Machine Gun Kelly is a smart businessman. His intricately manicured nails have been topics of conversation for years now (most recently at the AMAs), and though he does truly love painting his nails it was also a marketing strategy to subliminally promote his new nail polish line: UN/DN LAQR.

"[It's] one of those things that I did knowing it was an art project," he explained during an interview with allure. "I was like the longer [the nail] is, the louder the opinions are going to be, so make it as long as you possibly can, and throw some chains on it to make it even more clanky. I was doing it to make 'his nails' a constant headline knowing that we had UN/DN coming out, knowing that we had a product that revolved around what the headlines kept pointing out about me. This is something that you associate with me subconsciously because whether you hate it or love it, for about a year and a half or two years, it's been 'MGK's nails.'"

The line launches tomorrow (December 2), and will feature 10 shades — including a Sharpie-black hue called "Depressionist" that pays homage to MGK's middle school days of painting his nails with Sharpies — available individually, as well as in trios and kits.

"[UN/DN LAQR is] the Willy Wonka of what beauty is to become. I can't express enough how I want [to offer a] full experience," he declared. For the rapper-turned-rocker, getting a manicure is just as much about social connection as it is a beauty statement.

"A lot of my music was for the introverts, for the people scared to be vulnerable," he explained. "I know that a lot of people don't have the external courage to start conversations with people. I'm like that — I'm super shy when it comes to starting conversations. But when I went and got coffee, one of the first times when I actually had my nails done, I went to the counter and the guy was like, 'Wow, your nails are so beautiful.' It makes you want to be open to the conversation. You spend time taking care of yourself and paying attention to a detail and then somebody else appreciates that detail. [It's] for sure a social connection."

He also had beginners in mind when designing UN/DN, and purposefully equipped his polish with a thicker brush. "I'm not expecting people to be nail artists, right? I want it to be accessible," MGK said. "I want people to try it and enjoy it, so that was why we made the brush thicker. I still am going to work on perfecting the best brush. Maybe if there's a brush award, we would like to win that. So in 2022, we are coming for Best Brush."

Shop UN/DN LAQR here.

Nina Jackson

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