Machine Gun Kelly keeps his fanbase eternally guessing. The “bloody valentine” singer was at the height of his rap career in 2020 when he abruptly switched lanes and dropped a pop-punk album. Last year, the Houston-born artist, 34, publicly dabbled in reggaeton. Lately, it appears MGK is veering towards country territory, as the “My City” artist is reportedly in talks for a collaboration with Jelly Roll. Recently, Machine Gun Kelly took another long stride toward Nashville when he dropped a Zach Bryan cover on social media.
Videos by American Songwriter
Machine Gun Kelly Adds “Some of My Vibe” to Zach Bryan Tune
On Wednesday (June 26), Machine Gun Kelly previewed an acoustic cover of Zach Bryan’s “Sun to Me”—off the artist’s 2022 album American Heartbreak—to his official Instagram account.
“hope you don’t mind i added some of my vibe to your song @zachlanebryan,” wrote The Dirt star.
The artist (real name: Colson Baker) strums on his guitar as he softly sings Bryan’s shining ballad: Arms tied, legs numb, wrapped around my knee / Sweetest of the sunflowers, yeah, you’re the sun to me.
[RELATED: The Meaning Behind Zach Bryan’s Beaming ‘American Heartbreak’ Ballad “Sun to Me”]
Like much of MGK’s catalog, it shouldn’t work—and yet, it does. “Colson is a musical genius,” raved one Instagram user. “He’s the definition of what I think life is. It’s never linear. It’s evolving and growing and changing constantly. That’s just what he’s doing, and in any genre he wants. He’s not limiting himself. And he’s thriving in it.”
Another fan added, “Plz more music from country colson cause you’re tapping into something special here.”
Is MGK Going the Way of Post Malone?
This isn’t the first time Machine Gun Kelly has dipped his toes into country waters. The rapper turned pop-punk artist covered The Chicks’ “There’s Your Trouble” during his Spotify House set at CMA Fest 2024. The track was the second single off the The Chicks’ 1998 studio album Wide Open Spaces.
What’s more, Jelly Roll recently confirmed that he and his rival-turned-friend are, in fact, cooking up something together in the studio.
“
“That’s my buddy, man, we’re cookin’,” Jelly Roll told Taste of Country. “We work a lot, man. I’ve known of Kells 15 years, probably, 14 years since we were both on the underground hip-hop scene.”
Featured image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
