Machine Gun Kelly paid tribute to his late Father and Aunt with a performance of “Lonely” during his Saturday Night Live debut on Saturday (Jan. 30).
“I remember when I was a kid watching @nbcsnl every weekend with my aunt and my dad, since they aren’t here to see this moment, I’m going to perform the song I wrote for them on the show, hopefully, I’ll feel them there,” MGK tweeted ahead of his SNL Debut.
MGK performed the track from a dimly lit stage surrounded by his full band while playing a branded hot pink acoustic guitar.
Watch his performance of “Lonely” below.
The singer previously shared “lonely” was one of the “hardest songs” he ever recorded as it was written about his late father, who died in July 2020 after falling ill.
During an interview with Radio.com’s Kevan Kenney, the “Bloody Valentine” revealed that he actually cried while recording the song.
“I cried when I was recording that [Lonely]. The chorus was really powerful because it started off and I told him to play the beat over and over and over again.” the rapper explained. “I was just going to let my emotions take the steering wheel. I was screaming random things. I caught that phrase ‘lonely, lonely, even when the room is full.” Adding, “I left with tears in my eyes. That song was just really therapeutic.”
“I think that song wrote itself as I was watching my father die in front of me,” MGK added. “As an artist, you write about pain. I don’t what bigger pain there is than losing your last person that you were taught you could count on.”
“Lonely” appears on the singer’s chart-topping pop-punk album, Tickets To My Downfall. During the show he also performed “My Ex’s Best Friend,” which also appears on the aforementioned album.
The Office alum John Krasinski hosted the show, while Machine Gun Kelly performed during the two usual musical guest spots.
New episodes of Saturday Night Live air every Saturday night on NBC beginning at 11:30 p.m. EST.
