Machine Gun Kelly Previews Album With New ‘Papercuts’ Video

Machine Gun Kelly has dropped the video for new song “Papercuts.” The track will appear on his upcoming album, Born With Horns.

The Cole Bennett-directed clip opens with black-and-white footage showcasing MGK riding a motorcycle with gigantic horns down Sunset Boulevard. The lyrics delve into the struggle with finding balance amid fame, and the surreal video features an outsized MGK surrounded by masked characters who rage as the video progresses.

“Bleach my hair, mess it up/Take my life, dress it up,” he sings. “Signed a deal, I got paper cuts/They wanted them, but they got us.”

MGK announced Born With Horns earlier in the week on Instagram, where he and frequent collaborator Travis Barker (who also appears in the new clip) showed off their matching tattoos bearing the album’s name. Barker serves as the LP’s executive producer and also plays drums on the set. Machine Gun Kelly’s sixth studio album is the follow-up to 2020’s Tickets to My Downfall, which was also produced by Barker.

“Travis showed me the art of not overthinking,” MGK recently told IndieLand of working with Barker. “There were times I’d walk in, we would plug in instruments, and whatever came out while we were playing would be the song. But then he also showed me that you can completely scrap a whole song, right when you think it’s done, and do it over until it becomes everything it should be. He would answer the phone at 5 a.m. if I called. The studio sessions became cathartic. There was no censorship. He encouraged the raw emotion to come out.”

Machine Gun Kelly recently made a surprise appearance at Lollapalooza, where he delivered “My Ex’s Best Friend” (which was nominated for a VMA on Wednesday), “Bloody Valentine,” and a cover of Paramore’s “Misery Business.”