--- description: Find out how Machine Gun Kelly is shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. title: 2022 TIME100 Next: Machine Gun Kelly image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7fd0483c47811049/698a35c809208f296141996a/time100-next-machine-gun-kelly.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Sep 28, 2022 # Machine Gun Kelly by Avril Lavigne  Scott Legato—Getty Images Scott Legato—Getty ImagesScott Legato—Getty Images Not many people [celebrate a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/machine-gun-kelly-smashed-glass-face-1235108552/ "undefined") by smashing a champagne flute on their head, but when Machine Gun Kelly does, it just makes sense. When he is performing, you can’t help but love him even more because he puts on such a good show. You never know what he will do next. He might hang from a helicopter, climb up 60 feet of scaffolding, or zip-line across a stadium. He’s grown in the most authentic way, starting as a rapper and evolving into one of the biggest rock stars in the world. I have a lot of respect for him and how thoughtful he is with his craft. And not only is he a great musician and songwriter—as heard on his recent album, [_Mainstream Sellout_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rma1qWLz40I "undefined")—but he also acts, directs, and is an amazing father. He’s constantly raising the bar for himself and for the world around him. That attitude can inspire a new generation. _Lavigne is a Grammy-nominated musician_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213747/machine-gun-kelly/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213747/machine-gun-kelly/"},"headline":"Machine Gun Kelly","datePublished":"2022-09-28T09:56:10.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-03T00:06:18.648Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213747/machine-gun-kelly/","keywords":["TIME 100 Next"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7fd0483c47811049/698a35c809208f296141996a/time100-next-machine-gun-kelly.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7fd0483c47811049/698a35c809208f296141996a/time100-next-machine-gun-kelly.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213747/machine-gun-kelly/","name":"Machine Gun Kelly"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME100 Next: See Every Honoree","description":"See every 2022 TIME100 Next honoree in under two minutes.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/i4LJ3fau/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2022-09-28T10:00:00.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/i4LJ3fau.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213747/machine-gun-kelly/","duration":"PT1M59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/collections/time100-next-2022/6213747/machine-gun-kelly/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```