If you’re going to have music with rap in it, you have to be able to show passion and anger, and not just with the vocal line - it has to come through all of the musicianship.

What gets you straight away with MGK and ‘Why Are You Here’ is exactly that. I imagine if you look at the skins of the snare after recording, the drummer has left some serious dents in them. The lyrics, whilst expletive at times, also give you the impression there is angst in this music. It tells the story of a couple who are not particularly loyal to each other. In this narrative, both seem to have got it wrong and ended up with  other people at the same party, so as the lyrics suggest their ‘alibis didn’t work this time’ and their relationship is likely not to last longer than the next morning. 

The flow and rhythm during the second verse of percussion and galloping vocal work really well, they keep your head bobbing and attention focused on the words. Coupled with that the mix and effects on the instruments behind MGK’s vocals are as perfect as you can get. The guitar shifts from a clear background instrument to a heavier distorted sound during the chorus, there are synths that fill the gaps and overdubbing of vocals that really support the flow of the music, and as mentioned, the drums are angry! 

Why Are You Here, is short, it’s punchy and for me it doesn’t need to be anymore. You know what the song is about after the first 30 seconds, you hear the production, the shift between verse and chorus and you appreciate a well written song. You might not hear the speed of vocal that MGK is named after, but every song can’t sound the same and this one will convert a lot of people to Machine Gun Kelly.

 Rap     Pop-punk