Bad Things (Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello song)
"Bad Things" is a song by American rapper Machine Gun Kelly and Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello. The song was released on October 14, 2016 and was produced by The Futuristics. Its music video was directed by Hannah Lux Davis and premiered on December 1, 2016. The song features an interpolation of Fastball's 1999 single "Out of My Head". The single peaked at number four on the US BillboardHot 100. The song was nominated for Top Rap Collaboration Rap at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, and won Best Collaboration at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards.
Composition
"Bad Things" is a mid-tempo ballad that features an interpolation of the 1999 Fastball single "Out of My Head". Lyrically, the song incorporates themes of pain-is-pleasure type of love.
Critical reception
Gil Kaufman from Billboard called it an "instant earworm four-minute ode to dark pleasure." For Fuse TV's Bianca Gracie the song shows rapper's "softer side", and highlights Cabello's "delicate vocals". She described the song opens with Cabello "softly crooning" the hook, and MGK then comes in with a "naughty rap flow that cruises over the piano melody." In Idolator, Rachel Sonís described it as a "sleek" ballad with a "dreamy" hook. Time staff opined “Camila Cabello’s vocal hook is just fine. But if Cabello wants to make it big as a solo star, she’ll need more wattage than she finds with Machine Gun Kelly, whose milquetoast contribution takes this promising concept and deflates it.”
Chart performance
"Bad Things" debuted at number 80 on the US Billboard Hot 100 during the week of November 5, 2016, becoming MGK's second entry on the chart, after 2011's "Wild Boy", and his highest-charting single. It has since reached number four in the issue dated February 11, 2017, becoming both MGK and Cabello's first top five single as solo artists. In the UK, the single debuted at number 98 before falling off the chart and re-entering two weeks later at number 52. The single peaked at number 16 in the country. As of February 2017, the single has sold 600,000 copies in the United States.
Music video
Directed by Hannah Lux Davis, the music video premiered on December 1, 2016 on Vevo. It follows the pair as they lead a somewhat adventurous lifestyle, where they burn trash in barrels, steal, and make out in a barren apartment. MGK is the resident bad boy, getting into fights and racing cars while Cabello stays faithfully by his side. At one point in the video, flashbacks to younger versions of the musicians appear reassuring that their bond really has been unbreakable from the start. MGK and Cabello can be seen enjoying late nights at diners, gathering with friends and getting into trouble all while snuggling and fighting along the way. Their rebellious ways as the pair are chased by police after attempting to steal a car. Stuck at the top of a building with the police hot on their trail and nowhere else to go, the pair decide to die together by committing lover's suicide. As MGK looks longingly at Cabello, the police and their helicopters arrive to apprehend the couple and the lovers join hands and the video ends, leaving the outcome unknown. As of October 2019, the music video has over 300 million views on YouTube.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of bloom. Publishing
For Casie Publishing / KOBALT // Schweezy Beats Publishing Artist Publishing Group West Admin by Warner Chappell // Panic Attack Publishing / Artist Publishing Group West / Admin by Warner Chappell // Live Mad Love / Artist Publishing Group West Admin by Warner Chappell // Sony/ATV Songs, LLC // Bible Black c/o The Bicycle Music Company, Inc..
