Honestly, if you go back and look at the timeline of Colson Baker’s career, there’s this weirdly specific moment in 2017 that most people just glaze over. Everyone talks about the Eminem beef or the sudden pink-haired pivot to pop-punk with Travis Barker in 2020. But if you want to find the exact "patient zero" for his genre-switching, you have to look at Machine Gun Kelly Let You Go.
It wasn't just another track on Bloom.
It was a warning shot.
For years, MGK was the "Wild Boy" from Cleveland. He was the fast-rapping, high-energy kid who seemed destined to stay in the hip-hop lane forever. Then came Bloom, and tucked away in the tracklist was this song that sounded more like something you'd hear at Warped Tour than on a rap playlist.
The Identity Crisis That Actually Worked
At the time, "Let You Go" felt like a total curveball. I remember people on Twitter being genuinely confused. "Is he... singing?" yeah, he was. And he wasn't just doing that melodic rap thing that was getting popular at the time. He was leaning into a full-on alternative rock sound.
The song is basically a post-mortem on a relationship that’s already cold on the table. It’s got that specific kind of 2010s angst where you’re trying to be the "bigger person" while simultaneously admitting you’re a complete mess. The lyrics talk about remembering what she wore on the first night they met and smoking just to calm his nerves—it’s visceral. It’s messy. It feels like a late-night text you definitely shouldn't have sent.
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Why the Sound Was Such a Risk
Back in 2017, the industry didn't really let you "switch." You were a rapper or you were a rockstar. Picking both was seen as a lack of focus. Producers like Jesse Shatkin (who’s worked with Sia and Kelly Clarkson) helped bring this polished, radio-ready sheen to the track, while MGK’s long-time collaborators SlimXX and Baze kept it grounded in his EST 19XX roots.
Most critics didn't know what to do with it. AllMusic called the album "toned down" for radio. But fans? The fans saw the writing on the wall. "Let You Go" became a sleeper hit because it felt more honest than the bravado of his earlier tapes. It proved that Colson had a range that his "Lace Up" era hadn't even touched yet.
That 1960s Music Video (And Why It Matters)
If you haven’t watched the music video for "Let You Go" in a while, go back and do it. It’s directed by Ryan Hardy and it’s a total trip. They filmed it at the Cleveland Agora, which is a legendary venue for anyone from Ohio.
Instead of the usual "rapper in a club" tropes, MGK and his band (Rook, Slim, Baze, Ace, and AJ) are dressed like a 1960s rock troupe. Think The Ed Sullivan Show meets Johnny Cash’s Walk the Line. They’re smoking on stage, girls are screaming, and the whole thing is shot with this grainy, retro filter.
It was a performance in every sense of the word.
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He wasn't just playing a character; he was auditioning for the role of a rockstar three years before he actually became one. It showed a level of self-awareness that most rappers—especially ones coming off the "hardcore" image he had—simply didn't have. He was okay with being the guy in the suit. He was okay with the guitar being the focal point instead of a gold chain.
Breaking Down the "Let You Go" Lyrics
The song is basically a diary entry about a love that became a dependency.
- The Hook: "She said you need to let me go." It’s simple, but the way he delivers it—with that slight rasp—hits different.
- The Metaphor: He compares love to a drug. It’s a trope, sure, but in the context of his life and his well-documented struggles with substance use, it feels less like a cliché and more like a confession.
- The Narrative: Unlike a lot of his rap tracks which are about the grind, this is about the stall. It's about being stuck in a memory while the other person has already moved out of the apartment.
You’ve probably been there. That weird stage of a breakup where you’re not even mad anymore, you’re just exhausted by the haunting presence of someone who isn't there.
The Production Secrets
If you listen closely to the bridge, the layering is actually pretty complex. You’ve got these driving drums that feel very "four-on-the-floor" rock, but the synths in the background keep it tethered to the pop world. This wasn't some garage band demo; it was a highly calculated piece of crossover art.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Era
The biggest misconception is that MGK "switched" to rock because he lost a rap battle. That is factually incorrect. "Let You Go" came out in May 2017. The Eminem feud didn't ignite until 2018.
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Colson was already bored with the confines of hip-hop way before the "Killshot" drama. He was already covering Blink-182 songs like "Dammit" at his live shows as early as 2010. "Let You Go" was the first time he had the budget and the confidence to put that influence into a studio single. It was the bridge. Without this song, Tickets to My Downfall would have felt like a desperate pivot. Because of this song, it felt like an evolution.
Impact and Legacy
Does the song still hold up? Absolutely.
In a world where every artist is now expected to be "genre-fluid," MGK was one of the first of his generation to actually pull it off without looking like a poser. He took the heat from the purists so that the next wave of "emo-rappers" could have guitars in their beats.
What you should do next:
If you’re trying to understand the "new" MGK, you actually need to go back and study the "Bloom" era.
- Listen to "Let You Go" back-to-back with "Bloody Valentine."
- Notice the vocal progression. He goes from a tentative singer to a confident frontman.
- Check out the live version from the Cleveland Agora. The energy in that room was the first real sign that his fanbase was willing to follow him anywhere, regardless of whether he was rapping or shredding.
Stop looking at his career as two separate halves. It’s one long, messy, loud story—and "Let You Go" is the chapter where everything started to change.