Brockhampton: phase two
By Bethany Marris, Online Music Editor
'Unique in production, consistent in quality and lyrically sharp', Online Music Editor Bethany Marris reflects on the journey of self-acclaimed 'boyband' Brockhampton, as they release their fourth studio album Iridescence
Between late 2014 and early 2015, the self- acclaimed boyband Brockhampton was realised. American rapper Kevin Abstract headed the formation, recruiting a vibrant mix of musicians, artists and personalities to join him. In March 2016, the Hip-Hop collective dropped their first body of work, a mixtape entitled All American Trash. The project’s reception was neither terrible nor fantastic. Overall,AAT was dubbed a little comme ci comme ca, and it certainly didn’t foreshadow the wave of anticipation that was generated by the initial singles of the band’s debut album, Saturation.
Saturation satisfied eager ears on 9 June 2017, and with a healthy 17-track playlist, the arrival of Saturation II, merely two-and -a -half months later, certainly took the industry by surprise. A trilogy was soon confirmed. On 15 December 2017, alongside the festivities, Brockhampton gifted fans with Saturation III: the final instalment.
Unique in production, consistent in quality and lyrically sharp, the collective quickly brushed off the frequently-drawn comparisons with Odd Future that dogged their artistic infancy.
In less than half a year, Brockhampton released almost 50 tracks, with many of these rich in introspective and political themes. Working relentlessly, and with ideas flying from a multitude of creative minds, it’s hard to ignore just how impressive the group’s seamless collaboration truly is.
The success of the Saturation series brought Brockhampton an impressive $15 million record deal with RCA, not to mention an exclusive ticket to record in London’s iconic Abbey Road studios. Furthermore, quickly accruing such a large fanbase carried the obligation to embark upon a year-long world tour. In May, however, the Saturation- induced wave of euphoria crashed. Brockhampton found themselves amidst a sea negative publicity: allegations of sexual assault were filed against band member Ameer Vann, who was consequently dismissed from the group. Vann was a prominent figure and recognisable voice throughout the group’s discography. As plainly articulated by Abstract, the nature of the scandal ‘just fucking hurts and sucks’. That said, with the release of Iridescence last Friday, it is evident that the disruption Brockhampton experienced has failed to blunt their ambition.
In fact, through ‘TONYA’, we see the group creatively use, and address the ways in which the Vann controversy halted their stream of prosperity. Iridescence is set to be the first of yet another three-part project, The Best Years of Our Lives. Opening with an explosive, industrial beat from ‘NEW ORLEANS’, there’s an undeniable echo of Saturation III’s opener ‘BOOGIE’, yet as the album progresses, fears that Iridescence might be just ‘more of the same’ are muted. While the band maintain their capacity to blend an array of insightful, differing themes, complex instrumentation, and unexpected soundscapes, Iridescence is incontestably their sleekest work. Woeful violins and gospel vocals miraculously melt into a garage-trance rhythm, complimented by an Andre 3000-esque flow from Joba on ‘WEIGHT’. Moreover, ‘HONEY’ harnesses the hook ‘A million reasons to get rich’, distracting from an unexpected beat-shift, as bopping pop-rap descends into a crooning sample of Beyoncé’s ‘Dance for You’. Iridescence is an extravagant, multi- faceted LP that boasts its abundance of contributors. There are some claustrophobic moments where the listener could, perhaps, do with a little breathing space, yet all in all, Iridescence has set the bar high for parts two and three of Brockhampton’s latest venture.
Featured Image: RCA Records/ Brockhampton