Machine Gun Kelly has once again taken to social media to document the ongoing transformation of his heavily tattooed body.
Machine Gun Kelly has once again taken to social media to document the ongoing transformation of his heavily tattooed body.
On Wednesday, the musician, who also goes by Colson Baker, shared an Instagram video featuring his tattoo artist, R O X X, meticulously adding more ink to his skin, further advancing his journey into the realm of blackout tattoos.
The process, which involves covering large areas of the body with solid black ink, has gained traction among tattoo enthusiasts seeking to reinvent their body art or create a bold, monochromatic aesthetic. For MGK, whose body already serves as a canvas for numerous tattoos, this latest session marks another chapter in his personal narrative of ink.
Accompanying the video, MGK posted a photo of himself in the tattoo chair, captioning it with lyrics from Nine Inch Nails' song, "Hurt," writing, "i hurt myself today to see if i still feel."
This isn't the first time MGK has made headlines for his tattoos. The "Bloody Valentine" singer has previously spoken about using body art as a form of self-expression and healing.
In April, the 34-year-old musician shared an Instagram reel of the lengthy process he underwent to cover up the previous ink on his shoulders, chest, and most of his arms.
"So...what else should i get now," MGK captioned the clip, which shows him bleeding from his arms and him getting into a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to heal the ink faster.
At the beginning of the video, he says, "Today marks the day that I start the physical change of my body. Let's see what this turns out to be."
MGK documents the entire process in the clip, sharing multiple updates throughout.
"We've done about seven sessions. It's been about two weeks since we started. Yeah, this is the most paint sh*t I've ever experienced in my life," he says at one point in the video diary.
MGK first debuted the blackout tattoo with a shirtless Instagram photo of himself back in February.
"For spiritual purposes only," he captioned the snap, thanking tattoo artist ROXX.
Days later, he dropped a new single titled "Don't Let Me Go," in which he referenced the new body art, rapping, "I had a breakdown and tatted my entire body except one line."
He also officially changed his stage name across streaming platforms to mgk.
For the most part, Machine Gun Kelly hasn't revealed much about the significance behind the new ink, but his on-again, off-again partner, Megan Fox, shared her reaction during an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast.
"He has a really special story behind why he did that, which obviously, I'll leave for him to tell," Fox told host Alex Cooper. "But the relationship with the tattoos that he had was very conflicted emotionally, whatever they represented -- and I don't actually know -- but he didn't like to revisit those memories of some of the tattoos that he had and he wanted to get rid of them."
Fox, 38, described the ink as "very art" and compared it to designer Rick Owens. "It's like an elevated version of all those tattoos that were pieced together," she added. "I think it's really elegant and it's kind of ahead of its time. I think in 10 years it'll be a trend."
Machine Gun Kelly and Fox have had their fair share of ups and downs since they first started dating in 2020. They got engaged in January 2022, though breakup rumors emerged later that fall and again in February 2023.
A source told ET that Fox and MGK are "taking things one day at a time with their relationship."
"They are continuing to go to therapy, be fully transparent with each other about their feelings, and have consistent communication," the source said. "They have dealt with some trust issues, but are both making a continual effort to stay committed to their mutual end goal of being together forever. They are also respecting each other's space when needed, which is key for them during this time."
It's not just themselves their relationship impacts, as both Fox and MGK are parents. The actress shares three kids -- Noah, Bodhi and Journey -- with her ex-husband, Brian Austin Green, while the musician is dad to Casie, 14, from a previous relationship.
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