Machine Gun Kelly shares bloody behind-the-scenes look at blackout tattoo process
Talk about a bloody valentine.
Machine Gun Kelly gave fans a behind-the-scenes look into the excruciating, weeks-long process of covering his upper body with a blackout tattoo.
The “Emo Girl” singer, 33, revealed on his Instagram Monday that it took more than seven sessions over the course of two weeks to cover the entirety of his arms, chest and upper back with the black ink.
“Today marks the day that I start the physical change of my body,” he said at the beginning of the video, showing his torso and colorful tattoos before the procedure began.
Kelly remained awake for the entire process, starting with one arm and slowly covering section after section of his top half.
“This is the most painful s—t I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, said after work began on his second arm.
The rapper — who could be heard crying out in pain a few times — included clips of the needle pressing into his skin and of blood flowing down his arms before being wrapped up in plastic.
To help with the healing process, Kelly would sit in his very own hyperbaric oxygen chamber — which “involves exposing the body to 100% oxygen at a pressure that is greater than normal” to help treat wounds faster, per John Hopkins Medicine.
“so…what else should i get now,” he captioned the graphic post.
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While fans had mixed reactions to the inky design, Kelly’s on-again fiancée, Megan Fox, recently revealed on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she views his new piece as a work of “art.”
“It’s like an elevated version of all those tattoos that were pieced together,” Fox said. “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.”
However, Fox noted that she only went to one of the grueling sessions.
“To me it felt like he was going through a spiritual initiation and that space needed to be respected and I didn’t need to be there.”
On top of that, the “Jennifer’s Body” star explained that since Kelly was “tattooing on top of tattoos” it was even more painful due to the scar tissue.
“I don’t know how many people can take that kind of pain,” Fox said, noting that Kelly didn’t even take “painkillers” to ease the discomfort.
Although Kelly has yet to explain the reason behind his decision, Fox hinted that it had something to do with him no longer liking the tattoos underneath his new ink.
“He had a relationship with the tattoos that he had that he was very conflicted emotionally,” she said. “Whatever they represented — and I don’t actually know — he didn’t like to revisit those memories.”
The “my ex’s best friend” singer first debuted the blackout tattoo in February 2024 — yet he reportedly started the process in December 2023.
He later admitted on the song “Don’t Let Me Go” that the tattoo was a result of a mental breakdown.
“Wish I didn’t listen just like I wish they would understand me one time / I had a breakdown and tatted my entire body except one line / Everything’s just fine,” he sang.
