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Published February 21, 2024, 3:09 pm ET
The new era of Machine Gun Kelly is here.
The rapper released a heartbreaking new ballad titled “Don't Let Me Go” on Wednesday, a day after he went viral for posting photos of his torso, arms and chest covered in fresh blackout tattoos.
Fans loved the designs, with many wondering what MGK meant when he said via Instagram that it was for “spiritual purposes only.”
Of course, the songwriter – who has been vocal about his mental health struggles in the past – used his music to provide some clarity, telling fans that it was the result of a “breakdown.”
Machine Gun Kelly addresses his viral blackout tattoo in his new song “Don't Let Me Go.” Machine Gun Kelly/YouTube “I had a breakdown and tattooed my whole body except for one line,” he raps on the new track. Machine Gun Kelly/YouTube
“Lately my thoughts are eating me alive/laying in bed thinking that maybe if I don't live the hate will finally go away,” MGK (real name: Colson Baker) raps at the start of the track while playing the piano.
“I wish I hadn't listened, like I wish they would understand me for once / I had a breakdown and tattooed my whole body except for one line / Everything's fine.”
In the accompanying music video, a somber MGK, 33, rolled up the sleeves of his black and white shirt to reveal the fresh artwork – and the return of his pink hair color.
MGK unveiled the new artwork a day before the song's release. Machine Gun Kelly/Instagram “For spiritual purposes only,” he teased via Instagram. ROXX/Instagram
“I'm slipping again / There I'm slipping again / I'm behaving differently again. Every time I look into the cup and sip, I see the reflection of my family,” he continues. “After the sins / Tell me, after all the sins will I be mentioned again? Why do I care if in the end it’s just God and me, like I’m a Christian again?”
Throughout the track, MGK also addresses the ups and downs of his relationship with his fiancée Megan Fox, a heartbreaking miscarriage, the death of his father, suicidal thoughts, the constant pressure he feels as an artist, and more.
“Who am I when the music stops / and the character I played is really just broken and damn lost,” he sings in another verse. “I swear I told you over and over again in all these songs / but they don’t hear anything I write because they’re too busy trying to write me off.”
The fresh ink covers most of his upper chest, arms and shoulders. Jeff Steinberg / SplashNews.com The tattoo was done in December 2023 by ink artist Roxx. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
As Page Six Style previously reported, MGK's new blackout tattoo – which covers most of his arms, upper chest and shoulders – was done by famed ink artist Roxx in December 2023.
“Made some art with @machinegunkelly. I've never met anyone harder,” the artist wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, to which MGK replied in the comments, “🤞🏼😤 Thanks for the joy and the pain.”
However, the blackout tattoo left some of the “Bloody Valentine” rocker's previous upper body art exposed, with various designs peeking through the lines on his arms and the new cross shape visible on his chest.
MGK's fiancée, Megan Fox, also recently debuted her own fresh ink. meganfox/Instagram
At the time, many MGK followers took to the comments section to comment on the transformation, including his celebrity friends and frequent collaborators.
For more Page Six Style…
“Proud of you bro, the change was nice to see,” Mod Sun wrote, and Travis Barker's son Landon Barker added, “Fire!”
The actress now has a full sleeve of flowers and birds. Robert Hanashiro – USA TODAY
Meanwhile, Fox, 37, recently unveiled her own new ink at a 2024 Grammys afterparty earlier this month – a “freshly reworked” sleeve with birds and flowers.
The “Jennifer's Body” star debuted the artwork after revealing during an appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show” in November 2023 that she recently got a large tattoo that she didn't like and needed to rework .
“It's my whole arm, so no big deal,” she joked at the time.
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