Watch Machine Gun Kelly Surprise Nashville Crowd With Appearance From This Rising Country Star

Since releasing his debut rap album Lace Up in 2012, Machine Gun Kelly has kept his fans guessing. His fifth studio album, 2020’s Tickets to My Downfall, saw the Cleveland artist pivot to a more pop-punk inspired sound. The last couple of years have seen MGK drop a collab with country star Jelly Roll and perform onstage with reigning Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson. And during a stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday (Dec. 16), the “Lonely Road” hitmaker brought rising country star Bailey Zimmerman to the stage.

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Machine Gun Kelly Welcomes Bailey Zimmerman Onstage in Nashville

Releasing his debut studio album Religiously. The Album, in 2023, Zimmerman scored three No. 1 singles with “Fall in Love,” “Rock and a Hard Place,” and “Where it Ends.” He followed in August 2025 with the sophomore record Different Night Same Rodeo, which featured collabs with Australian hip-hop star The Kid Laroi, EDM legend Diplo, and country singer Luke Combs.

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Before a raucous crowd at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Zimmerman joined Machine Gun Kelly for a duet of the latter’s John Denver-inspired hit, “Lonely Road.” Their spirited duet was a hit on social media, with one Instagram user exclaiming, “My two worlds collide.”

[RELATED: The Only Thing Better Than MGK’s Priceless Reaction to Winning a Country Award Was His Iconic Acceptance Speech After]

“I Think We’re in the Good Part”

It’s no surprise that MGK managed to sell out Bridgestone Arena. The “Bloody Valentine” singer, 35, has previously spoken about the warm reception he received from Music City when he decided to dabble in country music.

“I think it’s like the moon or something. It’s nice to see someone else come and land on it, you know?” he told US Weekly in September 2024. “I feel like we’ve been used to what the moon looks like for a long time, some new boots stepping on it, putting a different type of footprint in the dirt.”

That same month, Machine Gun Kelly accepted the Best Crossover Song trophy for “Lonely Road” at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards. “Country music, thank you for welcoming us into your house,” said the artist (born Colson Baker.) “I don’t view music in genres. To me, there’s two genres of music—good music and bad music. I think we’re in the good part.”

Featured image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images