It was late 2016 when a specific interpolation of a 90s classic started taking over the radio. You couldn’t escape it. "Bad Things," the collaboration between Machine Gun Kelly—back when he was strictly a rapper—and Camila Cabello, newly solo from Fifth Harmony, became a massive polarizing force in pop culture. Some people found the chemistry electric. Others felt like the lyrics of Bad Things pushed a narrative that was, well, a little toxic.
Music doesn't exist in a vacuum. When MGK and Camila jumped on a track produced by The Futuristics, they weren't just making a song; they were leaning into a very specific "Bonnie and Clyde" trope that has existed in music for decades. But why did this one stick? Why does it still get millions of streams years later despite the mixed critical reception?
Honestly, it’s mostly because of the hook. If that melody sounds familiar, it’s because it’s lifted directly from Fastball’s 1999 hit "Out of My Head." It’s a songwriting trick as old as time—take a melody people already subconsciously love and wrap it in a modern, edgier package.
What the Lyrics of Bad Things Are Actually Saying
At its core, the song is about a complicated, high-intensity relationship where pain and pleasure are basically the same thing. It’s not a "sweet" love song. It’s messy. The opening lines set the stage immediately: "Am I out of my head? Am I out of my mind?" This isn't a stable romance. It's an obsession.
MGK’s verses are surprisingly dark for a Top 40 hit. He talks about scars on his body and the "nails on my back." It’s visceral. He’s painting a picture of a love that is physical, perhaps a bit destructive, and definitely secretive. When he says, "complexion of a zombie," he’s leaning into that "bad boy" persona that defined his early career. He wants the listener to know this isn't a Disney romance.
Then you have Camila Cabello. Her vocal delivery is airy, almost breathless. It provides a sharp contrast to MGK’s raspy, aggressive delivery. When she sings about wanting to do "bad things" to her partner, it was a huge departure from her image in Fifth Harmony. It was her "grown-up" moment. She’s leaning into the thrill of the taboo.
The Fastball Connection and Emotional Nostalgia
Music critics often point out that the song's success relies heavily on the interpolation. Fastball’s original track was a mid-tempo pop-rock song about a guy who says the wrong thing and regrets it. By stripping that melody and putting it in a song about a dark, intense romance, the producers performed a bit of emotional alchemy.
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You’ve probably noticed how many modern hits do this. It’s a shortcut to your brain’s reward center. By using a melody you might have heard in the backseat of your parents' car in the 90s, the "Bad Things" lyrics feel familiar even if you've never heard them before. It creates a weird sense of comfort for a song that is ostensibly about discomfort.
The Controversy: Romanticizing Toxicity?
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. A lot of listeners and child advocates at the time were a bit concerned about what the lyrics of Bad Things were teaching younger fans. The song repeatedly equates "pain" with "love."
- "I love the way you hurt me."
- "Always down for the cause."
- "No matter what you do, I'm coming back to you."
Is it art reflecting life, or is it glamorizing an unhealthy dynamic? Honestly, it’s probably a bit of both. Pop music has a long history of this—think about Rihanna’s "Love the Way You Lie" or even older tracks like "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)."
The song suggests that if a relationship isn't "crazy" or "intense" to the point of being "bad," then it isn't real. That’s a powerful, if dangerous, hook for a teenage audience. MGK has always leaned into the "troubled soul" archetype, and this song was the peak of that branding. It wasn't just a song; it was a lifestyle pitch.
Why the Chemistry Worked (And Why It Didn't)
There’s a reason this song hit Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The contrast works. You have the "Cleveland bad boy" and the "Pop Princess." It’s a classic trope. People love a redemption story, or at least a "good girl gone bad" story.
But if you look at the YouTube comments or old Reddit threads from 2017, the audience was split. Some felt the chemistry was forced—a label-manufactured attempt to give Camila a solo career and MGK a mainstream breakthrough. Others saw it as a genuine expression of a certain kind of youthful, reckless passion.
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The production by The Futuristics keeps the energy high, but the lyrics are what stay with you. They are repetitive. They are simple. They are designed to be shouted in a car at 2 AM.
Technical Breakdown: Songwriting and Structure
If we look at the mechanics, the song follows a very standard pop-rap formula. Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus.
- The Intro: Sets the mood with a melancholic piano and the Fastball melody.
- The Rap Verses: MGK provides the narrative "edge."
- The Hook: Camila provides the "earworm."
- The Bridge: A breakdown that builds tension before the final explosion of the chorus.
It’s efficient. It’s professional. It’s exactly how you build a radio hit. But what makes it "human" is the specific choice of words. Using "Bad Things" as a euphemism is clever because it allows the listener to fill in the blanks with their own experiences or fantasies. It’s vague enough to be safe for radio but specific enough to feel "edgy."
Real-World Impact and the MGK Evolution
Think about where MGK is now. He’s shifted entirely into pop-punk and then back toward a mix of genres. He’s married to Megan Fox. In a weird way, the "Bad Things" lyrics were a blueprint for his entire public persona. He’s the guy who loves hard, lives fast, and embraces the "messy" side of life.
For Camila, this song was her proof of concept. It proved she could hold her own as a solo artist. It gave her the momentum she needed to eventually release "Havana." Without the success of "Bad Things," her career path might have looked very different.
Common Misconceptions About the Song
People often think MGK wrote the whole thing. He didn't. The song has a massive list of writers, including Madison Love and the members of Fastball (Tony Scalzo), because of the sample. It was a highly engineered piece of pop machinery.
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Another misconception? That it’s a cover. It’s not. An interpolation is different. It uses the melody but changes the words. It’s a subtle distinction, but an important one for royalty checks.
Some fans also thought the song was about a specific person in MGK's life. While he certainly pulls from his own experiences with addiction and turbulent relationships, "Bad Things" was more about capturing a "vibe" that was popular on Tumblr at the time. It was the peak of the "grunge-glam" aesthetic.
How to Interpret These Lyrics Today
Looking back with 2026 eyes, the song feels like a time capsule. It represents a specific era of pop where the line between "edgy hip-hop" and "mainstream pop" was completely dissolving.
If you're analyzing the lyrics for a school project or just because you’re a fan, it’s worth looking at the power dynamics. Who has the power in this song? Usually, in these "Bad Things" scenarios, it’s presented as an equal exchange of madness. "I’m out of my head, you’re out of your mind." It’s a mutual pact of dysfunction.
Is it healthy? No. Is it catchy? Absolutely.
Actionable Steps for Understanding Songwriting Tropes
If you're interested in how songs like this are crafted, there are a few things you can do to sharpen your ear.
- Listen to the Original: Go back and listen to "Out of My Head" by Fastball. Notice how the same melody can feel completely different just by changing the tempo and the instruments.
- Analyze the Euphemisms: Look at how songwriters use phrases like "bad things" to bypass censorship while still conveying a mature message. It’s a classic technique used by everyone from Cole Porter to Billie Eilish.
- Study the "Bonnie and Clyde" Trope: Research other songs that use the "us against the world" or "love as a crime" narrative. Compare "Bad Things" to "Him & I" by G-Eazy and Halsey or "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé.
- Check the Credits: Always look at the songwriting credits on Genius or Spotify. Seeing how many people it takes to build a "dark" hit can be eye-opening. It’s rarely just one person’s vision.
The fascination with the "Bad Things" lyrics persists because they tap into a universal human experience: the thrill of a relationship that you know probably isn't good for you, but you can't seem to walk away from. It's the musical equivalent of a car crash—you shouldn't look, but you can't help it.
Understanding the context of this 2016 hit reveals a lot about how pop music is manufactured and why certain themes—no matter how controversial—always seem to find a home on the charts. Whether you love the song or find it problematic, its impact on the careers of Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello is undeniable. It was the moment they both decided to stop playing it safe.