Colson Baker has basically spent the last decade trying to outrun his own shadow. You probably know him as the rapper Machine Gun Kelly, or just mgk if you're following the 2024 rebrand, but the guy currently headlining the Lost Americana tour in 2026 is almost unrecognizable from the skinny kid from Cleveland who was fast-rapping his way through the Warped Tour stages years ago.
He’s polarizing. Honestly, that’s an understatement. To some, he’s the "tourist" who jumped from hip-hop to pop-punk because Eminem "bullied" him out of the genre. To others, he’s a legit rock savior who brought guitars back to the Billboard charts when everyone else was using 808s. But if you actually look at the data—and the music—the story is way more complicated than a simple genre hop.
The Machine Gun Kelly Shift: Rap, Rock, and Everything in Between
The biggest misconception about the artist formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly is that his pivot to rock was a desperate move. It wasn’t. If you go back to his 2019 project Hotel Diablo, you can hear the skeletons of the pop-punk sound already rattling around in songs like "I Think I'm OKAY."
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Then 2020 happened. Tickets to My Downfall didn't just "do well." It went number one. It stayed there. Working with Travis Barker wasn't just a gimmick; it was a revival of a sound that had been dormant for a decade. By the time he dropped Mainstream Sellout in 2022, he had solidified himself as the face of a new, neon-drenched alternative movement.
But 2025 changed the trajectory again.
On August 8, 2025, he released Lost Americana. It’s his seventh studio album, and it’s basically a cocktail of everything he’s ever done. You’ve got the punchy, distorted guitars on tracks like "Vampire Diaries," but then you get these raw, lyrical hip-hop moments that remind you why he was a "rapper" in the first place. It debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, proving that even after the initial "pop-punk hype" died down, his core fanbase—the EST crew—isn't going anywhere.
What’s happening with the 2026 World Tour?
Right now, in early 2026, mgk is in the middle of the Lost Americana World Tour. It’s his most ambitious run yet.
He just finished a massive stint through Europe, hitting spots like Bologna, Munich, and a sold-out night at London's O2 Arena on March 5. If you're looking for him now, he’s likely prepping for the Australia and New Zealand leg this April. The schedule is pretty relentless:
- April 8: RAC Arena, Perth
- April 14: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
- April 18: Spark Arena, Auckland
After that? He’s heading back to North America in May for a 29-date amphitheater run. He’s bringing Wiz Khalifa out for most of those dates, which feels like a full-circle moment for two guys who have been staples in the industry since the early 2010s.
The Megan Fox Situation: What Really Happened
You can't talk about Machine Gun Kelly without talking about Megan Fox. For a few years, they were the most "Internet-breaking" couple on the planet. The blood-drinking, the thorns on the engagement ring, the constant public intensity—it was a lot.
But as of early 2026, the romantic side of that story seems to have officially closed.
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Sources have confirmed that while they are still very much in each other's lives, they aren't "together" in a romantic sense. They welcomed their daughter, Saga Blade, in March 2025. Since then, the focus has shifted entirely to co-parenting. You’ll still see them at the L.A. Zoo or the Getty Center with the baby, but the "Twin Flame" era has matured into something much quieter. Megan has been open about focusing on her kids and this "new chapter," and Colson seems to be channeling that same energy into his sobriety and his music.
It’s less chaotic. More stable. Kinda refreshing, actually.
Why He Still Matters in 2026
People love to hate him. It’s part of the brand. But the numbers don't lie: over 20 billion streams and a career that has survived more "cancellations" than almost any other artist in his weight class.
He’s also leaned heavily into his business ventures. The 27 Club Coffee shop in Cleveland is still a massive local hub, and he’s been popping up with Nashville residencies lately. He’s not just an artist; he’s an ecosystem.
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Whether you like his singing voice or miss his Lace Up days, you have to admit the guy knows how to pivot. He isn't trying to be the "Rap Devil" anymore. He’s not trying to be the next Sid Vicious. He’s just Colson.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Critics:
- Check the Credits: If you want to understand the Lost Americana sound, look at the production. Travis Barker is still there, but the inclusion of more diverse collaborators shows he’s moving away from the "pure" pop-punk box.
- Watch the Live Sets: The 2026 tour is utilizing a lot more live instrumentation and acoustic sets (like the XX-Con set in Cleveland) compared to the high-production pyrotechnics of the Mainstream Sellout era.
- Follow the Rebrand: The shift to "mgk" is more than a name change; it’s a legal and branding move to distance himself from the "Machine Gun" imagery as he settles into fatherhood and a more "human" public persona.
- Stream the Deep Cuts: If you only know the hits, listen to "Times of My Life," which he officially released in January 2026 after years of it being a fan-favorite leak. It’s the best bridge between his old and new styles.