Maybe (Machine Gun Kelly song) explained

Maybe
Type:single
Artist:Machine Gun Kelly featuring Bring Me the Horizon
Album:Mainstream Sellout
Recorded:2022
Genre:
Length:2:50
Label:
Producer:
  • Travis Barker
  • Colson Baker
  • Nick Long
Chronology:Machine Gun Kelly
Prev Title:Ay!
Prev Year:2022
Next Title:Make Up Sex
Next Year:2022

"Maybe" is a song by American musician Machine Gun Kelly. It was released on March 16, 2022, as the fourth single from his sixth studio album Mainstream Sellout. The song features performances from members of the British rock band Bring Me the Horizon.

Background

"Maybe" was first premiered on March 4, 2022, at the "Emo Nite" live event club night at Los Angeles' Avalon Hollywood venue.[2] The song was released as the fourth single from Machine Gun Kelly's sixth studio album on March 16, Mainstream Sellout, after "Papercuts", "Emo Girl", and "Ay!".[3] [4] The song features members of the British rock band Bring Me the Horizon; the track is their second collaboration of 2022, following their remixed version of "Bad Habits" with Ed Sheeran.

An acoustic variation of the song was released on June 23, 2022 alongside the release of "Life in Pink Deluxe" version of the Mainstream Sellout album. As of June 6th, 2024 the official audio version is approaching 650k views and over 16k likes.

Themes and composition

Rolling Stone described the song as "pop punk, albeit with some signature screaming from Sykes".[3] The song features alternating vocals from Kelly and Sykes, with clean, melodic vocals throughout, and "deathcore-styled screaming" in the bridge by Sykes alone.[5] [6] The song opens up with a chant of "2,3,5!" by Kelly, as he felt the typical start of "1,2,3" was boring.[7] [6] BrooklynVegan, Louder Sound, Pitchfork and Wall of Sound compared the track to the sound of Paramore's song "Misery Business", a song that Kelly had covered in the past.[8] [9] [10] [11] Far Out Magazine stated that the intro sounds similar to Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" and that the main guitar riff sounds similar to +44's "When Your Heart Stops Beating".[12] The Daily Californian described it as a combination of Everlast's "What It's Like", and AFI's "Miss Murder" and the general sound of Blink-182.[13] Clash compared the guitars to Linkin Park.[14]

Reception

Wall of Sound praised the song for being a "certainly decent track" and a "stand out on the album for alternative fans",[11] whereas Kerrang! referred to it as a "massive banger".[7] Clash also praised it, calling the song a "total delight".[14] Other publications were less positive, critiquing it for its lack of originality.[8] MetalSucks referred to it as "bland and predictable",[15] while BrooklynVegan complained that it was too similar to Paramore's "Misery Business", to the point of declaring they felt Kelly probably owed the band royalty payments.[8] Far Out Magazine called it terrible and said that the intro is "cringe-inducing".[12] Sputnikmusic said that Oli Sykes outshines Baker due to not being completely tone-deaf.[16] Wall of Sounds album reviewer also felt differently about the track, concluding that "expectations fell short here."[17]

Music video

The official music video for "Maybe" was released on March 25, 2022 and was directed by Marc Klasfeld.[18] [19]

The video is set and recorded inside The Shard in London, England where Machine Gun Kelly performs the song alongside Bring Me the Horizon's Oli Sykes and Blink-182's drummer and album's producer Travis Barker, as the glass from The Shard shatters around them and forms into a massive cloud over the city as the song culminates and ends.[20]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[21]

Musicians

Additional personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[22] 38
Ireland (IRMA)[23] 68
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[24] 12
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[25] 30
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[27] 43

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bring Me the Horizon Have Achieved Their First Ever Billboard 100 Track with 'Maybe'. Rock Sound. Rogers. Jack. March 29, 2022. March 30, 2022.
  2. Web site: Listen to new Machine Gun Kelly/Bring Me The Horizon collaboration, Maybe. Metal Hammer. Brannigan. Paul. March 17, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  3. Machine Gun Kelly unveils Bring Me the Horizon collaboration 'maybe' – listen. Rolling Stone. Goggins. Joe. March 16, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  4. Web site: Hear Machine Gun Kelly & Bring Me The Horizon's New Song "Maybe". ThePRP. wookubus. March 16, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  5. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly Officially Releases 'Maybe' Collaboration With Bring Me the Horizon. Loudwire. Childers. Chad. March 16, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  6. Web site: Listen to Machine Gun Kelly and Bring Me The Horizon's new track, 'maybe'. NME. Aubrey. Elizabeth. March 16, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  7. Web site: Listen: Machine Gun Kelly drops new single, Maybe, featuring Bring Me The Horizon. Kerrang!. Carter. Emily. March 17, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  8. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly review – pop punk's 'Mainstream Sellout' doubles down on new LP. BrooklynVegan. Sacher. Aaron. March 28, 2022. March 31, 2022.
  9. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly and Oli Sykes tease new song Maybe. Louder Sound. Scarlett. Elizabeth. March 7, 2022 . April 1, 2022.
  10. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly: Mainstream Sellout Album Review. Pitchfork. Gordon. Arielle. April 2, 2022. April 2, 2022.
  11. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly + Bring Me The Horizon's Studio 'Maybe' Collab Is Out. Wall of Sound. Aarons. Ricky. March 17, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  12. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly and Bring Me the Horizon team up for the genuinely terrible song 'maybe'. Far Out Magazine. McStarkey. Mike. March 17, 2022. April 2, 2022.
  13. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly falls flat on banal 'Mainstream Sellout'. The Daily Californian. Harvey. Lauren. March 29, 2022. April 1, 2022.
  14. Web site: Mainstream Sellout. Clash. Swingle. Emily. March 24, 2022. April 3, 2022.
  15. Web site: The Machine Gun Kelly/Bring Me The Horizon Collab Is as Bland and Predictable As You Thought It'd Be. MetalSucks. March 17, 2022. March 31, 2022.
  16. Web site: Review Machine Gun Kelly - Mainstream Sellout. Sputnikmusic. L.. Jesper. March 26, 2022. April 3, 2022.
  17. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly – Mainstream Sellout (Album Review). Wall of Sound. May. Tamara. March 25, 2022. March 31, 2022.
  18. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly drops 'Maybe' video. Music Universe. Iahn. Buddy. March 25, 2022. April 1, 2022.
  19. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly releases video for 'maybe' featuring Oli Sykes & Travis Barker. 93.7 KLBJ. Daypop. Rock. March 29, 2022. April 1, 2022.
  20. Web site: Machine Gun Kelly releases video for 'maybe' featuring Oli Sykes & Travis Barker. 96.7 The Wolf. March 29, 2022. April 1, 2022.
  21. Web site: Credits/Maybe/Machine Gun Kelly. Tidal. March 18, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  22. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. March 28, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  23. Web site: IRMA – Irish Charts. Irish Recorded Music Association. April 2, 2022.
  24. Web site: HOT 40 SINGLES. Recorded Music NZ. March 28, 2022. March 25, 2022.
  25. Web site: ČNS IFPI. IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202213 into search.. April 4, 2022.
  26. Web site: Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 12. Sverigetopplistan. March 26, 2022.
  27. Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 2, 2022.