Machine Gun Kelly declared "pop punk's crown Prince" and pop-punk fans are furious

25 March 2022, 15:54

Machine Gun Kelly smokes a guitar pipe contraption in Instagram clip

By Jazmin Duribe

"Apologize to Pete Wentz."

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Machine Gun Kelly is officially "pop punk's crown Prince", according to Billboard.

As you will know, Machine Gun Kelly has slowly transformed himself from rapper to rocker. The 'Emo Girl' singer is considered one of the faces of pop punk's recent revival and his last album, Tickets to My Downfall, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2020. At the time, it was the first rock album to chart so highly in over a year.

On Wednesday (Mar 23), Machine Gun Kelly featured as Billboard magazine's March cover star ahead of the release of his sixth album, Mainstream Sellout, which was released today (Mar 25). For the cover shoot, MGK wore a pearl and rhinestone crown on his head while his hands were clasped together in prayer.

Machine Gun Kelly declared "pop punk&squot;s crown Prince" — Machine Gun Kelly declared "pop punk's crown Prince". Picture: Alamy, @machinegunkelly via Instagram

The title beside him read: "Pop-punk's crown Prince. Rock needed a 'defibrillator'. Machine Gun Kelly came to the rescue."

In the cover interview, Machine Gun Kelly defended critiques of him not being authentically pop punk. "I know it kills certain bands in that community that I got the success that I got. But I earned that s–t," he explained.

"Dude, I was f–king loading up the van with our drums and amps in 2010, driving to Indiana and Chicago, playing Warped Tour. I can tell you the f–king Wi-Fi codes to venues in Blackfoot, Idaho. Can you say that s–t as a band?"

He also revealed that the album after Tickets to My Downfall was supposed to be a rap album, but his love of guitar made him pivot more towards his current sound. He added: "The 2010s was great for singers and rappers, and I was part of that. But I think we needed something else: We needed an instrument. Kids come up to me like, ‘Dude, the first time I ever saw someone play guitar in concert was at your concert — and now I take guitar lessons.'"

Although MGK has been topping the charts with his pop punk hits, fans didn't like that he was being declared "pop punk's crown Prince".

calling MGK the "prince of pop-punk" is so undermining to all of the actual hard working pop-punk bands that came from the diy scene. this has to be a joke. https://t.co/ZexsRLEeLJ
— Nick 🔆 (@nickrizz0) March 23, 2022

Ryan Scott Graham doesn’t have 37 pop punk bands for you to be saying shit like this billboard https://t.co/RevpqqPuPK
— hai van (@haiIeyvan) March 23, 2022

I can’t wait for him + the general public to get bored of pop punk and leave us the fuck alone https://t.co/1kfOUBlr0s
— liz the legend (@spiritandbones) March 24, 2022

I do not know anyone who likes Pop Punk and Machine Gun Kelly https://t.co/SvfgIgGehx
— Whack, with a silent 'h' (@WhackNicholson) March 25, 2022

when will mainstream media outlets reach out to gather opinions and feedback from actual longtime members of the alt-rock subculture because 99.9% despise this man. I do not understand https://t.co/T7RDlkvLmU
— zoe ann (@zaonen) March 23, 2022

apologize to pete wentz https://t.co/iJTrbVt35d
— swagmaster 3000 (@bruhznetsov) March 24, 2022

don’t provoke me to anger https://t.co/cpv43SZk7y
— countess dracula 🩸 (@richchocolit) March 24, 2022

i’m dead serious who actually listens to him https://t.co/BosdL7UGAA
— mila tequila (@milatequilayt) March 23, 2022

I don’t think @State_Champs, the kings of the new age, would be too pleased to hear about this https://t.co/txT7mpEbjG
— erica bevan (@ericabevan_) March 23, 2022

every one who isn't pop punk sees him as pop punk. literally ask anyone just slightly in the scene and they will tell you he is absolutely not https://t.co/hQyd6FSW8h
— sol ꩜ 35 (@cemeterysol) March 25, 2022