MGK - “Tickets to My Downfall” Review
Machine Gun Kelly said no more rap music, and that pop-punk is not dead.
Machine Gun Kelly has been making music since 2006 and has evolved immensely in his sound. MGK, less know as Colson Baker, is a rapper and now developing punk star from Cleveland, Ohio.
The rapper did not get his start until 2015, when “Till I Die”, a song about his hometown, blew up.
Once the song was released, it seemed like it was played every second of every hour. MGK had officially made it.
So how did MGK go from rap to pop-punk? By looking at his back-to-back albums, it was expected.
Slowly but surely, more punk sounds and instruments were used, and MGK’s vocals went from on-beat bars to long-lasting notes. Listeners can see this change on the album “Hotel Diablo,” with a couple of standout songs.
MGK said in an interview that rapping is a young guy’s game and since he is now older, he wants to pursue a new sound, which is evident in “Tickets to My Downfall.” As MGK got older, the more pop-punk he became.
Just about every song can rock your socks off and or make you get up and dance. This is one of the more energetic albums of MGK’s discography.
If Juice WRLD and Blink-182 were to have a baby, this album would be the child.
In each song, there is a wild guitar riff and crazy drums. Even with the slower and sadder songs, the rock instrumentals get into a listener’s head.
The instrumentals, however, are a mask to the lyrics; MGK pulled a “Pumped Up Kicks” with this album.
MGK discusses his struggles with drugs and his depression. In the song “kiss kiss,” the chorus repeats “Kiss kiss, kiss kiss the bottle all night.”
MGK also dedicates an entire song to his daughter, “play this when I'm gone.” Certain lyrics such as , “I wrote this song to keep when I’m gone,” “If you ever feel alone,” and “You’re gonna cry and baby, that’s alright, it’s alright” all hit the soft spot.
Every song on the album was a, except for one: “WWIII.” This song was a little too rock heavy and the lyrics weren’t as touching as the others. It did not seem like this song belonged on the album.
Overall, though, the production, the music itself, the lyrics and the vocals were great.
This new sound might not be for everyone, and with this new shift in sound, MGK might lose or gain listeners. Within the next couple of weeks, audiences will see that result.
Goodbye rap, and hello pop-punk!
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer’s Favorite Songs: “my ex’s best friend” and “kiss kiss”
Least Favorite Song: “WWIII”
Emily McGlynn is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email esm5378@psu.edu.
