Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
“That’s something I can easily connect with,” the musician admitted. “Because honestly, most of the time, I do feel broken myself.”
MGK is opening up about his ongoing feelings of being “broken” — and how that vulnerability continues to shape both his music and his connection with fans.
During an in-depth talk at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 1, the 35-year-old artist — who has long been transparent about his mental health struggles and past suicidal thoughts — shared that he views himself as “a beacon or representative of the broken.”
“I’ve realized through my fan base that people relate more to honesty, to vulnerability — to someone who’s been through pain and managed to rise again,” he explained. “That feels like a more universal experience than being someone who’s always in control or happy.”
He went on to admit, “That’s an emotion I can easily access, because most of the time, I do feel broken. I’ve been working on putting those pieces back together.”
Still, MGK said that healing hasn’t come without fear. “Sometimes I get scared that if I’m whole again, I’ll lose my creative spark,” he confessed. “In the past few years since Mainstream Sellout, I was worried my writing wasn’t connecting in the same way — like maybe I needed that torment to make something real.”
He continued, “Things have been going pretty well lately, but as strange as it sounds, pain can inspire some of the best art. For a poet, at least, there’s truth in that.”
The “Bloody Valentine” singer revealed that during a recent rehab stay — which he references in his new track “Treading Water” from Lost Americana — he turned to journaling as a form of release. “A fan gave me this red notebook, and I filled it with everything I was feeling,” he recalled. “Lights would go out around 9:30 or 10:00 p.m., and when I couldn’t sleep, I’d just write. It helped me process everything.”
Writing, he added, has also become a form of manifestation. “I write down the things I want to achieve, and then on a new moon, I burn them,” he shared. “I even did that for the Grammys once — it didn’t happen then, but maybe it just wasn’t the right time.”
In a People interview published last month, MGK described his life as being “like a rolling stone,” explaining, “You’re bound to keep hitting bumps and obstacles — it’s just part of the path I’ve chosen.”
Reflecting on his latest album, Lost Americana, which dropped on Aug. 8, MGK said he wanted to lean into emotional honesty. “Vulnerability is what’s allowed me to connect with my fans all these years,” he said. “People need to see the human behind the music. Maybe this time, they’ll see the man — or the broken boy — behind the name MGK.”
