Mainstream Sellout - Wikipedia

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	4.9/10[29]
Metacritic	55/100[30]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Clash	6/10[31]
The Guardian	[32]
The Independent	[33]
Kerrang!	[34]
NME	[1]
Pitchfork	5.8/10[35]
Rolling Stone	[36]
Sputnikmusic	1.0/5[37]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 55 out of 100, which indicates "mixed or average reviews" based on 10 reviews.[38]

In a positive review, NME described the album as "no complacent victory lap" from Tickets to My Downfall, praising the album for having "a relatable sense of angst" that will "continue to speak to the millions who see Machine Gun Kelly as the saviour of punk rock", concluding that "though it inevitably lacks the shock of the new that made Downfall so exciting...it seems that, like the pop-punk revival itself, Machine Gun Kelly won't run out of steam any time soon."[1] AllMusic noted that while the music was filled with "big, distorted guitars, simplistic but catchy hooks, and Barker's tight, snappy drumming", they found it to be not as good as Tickets to My Downfall, with it being "lighter on ideas and cohesion".[2]

Charles Aaron of Rolling Stone named the tracks "evolving, not-very-joyful noise" while opining "his buzzsaw-bubblegum can be entertaining. But he needs to realize that 'introspective' songwriting is about more than just yelling about how much you suck."[39] Jesper L. of Sputnikmusic gave the album one out of five, ending his negative review stating that the album "proves that you don't need musical talent to make it big in the music scene".[37] Helen Brown of The Independent called the album "dull", "formulaic", and "the kind of thing you'd expect to hear in the Vans outlet of your local shopping mall".[40]

Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph opined that "the music hits you, not with a roar, but a very loud meh".[41] Jake Richardson of Kerrang! stated the album "is the weakest record of MGK's rock era so far", although he specifically pointed out "5150" as "MGK's rock dalliance at its most effective".[42]

Alim Kheraj of The Guardian named the record "entertaining but cliched".[43] Emily Swingle of Clash opined that the album was "a brash but ultimately shallow return" and that "it's a shame that Kelly couldn't release a follow-up equally as fresh and fluid", but did name "Sid & Nancy" and "Twin Flame" as standout tracks.[44] Arielle Gordon of Pitchfork wrote that "the enfant terrible of the pop-rock revival wades deeper into the genre, coming back with even less than before" and that it "too often feels like a concept album about rock."[45]