Machine Gun Kelly Seemingly Has A New Name

Machine Gun Kelly is going by a new name, but it's not going to be that big of a change for longtime fans of the "Bloody Valentine" musician.

Real name Colson Baker, Machine Gun Kelly has been going by his alias for years throughout his career, but it now seems like he's ready for a change. According to Entertainment Tonight, the Mainstream Sellout artist is going to now be performing under the moniker mgk, a shorthand that fans already have used for the singer. His official pages on YouTube and streaming sites, as well as social media like X (formerly Twitter) have already changed to reflect the new alias; however the handles on both X and Instagram still read @machinegunkelly as of Friday (March 1).

Speculation that mgk was going to change his name has been floating around for more than a year, largely sparked after comedy duo Chad and JT brought a sign to one of his concert asking him to "change your name" and drop the "Machine Gun" as to not "glorify machine guns." In 2023, mgk added to the rumors when he asked photographers at the GQ Men of the Year party to refer to him as "Machine," though it was later reported he hadn't officially dropped "Gun Kelly" from his name.

The name change comes shortly after mgk debuted a bold new look, showing off a massive blackout tattoo that covers most of his chest, shoulders and both arms, revealing it was "for spiritual purposes only."