For 2022 Albums, It Doesn't Get Much Worse Than Machine Gun Kelly's 'Mainstream Sellout'

If you're confused by the career trajectory and subsequent mega-stardom of rapper Machine Gun Kelly, you're not alone. The man cut his teeth as a monotonous performer who dug into his depressed state of mind for moving lyrics, and now he is equally monotonous as a pop-punk singer. Regardless of how much you like the genres that he inhabits, fans have an unquestionably difficult time defending the now-singer's talents, which most are hard-pressed to find at all. Here's the rundown of how Machine Gun Kelly transitioned into the rock world, and by his own words injected it with newfound life.

By the time Machine Gun Kelly started reaching his peak commercial and artistic nexus, his blend of rap and rock was nearly seamless. 'I Think I'm Okay,' which featured Yungblud, Travis Barker, and a close estimate of things to come, sounded like a rapper making a rap song, and clearly marked the exact sound he had strived for for years of melding the two worlds. Then came Tickets To My Downfall, which went entirely into the rock direction. Pop-punk guitars and hooks dominated every song, but there was a major problem: Machine Gun Kelly sang and played on every song, and he was not good at either. Top it off with indistinguishable weak songwriting, and you've got the perfect set-up to the failure of 2022's Mainstream Sellout.

Two years of popularity as a rockstar and no supervision for what would come next, and Mainstream Sellout proved that Machine Gun Kelly still didn't know exactly what his strengths were. He gives himself near-constant opportunities to show off strong singing, precise guitar playing, and gripping songwriting, and on all accounts he thoroughly fails in every regard. Old fans, beware. New fans who are on the fence, listen to Mainstream Sellout; it will give you a serious appreciation for the hundreds of better albums that have come out this year.

Rating: 3/10

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