Machine Gun Kelly, Tickets to My Downfall | Album Review

Machine Gun Kelly successfully shifts from hip-hop to pop-punk on his fifth studio album, Tickets to My Downfall.

The last, full-length Machine Gun Kelly project that I indulged in was BINGE, released in 2018.  A horrid tape, it featured one song of note, “Rap Devil”, in which the rapper took shots at Eminem.  Given its godawful quality, it made me skip Hotel Diablo, which, per select critics, was a much strong project than BINGE or bloom (2017). After neglecting Hotel Diablo, I decided to see what Kells was serving up on Tickets to My Downfall, an about face given he trades rap for pop-punk.  All in all, it’s not a far-fetched shift, and there are some fine moments.  The second coming it’s not, but, ultimately successful.

“title track”  

Machine Gun Kelly sets the tone with “title track,” which begins slower. “I sold some tickets / to come see my downfall / It sold out in minutes,” he sings on the first verse, before a fitting “Ayy, fuck it” kicks up both tempo and energy. From, there, Kells does a great job of amplifying the punk-ness, or at least the stereotypes of punk with self-deprecation and such: “If I’m a painter, I’d be a depressionist.”

He follows up “title track” with “Kiss Kiss,” a record where excess rules the roost.  “Get me a drink and cigarette,” he asserts on the first verse, continuing, “I just need to go out ‘cause I can sleep when I’m dead.” Pop-punk, indeed.  Machine Gun Kelly just shows his deck without the least bit of disguise, capped off by the “Kiss-kiss, kiss-kiss the bottle all night” chorus.  “Drunk face” keeps the Downfall ripe, including wasted youth, unhealthy love, and of course, substance abuse.  Kells admits his mistakes and regrets, promising “I’ll grow up next summer.” That, of course, is if his downfall doesn’t come first!

“Bloody Valentine” 

“Bloody valentine” ranks among the best moments from Tickets to My Downfall. Pros include energy, intensity, and the continual throwback to a different era. Travis Barker, who’s been behind the boards throughout, definitely helps make “Bloody Valentine” sound much like blink-182. “In my head, in my head / I’m callin’ you ‘girlfriend,’ what the fuck?” Machine Gun Kelly, who has showcased relationship and trust issues in the past, seems to be desiring more when it comes to relationships.  While he’s a bit apprehensive on “Bloody Valentine,” he also has feelings for her, and he’s willing to ‘let down his guard,’ and embrace whatever this experience may be.  The lyrics suggests a fun night more than concrete commitment.  The centerpiece is the chorus:

“I don’t do fake love
But I’ll take some from you tonight
I know I’ve got to go
But I might just miss the flight
I can’t stay forever, let’s play pretend
And treat this night like it’ll happen again
You’ll be my bloody valentine tonight.”

Worth noting, when “bloody valentine” was released as a single, there was speculation about who this song is about. We’ll leave that at that.

Following “bloody valentine,” Machine Gun Kelly brings some collaborations into the mix.  He’s joined by Halsey on the spirited “forget me too.”  Halsey definitely exhibits a different side than we’re used to, projecting her voice tremendously and filled with attitude. “My bad dreams are silk screened,” she sings on the second verse, adding, “‘Cause I taste blood when you bleed / It’s eating me alive.” Woo! Of course, Kells is turned-up too, reminiscing back on a totally unhealthy relationship. Hip-hop isn’t totally absent on Tickets to My Downfall, with Trippie Redd guesting on the brief “all I know.” Of course, all you need to know from Kells is, well, he’s ignorant… per his lack of knowing! Trippie Redd is in a similar boat, on his melodically delivered verse (“Don’t know who to call, I don’t know (yeah), I don’t know”).

“lonely” 

On “lonely,” Machine Gun Kelly does a fine job of capturing pain that he’s experienced.  He’s lost a lot of family in his life, and even in instances where it’s not been smooth sailing, you can tell that naturally, it’s affected him.  The pop-punk medium is definitely a perfect means to capture this angst and loneliness, as well to serve up some colorful songwriting, and more f-bombs (goes with the territory).

From there, we get a couple of shorter cuts beginning with “WWIII.” Machine Gun Kelly definitely ‘keeps the same energy,’ in this profanity-laden one-minute joint.  “At least / Make it look good while you’re lying to me,” he sings on the chorus, continuing, “Goddammit, I’m trying to find inner peace / But it’s World War III.” “Kevin and barracuda (interlude)” follows, featuring Pete Davidson and one line from Kells’ current girlfriend, Megan Fox.  It’s definitely a wacky interlude, yet fittingly prefaces what’s to come.

“Concert for aliens” 

“Get me off this rollercoaster!” “Concert for aliens” is the joint prefaced by the unique “Kevin and barracuda (interlude).”  One of the standouts from Tickets to My Downfall, the guitars roar, the drums pummel, and Machine Gun Kelly is turned TF up.  “Concert for aliens” is another instance of great 90s-00s nostalgia.  The verses are spirited to the nth degree, while the sing-along chorus is simply irresistible.  The same can be said of the post-chorus!

“SOS (I’m callin’)
SOS, I’m calling out
SOS (I’m fallin’)
SOS, I’m falling now.”

Adding to the charm of “Concert for aliens” is the ending, where Kells admits, “Fuck, I said the wrong lyric / Ooh, keep that.” Indeed!

He follows up with another elite moment, “My ex’s best friend.” Naturally, him and featured guest blackbear are a perfect match.  Both artists have that rock energy (not to mention ample tattoos).  Again, the listener is treated to a pretty rad chorus.  Worth noting, “my ex’s best friend” doesn’t keep it in the rock lane, with hip-hop coming into play, particularly during bear’s verse. The results are successful.

“Jawbreaker”

Following “concert for aliens” and “my ex’s best friend” is no easy task.  “Jawbreaker” doesn’t live up to either in my opinion but give Machine Gun Kelly credit for maintaining energy and personality.  “Jawbreaker” is ultimately brief and inoffensive, with a pinch of fun.  Rising hip-hop artist Iann Dior joins in on “nothing inside.”  Like Trippie Redd earlier on “all I know,” Dior keeps it melodic, complementing Kells well.  Like the majority of Tickets to My Downfall, the spirit it high.

“Banyan tree (interlude) serves as the penultimate track on most editions of Tickets to My Downfall.  Here, Kelly lets us into his relationship with Megan Fox, infusing some positivity into the album.  Tickets concludes with “play this when I’m gone,” a song addressed to his daughter. “I wrote you this song to keep when I’m gone,” he sings on the chorus, continuing, ‘If you ever feel alone / You’re gonna cry and baby, that’s alright, it’s alright.”  “Banyan tree” and “paly this when I’m gone” certainly feel different compared to much of the rest of the album.

Final Thoughts 

All said and done, Machine Gun Kelly definitely has some great moments on Tickets to My Downfall.  This pop-punk turn is successful and again, doesn’t feel too far-fetched.  Sometimes, artists step outside of their box with suspect results (G-Eazy, Everything’s Strange Here for example).  In this case, it works.  Again, Tickets to My Downfall isn’t the second coming, but there are plenty of things to like.

Gems: “bloody valentine,” “forget me too,” “lonely,” “concert for aliens” & “my ex’s best friend”

Machine Gun Kelly • Tickets to My Downfall • Bad Boy / Interscope • Release: 9.25.20

Photo Credits: Bad Boy / Interscope