Machine Gun Kelly drops ‘Bloody Valentine’ – Review

It’s a simple song that delves into well-trodden subject matter – Kelly is infatuated with someone who seems to play with his emotions and doesn’t reciprocate feelings in quite the same way. Despite the edgy exterior and emotionally charged lyricism, the track itself is a fun, bouncy pop punk anthem, its guitars satisfyingly gritty and Travis Barker’s drums feeding a breathless energy that runs all throughout. In fact, it sounds more like Blink 182 than either of the last two actual Blink 182 albums, which is bizarre.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest Machine Gun Kelly fan going. Although his Eminem diss track ‘Rap Devil’ is frequently clowned on by rabid Marshall fans it was still a respectable effort and helped get his name into more hip hop discourse. Outside of that track and a handful of singles, though, I’ve never managed to truly click with Machine Gun Kelly until now. ‘Bloody Valentine’ is my favourite work he’s dropped to date, and I have high hopes that the full LP will continue along the same line of gutsy, good ol’ fashioned pop punk.

We may even get some features on here such as Neck Deep, Blink 182, or even Real Friends. All of these bands would absolutely fit with this style and bring a lot to the table. The full album is titled ‘Tickets To My Downfall’ and will come out sometime this year.

No word on when we’ll actually be able to go see these tracks live, though, thanks to the ongoing coronavirus situation. We’ll all have to make do with air guitaring in our living rooms for now.