mgk, our “Multi-Genre King,” is nothing short of a phenomenon. He’s done it all — rap, hip-hop, rap-rock, pop-punk, acoustic, country, alt-rock, nu-metal, and even pop — and he continues to evolve, dazzling the world at every turn. It’s not just his evolutions that have our attention, but how well he has mastered each one. As he once stated, “To the box that society keeps trying to put me in — you need stronger material, because you can’t keep me in it.”
mgk’s most ambitious release yet, Lost Americana, took the world by storm. He turned a lot of heads when the first single dropped, “cliché,” which introduced us to his dance moves.
He kept our interest with “Vampire Diaries,” which is arguably my favorite track from the album. We were then greeted with the third single, “Miss Sunshine” — three and a half sun-soaked minutes of pure feel-good energy. All of this built up to the full album drop, blowing our minds with an intro recorded by rock legend Bob Dylan. The album as a whole is diverse, nostalgic-but-fresh, and intimate.
But how would Lost Americana hold up live? And how would it all fit in on a setlist among his other works? I headed to Charlotte to find out.
The answer to that and more came within seconds of mgk taking the stage. Opening with “FIX UR FACE,” he wasted no time setting the tone for the evening. "Outlaw Overture" followed, bringing the spirit of Lost Americana. We were just two songs in, and it was already clear: we were in for a wild, unpredictable ride!
The night featured over 28 full songs that showcased his musical versatility. One of the biggest highlights of the evening was performing 4 songs with Wiz Khalifa, including their 2013 collab “Mind Of A Stoner," which made its live debut on this leg of the tour. Another highlight was when guitarist (and multi-instrumentalist) No Love came over to play cello and sing alongside mgk for a beautiful cover of "Mr. Brightside." mgk also did his second-ever gender reveal (congrats to the happy couple that are having a boy!). There were plenty of other fan interactions, dancing, wardrobe changes, and just plain vibing.
One of the most important things present this evening, though, was the sense of community and family. From the first note of “FIX UR FACE” to the final notes of "Vampire Diaries" at the end, fans were on their feet, singing their hearts out. An mgk show is a place for everyone of all ages to shed the weight of the world for a few hours and simply be present with the music in a space where everyone belongs.
They say you have to lose yourself to find yourself, and mgk is doing just that. This tour is a full collision of all of his eras, and I mean that in the best way possible. He revisited every genre in Charlotte and proved that he still owns every lane. This isn’t just any tour — it’s his legacy.
