Mainstream Sellout, the new album by artist Machine Gun Kelly, has not been living up to its name.  “My Ex’s Best Friend” singer released his 7th album on Mar. 25, and the album quickly charted, debuting at number two on the USA Billboard charts for just one week. 

  “This album is highly auto tuned and hard to listen to.  When I first heard his music I thought it was a school project and was shocked to find out he is a professional singer,”  said freshman Sarah Germana.

This new project has more of a rock sound than his previous album, Tickets to My Downfall, but MGK continues to make pop-rock style music.  The 16-track album has seven songs with featured artists, and even though this album has a rock sound to it, most of the featured artists are rappers.  These artists include Gunna, Lil Wayne, WILLOW, Blackbear, and others.  The album was announced on Aug. 9, 2021, and its lead single, “Papercuts”, was released just two days later on Aug. 11.  The single peaked at number 74 on the charts and stayed on for only one week.  Other singles from the album include “Ay! ft. Lil Wayne” and “Emo Girl ft. WILLOW”, which became popular on Tiktok.  Users of the app would use the song to poke fun at the lyrics and pop culture references of the track.

“Personally, I believe it’s catchy but the lyrics itself make me question his morals. Otherwise I think the song has a fun vibe,”  said freshman Aria Gottesman. 

Many of the songs on the album deal with Kelly’s struggle of mental health and sobriety.  Lyrics such as “My mental imbalance/Mixed with the drugs create me” from “God Save Me” and “(I feel so) alienated like I’m the devil’s spawn” from “Born With Horns” show how Kelly must grapple with his mental health, while being immersed in a world of drugs and fame.  The album closer, “Twin Flame,” is an ode to his fiancee, Megan Fox.  As one of the slower tracks on the album, the song discusses feelings of how Kelly feels he does not deserve Fox.  Lyrics like “You’re too good for me/I’m too bad to keep/I’m too sad, lonely/I want you only” show a never-seen-before, vulnerable side of him.  

Although Mainstream Sellout has been charting, it hasn’t gotten the best reviews, particularly on the topic of songwriting and lyricism.

 “…he needs to realize that ‘introspective’ songwriting is about more than just yelling about how much you suck,”  said Charles Aaron of Rolling Stones.

Critics and fans alike also feel that this new project is disappointing compared to his past works.

“I used to love Machine Gun Kelly’s music and I remember hearing “My Ex’s Best Friend” on the radio all last summer, but his new music is too different and I wish I liked it more,”  said freshman Myla Tannenbaum. 

Despite the bad reviews this album has gotten, MGK is taking it on tour this summer. Starting on Jun. 8, the Mainstream Sellout Tour will be performed in arenas all over the country.  Other artists that are touring with him include Avril Lavigne and Iann Dior.  If you’d want to see their concert, they will be at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, on Jun. 28. 

Overall, Mainstream Sellout seems to be a bust, and a disappointment to many fans and critics alike.