So there I am — half-awake, commuting to work, shuffling through my (totally unbiased, I swear) extensive Falling In Reverse collection on Spotify when a notification pops up: MGK just dropped a new cover. Come Pick Me Up, originally by Ryan Adams.

I raise a brow. The last thing I heard from him was Your Name Forever, which — let’s be honest — felt like more of the same. That rap-style beat with some guitars thrown in, still clinging to the pop-punk ghost of his last couple albums. It wasn’t bad. Just… uninspired.

Then a harmonica kicks in, played by Mod Sun, and suddenly I’m not on a packed bus anymore. I’m on a porch in the countryside of Rio, sipping coffee with my grandpa while the sun sets behind the mountains. No joke. It was refreshing and honestly kind of fun.

What really surprised me was how naturally MGK’s voice blends into a country-leaning sound. We’ve seen hints of it before — Lonely Road, with its interpolation of John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads, was a solid example of how to weave country elements into a modern, catchy track without it feeling forced. Jelly Roll’s feature on this one sealed the deal, making the whole thing feel authentic to that country-rock lane.

MGK casually said, “Jammed a cover with some friends for my birthday.” I scrolled through the comments, half-expecting the usual hate, and sure — it was there. But alongside it were some genuinely supportive ones. “That is a tremendous cover — totally true to the spirit of the song, but still unique,” someone wrote on Reddit. And another: “It’s nice to see all these guys come out to support him. Doesn’t seem like he’s had much of that in years.” Amidst the polarizing takes MGK constantly faces, it was cool to see.

We all know his genre-hopping from rap to pop-punk was controversial. People clowned on him for it. Compared him to others making similar moves. But honestly? I respected it. I’ll always back an artist bold enough to switch it up and chase what feels good. I don’t care if it’s three recycled guitar riffs or another song about being “cancelled” — if it sounds good in my ears, it’s good to me. End of discussion.

Now I can’t help but wonder: is MGK about to dive deeper into country? His jump from rap to pop-punk earned him a ton of attention. Would a full-on country album do the same? I’m curious. What do you think?

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