To My Downfall and its impact on mgk and our lives by spotlighting some underrated tracks from the album! We’ll limit it to five, but just know that we’d spend all day gushing about every single track if we could.
‘lonely’
Maybe a predictable choice, but ‘lonely’ deserves all the recognition and will always be one of the first songs we recommend to new fans who want to really understand mgk’s music. It’s a touching reflection on his relationship with his dad who passed just a few months before the album came out, and also pays tribute to his late aunt. Kells poured so much emotion into his vocals and the lyrics, to the point where you’ll feel like you’re sitting next to him and sharing family stories while you look through old photo albums. ‘lonely’ is an absolute masterpiece that captures how much soul he puts into his music.
“The last time I saw you I cried, I wished you had more time left The last time I heard you They held the phone, you took your last breath…”
‘jawbreaker’
Justice for ‘jawbreaker!’ This song is an absolute pop-punk gem, complete with catchy melodies, guitar riffs you can practically sing along to, and even a few questionable lyrics. Seriously, we’re still wondering what “she’s not landing, LAX is in Miami” means five years later. Is an L.A. ex of his in Miami, and he’s just making a pun with LAX being a Los Angeles airport? Whatever, ‘jawbreaker’ is still one of our fave mgk anthems, and we’re forever jealous of the people who heard him mash it up with ‘why are you here?’ and ‘sid & nancy’ on the mainstream sellout Tour.
“Would it kill you to smile? Let me occupy your mind We’re at a million miles an hour…”
‘nothing inside’
It scratches a very specific itch in our brains when we hear mgk and iann dior’s voices together, and ‘nothing inside’ remains one of the most elite collabs that either of them have released. From the moment those intro drums kick in, it hits you just how intensely each of them are feeling because of the relationship issues the song describes. The choruses repeat the same lines over and over, like they’re trapped in certain thoughts and keep spiraling back to them. The idea of a girl seeing ‘nothing inside’ could mean either she doesn’t see his true feelings or reciprocation in his eyes, or she feels nothing for him or the future they could’ve had together anymore. Add in some trap-influenced beats and you have an amazing song that brings together Kells’ rock and hip-hop influences. And that Operation-themed scene paired with this song in Downfalls High? Poetic cinema.
“I’m running low on serotonin in these empty moments I’m having trouble operating without my main component…”
‘play this when i’m gone’
On his last few albums, mgk has made it a tradition to save what might just be the most heart-wrenching song the last track, and that pattern really kicked off with ‘play this when i’m gone.’ The final track on the standard Tickets To My Downfall album is a letter to his oldest daughter, Casie, to comfort her after he passes. Yup, cue the waterworks. Even with the dark themes, there’s something so calming about this song that reminds us that it’s okay to let ourselves feel whatever we’re feeling. We’ll never forget the bittersweet magic of hearing this for the first time!
“I’m not gonna lie and tell you it’s alright You’re gonna cry and, baby, that’s alright…”
‘body bag’
“You’re supposed to love me better, baby, so put me in a body bag” walked so “life’s just death if I can’t have you” could run on ‘orpheus.’ Dramatic, sure, but a lot of the best pop-punk is! The SOLD OUT deluxe track ‘body bag’ brings mgk together with Bert McCracken and YUNGBLUD for an unapologetically edgy, vampy tale of twisted love that you won’t regret sinking your fangs into. It flips the drum line from Fall Out Boy’s ‘Dance, Dance’ for some extra classic pop-punk flair and intensity that cranks things up to an 11!
“I’ve got my issues, but I have the right to think you’re wrong You’re just a witch and I drank your poison, baby…”
BONUS: ‘why are you here?’
We all make mistakes, but we don’t know if we’ll ever truly forgive Kells for not putting ‘why are you here?’ on the tracklist of Tickets To My Downfall. Sure, it made it onto mainstream sellout’s life in pink deluxe eventually, but still! It tells the story of a less-than-perfect connection in which mgk and a woman are both seeing other people, only to run into each other at a party and realize how strong the pull between them really is. The guitar riffs and Goody Grace’s backing vocals (which also appear on ‘bloody valentine,’ tying the two together) are peak pop-punk, and this track would’ve been the perfect bridge between the Hotel Diablo and Tickets To My Downfall eras in our humble opinion.
“I know that I said I was at home Okay, yeah, you caught me I thought that you said you were all alone Look at you lying…”
Which of these underrated songs do you love most? Do you agree with our choices? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also buzz on over to our Reddit community to chat with us.
We music geeks are, by and large, completists. Record companies know this, which is why, even in an era when physical media is becoming a thing of the past, they keep releasing “deluxe,” “expanded” or “complete” editions of classic rock albums.
The formula is generally this. Remix the album in question, add a disc or two of alternate versions of songs and maybe a few tunes that didn’t make the cut when the album was initially released, and find some live recordings (sometimes an entire concert) from the era. Throw in reproductions of ephemera (backstage passes, decals, maybe a poster) and perhaps a modest coffee table book, and you’ve got something that can be sold for a premium price. And that’s how you generate some cash flow from material that has already been bought and paid for.
Do I sound skeptical or, at the very least, cynical? Of course I do. I’m a music writer. Or maybe my attitude has to do with having bought bootlegs that promise “revelatory” alternate takes and mixes which, in point of fact, offer little more than slight variations on what was actually released. But, having said that, there are some box set behemoths that are slated for release within the next few months that are, in fact, worthy of consideration.
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set (2 CD / 4 LP / 1 Blu-Ray) Jethro Tull – Still Living in the Past (5 CD / 1 Blu-Ray) Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska ’82 (4 CD / 1 Blu-Ray) Little Feat – The Last Record Album (4 CD) The Who – Who Are You? Super Deluxe Edition (7 CD / 1 Blu-Ray) Jimi Hendrix – Axis Bold as Love (4 CD) The Beatles – Anthology 2025 (8 CD)
Ticket Alert Christmas music comes in all forms, so if your jam is of the singer-songwriter variety, you can load up the sleigh and head to the Heights Theater for Jack Ingram’s “Acoustic Holiday Tour.” Tickets for the Houston (Fine, Woodlands) native son’s show on Saturday, December 13, are on sale now.
Cardi B has a new album (Am I the Drama?) coming out, and she is taking the unusual step of appearing at Walmarts across the country to pimp it during the record’s rollout. The Houston Walmart stop took place yesterday, but don’t despair if you missed it, since Ms. B will be perform at Toyota Center on Wednesday, March 3. Presales are in progress, with the general sale set for Thursday. Hmm. Makes you wonder. Is a ZZ Top promotional tour at Buc-ee’s across Texas in the offing?
In the tradition of Prince, who for a time went by the moniker “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince,” Kanye West, who legally changed his name to “Ye,” and Sean Combs, who has been known as “Puffy,” “Puff Daddy,” “P. Diddy” and just “Diddy,” Machine Gun Kelly has decided that he will henceforth be known as MGK. OK. The musical chameleon will play the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Saturday, May 23, with Wiz Khalifa and Beauty School Dropout opening. Tickets are on sale now.
Concerts This Week Granted, there aren’t many original Temps or Tops remaining, but you can’t argue with the catalogs that both acts assembled during the ‘60s and ‘70s. The Temptations: “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me),” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” The Four Tops: “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” “It’s The Same Old Song,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” If that list doesn’t get your head to bobbing, well, I don’t know what to tell you. Get your groove on tonight at the Smart Financial Centre. Chance the Rapper is not your typical rap artist. Gospel and jazz influences pop up in his work, and his lyrics have dealt with subjects not usually addressed in rap, such as Christian theology. Chance will perform on Friday at the Bayou Music Center, and you can find out more by taking a look at this Houston Pressinterview. There are two shows of note this week at the Mucky Duck. On Friday, blues / Americana artist Seth Walker will be in town to showcase tunes from his most recent album Why the Worry. Then on Saturday, the West Texas Exiles will celebrate the release of their new record 8000 Days with early and late shows. For more on the Exiles, check out this week’s Houston Pressinterview with the band.. Tickets for all performances are in short supply, so getting while the getting is good would be the recommendation. Charlie Wilson earned his bona fides as the lead singer of the Gap Band for the entirety of the group’s existence, 1967-2010. Wilson has also distinguished himself as a solo artist and a producer. On Friday, Wilson will bring “Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout” to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, presenting a bill that also includes venerable old-school artists Babyface and K-Ci (of Jodeci fame). Now, since this event is billed as a “cookout” and is designed to engender a “cookout” atmosphere, there will, I image, be a code of behavior that should be followed. This video might help those who have not yet been schooled. And this one, re: potato salad. Whiskey Myers and its “What We Were Born to Do” tour rolls into the Pavilion on Saturday. This band, the pride of Palestine, TX, has a country twang but still rocks hard when the need arises. Dexter and the Moonrocks, purveyors of what they call “western space grunge,” and Landon Smith will open. Jimmie Vaughan was, at one time, a wild-ass teenaged guitarist lighting it up with the Chessmen in the mid-‘60s and making a name for himself as one of the best players in Texas. After a few years, though, Vaughan looked to the past, refining his style and wholly embracing the blues. He formed the Fabulous Thunderbirds with Kim Wilson and recorded classic albums like What’s the Word? (1980) before departing the band to explore less commercial but more authentic musical pastures. Vaughan and his Tilt-a-Whirl band will play the Heights Theater on Sunday, conducting a master class in the blues, with Houston’s own rising star Mathias Lattin opening.
As you get ready for your Halloween festivities, who better to soundtrack your October than ‘el Diablo’ himself? mgk has been making the perfect music for Halloween for over a decade, and we’ve rounded up just a handful of songs that you definitely need on your playlist to get you into the spooky mood. There’s no “house too haunted” to play these on repeat, so grab your earbuds, munch on some candy corn, and get ready to jam out with us!
‘Sex Drive’
The perfect opener for your EST Halloween playlist is ‘Sex Drive,’ of course! The opening track of Hotel Diablo sees Colson singing “come and find yourself” until a bunch of creepy demon voices interrupt him, representing how forces like depression can scare you away from discovering your purpose. And if you’re hosting a haunted house on Halloween night, this song would work great as a soundtrack for your trick-or-treaters, inviting them closer for a little fright.
‘Candy’
Is half of this article going to be about Hotel Diablo? Maybe, but we won’t apologize for it. Candy is a Halloween staple, and it’s time to make ‘Candy’ a Halloween playlist staple as well! Even though it’s not necessarily about a sweet treat you get from your neighbor’s door, ‘Candy’ is ridiculously easy to jam out to and anyone you spend Halloween with will be singing along by the end of the song. Bonus points if you get some friends together to dress as Kells, Trippie Redd, and Pete Davidson in the music video!
‘DAYWALKER!’
In supernatural stories, a daywalker is a type of vampire who can actually walk in the sunlight without getting hurt – think Simon from Shadowhunters or Blade from Marvel. But in the mgk universe, it’s an iconic collab with CORPSE that compares healing from mental health struggles to feeling like a monster in the everyday world. mgk started working on the song shortly after he started his therapy journey and wanted to keep his positive progress going, which he clearly has! This track will help you let out any negative energy or aggression while sounding pretty sinister, making it a great choice to help you enjoy Halloween night to the fullest.
‘In These Walls’
Speaking of creepy vibes, ‘In These Walls’ is a no-brainer to include on this list! We first heard this song during mgk’s memorable Lockdown Sessions series and it samples the chorus of PVRIS’ ‘My House’ to describe feeling haunted by someone from the past. Lynn Gunn’s vocals sound so beautifully eerie while Kells’ rap adds a stunning edge to the mix. We’re forever grateful for the day this song arrived on our favorite streaming platforms!
‘D3MONS’
Let’s head back to 2012 for a second to spotlight ‘D3MONS,’ a collab with the late DMX that definitely suits a creepy Halloween vibe. The backing vocals and adlibs alone could soundtrack a horror movie! Kells and DMX take turns rapping about their experiences with the demons in their mind, making for a raw song that shows off both artists’ knack for storytelling. They even reference The Shining in one verse, so you could dance around the house to this song before switching gears to watch some spooky movies.
‘Waste Love’
Come on, we warned you a lot of this article would be about Hotel Diablo! The final song on our list is ‘Waste Love,’ which Kells even said himself during a Discord Q&A is a song that deserves better. This collab with Madison Love is a tale of love damaged and maybe lost, but there’s a back-and-forth that keeps both sides of the relationship hooked. “Wanted me to chase you inside, but the house too haunted,”Colson reflects on how his past experiences have impacted his more current relationships. If you’re feeling heartbroken this Spooky Season, ‘Waste Love’ is right there to help you feel less alone in it.
Which of these songs are you adding to your Halloween playlist? Are there any other mgk tracks you’d suggest? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
It’s almost the most important day of the year… MGK Day, of course! 2024’s event includes five days of mgk-themed fun in Cleveland, OH as EST from all around the world gather to celebrate his music and hometown. Those days include everything from movie nights to sports games, and that’s not even touching on the main MGK Day festival on August 11th.
Here’s the official event lineup for MGK Day 2024:
Day 1: Friday, August 9th
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Skate Day Crooked River Skate Park Rivergate Park, 1785 Merwin Ave
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM mgk Trivia & Game Night 27 Club Coffee 1215 W. 10th Street
12:00 PM – 8:00 PM League Park Invitational Charity Softball Game 6601 Lexington Avenue
FWD Nightclub Afterparty
Day 3: Sunday, August 11th
1:00 PM City Ride 4071 Lee Road
3:00 PM – 9:00 PM MGK Day on the Block (The Big Day) West 6th Street
Day 4: Monday, August 12th
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Service Day @ 27 Club Coffee 1215 W. 10th Street
Sora 天 Anime Night | MGK Day Edition 1121 W. 10th Street
Day 5: Tuesday, August 13th
6:40PM MGK Day Guardians Stadium, 2401 Ontario St Get there early for the chance to get a free bag of 27 Club Coffee and see mgk throw the first pitch of the Cleveland Guardians game!
But beyond the official MGK Day events, there are a lot of fun locations for EST to check out while in Cleveland! We researched some iconic places you should stop by between the festivities.
FirstEnergy Stadium
First, we have to celebrate the reason we got an MGK Day in the first place! Mayor Justin Bibb officially announced that August 13th would be MGK Day each year after mgk sold out FirstEnergy Stadium in 2022, which made him the only Ohio artist to ever do so.
The ‘PRESSURE’ Music Video Locations
mgk’s latest music video to take place in Cleveland is ‘PRESSURE,’ which dropped in May 2023! Here are some filming locations you might run into on your trip:
Samsel Supply Store (0:29)
Ohio City Gas (0:50)
West 65th Street (2:05)
The Agora Theater & Ballroom
If you love the ‘Let You Go’ music video as much as we do, then the Agora needs no introduction! It’s where mgk and his crew filmed the iconic Bloom video, which has a 1960s late night show theme. Retro clothes aren’t required, but it might be fun to get dressed up for your visit!
The ‘Till I Die’ Music Video Locations
Throughout his career, mgk has regularly shown love to Cleveland and ‘Till I Die’ is the perfect example. Not only does the song talk about his hometown, but the music video pays visual homage to Cleveland by taking you on a trip around the city! Here are a few of the locations you can check out yourself:
The Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument in Public Square (0:43)
Knowles Street (1:25)
East 128th Street (1:33)
Golden Gate Plaza (1:44)
Shark’s Seafood & Deli (1:51)
East 119th & Union (4:13)
Dave’s Market Shaker Square (4:43)
Shaker Heights High School (5:00)
Are you heading to Cleveland to attend MGK Day? Have you been to any of these locations? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
There are very few, if any, fandoms that are as passionately supportive of their favorite artist as EST are of mgk. And that passion is part of why we got his latest album release, Hotel Diablo: Floor 13 Edition, to begin with! He first dropped Hotel Diablo in 2019 and it has since become a beacon for not only what he has to offer, but the impact his music has on the people who listen. It’s full of unapologetic, sometimes devastating, honesty and courage that has inspired so many of us to push through any hard times we face.
Knowing how special Hotel Diablo is, Kells wanted to celebrate its fifth anniversary by giving us a new deluxe edition complete with remixes, demos, and even a new song, ‘El Pistolero!’ But first, he invited us to “come and find [ourselves]” with an innovative Discord event that brought the world of the album to life and encouraged EST to come together. We could stay up until 5:3666 talking about how fun it was, but for now, let’s stick to a simple recap.
“Meet me on Floor 13…”
The festivities kicked off when mgk’s Discord, which is usually themed with different channels named after his various albums, transformed into a hotel thanks to the engaging mod team. Specifically Hotel Diablo, of course! Once you checked in with the Keymaster bot, you stepped into the elevator… AKA a channel called Elevator that presented you with the first riddle you had to solve.
Your goal throughout the challenge for a chance to receive a prize that’s sweeter than ‘Candy’: complete 12 (or more? Hey, it’s a big hotel.) riddles to reach the ‘Floor 13’ channel. Each correct answer brought you to the next “floor” channel, or even a side channel away from the main path. Questions ranged from references to songs like ‘Waste Love,’ to nods to the featured artists on Hotel Diablo, and even superfan fun facts like the notebook mgk used to write the album. All the answers were available on the internet, but we were definitely breaking a sweat trying to figure them all out!
“Welcome to Hotel Diablo, in this building I’m the honcho…”
If and when you reached Floor 13, you officially made it to the highest ranks of the competition! The first few people to finish got merch and custom color roles within the Discord to make their chatting experience more fun. But anyone who completed the hotel challenge also got one pretty cool perk: access to an exclusive Q&A session with mgk himself! And you may have even seen or heard a few members of our hive there… 👀
Before the Q&A, everyone on Floor 13 had the chance to submit their very own question to ask Kells. A handful were selected and things were all set for ‘El Pistolero’ himself to pop in, with the people whose questions were chosen getting to ask him personally! We learned so much about the creation of Hotel Diablo, his favorite memories from the era, and so much more. We also got to hear one of his cats meowing repeatedly in the background, which was hands-down one of the best moments of our lives.
“Written in history…”
We’re so glad that mgk made the release of Hotel Diablo: Floor 13 Edition so engaging! It was a beautiful testament to how impactful the album has been and how much Kells has grown over the years. Did you get to join in the festivities? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
The debt-ceiling standoff between the GOP House and the Biden administration will likely cast a long shadow over markets. President Joe Biden met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders this past week, but their talks ended without a resolution, and a Friday meeting was postponed as staffs met.
Halloween: a holiday for spooky-themed debauchery. Its allure can partly be attributed to its unabashed celebration of our inner children. We’re encouraged to be creative. To carve pumpkins, dress up in costume, and revel in our shared silliness. We show off our interests — from our favorite characters and to our favorite memes — with our elaborate get-ups. Even if you opt for a minimal, last-minute, or outright “sexy” outfit — bunny ears or cat ears included — it’s all about the fun.
Until it isn’t.
Halloween is also a night when people exploit this annual opportunity to dress up and cross a line. Racism reigns as people head to parties in offensive costumes, often including cultural appropriation or even Blackface. With the current alarming rise in public anti-semitism, more than a few Nazi costumes were out this year. And after the success of Netflix’s Dahmer, Jeffery Dahmer costumes are also concerningly abundant. Appalling.
There’s still a long way to go. But in the age of increased awareness, thankfully, we’re seeing less of these costumes in public — or at least on social media. Say what you will about cancel culture, but it makes people think twice before doing something stupid. And for that alone, I am grateful.
This especially applies to celebrities. Hopefully, we’re beyond the days of public apologies for blatantly offensive Halloween attire. But this Halloween, a couple of problematic celebrity costumes fell through the cracks. Now that we’re not distracted by as many celebs in Blackface, I guess we have the opportunity to dissect more nuanced costume faux pas.
Let’s get into it:
First of all, Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly. Hollywood’s most extra couple stepped out as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. After the success of the Hulu adaptation starring Lily James and Sebastian Stan, the pair’s fabled romance has been thrust back into the spotlight.
However, there are many things wrong with the Hulu series. For a show supposedly critical of the exploitation of female sexuality, it sure did a bunch of exploiting. The show allegedly examined the media’s power structures that fosters a sexist culture. Yet, those very same structures ignored Anderson’s perspective on the show.
Pamela Anderson was vocally against the show — not wanting to relive that part of her life. Especially seeing it glamorized on screen as some wacky, edgy adventure. And while Anderson herself has done some problematic Halloween costumes, it’s time to untangle her narrative from the media’s portrayal of it.
As if that weren’t bad enough, this revival again branded Pam and Tommy as just another volatile, rock-n-roll relationship. I’m sure you can see why it attracted Megan and MGK. However, what pop culture seems to have forgotten, is that Tommy Lee was convicted of physical assault against Pamela Anderson.
Like many people, MGK and Megan Fox may not have known about the domestic violence in the relationship. And that’s the problem. Rather than prioritizing Anderson’s voice and story, the culture has chosen to highlight a sensationalized version of events. Seems we didn’t learn much from Free Britney.
Excising their relationship’s abusive ending allows the story to live as a glamorized mythos. Ignoring the abuse while capitalizing on Anderson’s trauma reveals that popular culture still has a long way to go.
But Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox were not the only ones who made us cringe with their carelessly conceived costumes.
New couple Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford had one of the most controversial costumes of the weekend. The two sparked dating rumors a few weeks ago after being repeatedly spotted together.
Given their 11-year age difference, the internet had some thoughts. How old is Billie Eilish? Eilish is 20 — and turns 21 in December. While Rutherford — best known as the lead singer in The Neighborhood — is 32. Not a great look for the ‘Sweater Weather’ singer, who the internet has since been accusing of grooming.
Well, first of all, I’d compare this more to a Leonardo DiCaprio situation. In that instance, Camila Morrone was 21 and free to make the mistake of dating DiCaprio — a relationship that has now, thankfully, ended. But that didn’t make it any less creepy.
Our culture fetishizes younger women, and Eilish has felt this all of her career. So when older men pursue younger women, especially women in their early 20s whose brains literally haven’t fully developed, we’re right to be suspicious. It’s a concerning dynamic. But while we can be critical, it doesn’t help to infantilize Eilish and her decisions.
People gotta to learn the hard way, I guess.
However, the fledgling couple sparked ire this weekend with their Halloween getups. In an attempt to be self-aware about the gossipy conversations about their relationship, they dressed up as a baby and an old man. Gross.
u201cBillie Eilish and boyfriend Jesse Rutherford dressed up together as a baby and an old man for Halloween.u201d
Their exaggeration of the age difference is a pointed jab at the haters. But inadvertently, it’s making light of grooming as a phenomenon. So disappointing as Eilish has been vocal about the industry’s penchant for grooming. And while she’s free to make her own decisions and pursue her own relationships, this costume choice leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Like any concerning Halloween costume, this one ignores the larger social context. Downplaying the concept of grooming is not as funny as the pair thought. For any couple, going as a baby and an old man would be really-really disgusting. For this couple, it’s even more layered.
But luckily for us, this Halloweekend was actually full of great costumes, too.
For celebs, Halloween is an extreme sport. Not only do they have the money and resources to put together the most elaborate costumes — they’re also creatives. If anything, it’s their job to think outside of the box and perform! To entertain! To put on a show! And on Halloween, they deliver.
Now, as social media has upped its game, many celebs take their costume reveals as seriously as their baby reveals. They st up professional photo shoot pictures with extravagant sets with special effects and staging. These are a far cry from my blurry costume photos taken halfway through my nights out.
But I love the extraness! The production value! It’s camp!
So, as a palette cleanser, here are some of the best Halloween costumes from this weekend.
Chloe Bailey as Lola Bunny
Kali Uchis as Jessica Rabbit
Hailey Bieber’s Runway Look
The Riverdale Girls as the Hocus Pocus Witches
Kerry Washington as Lionel Richie
Kim Kardashian’s kids as Hip-Hop Icons
Ciara and her daughter as Venus and Serena Williams
