The New BROCKHAMPTON Album Sucks (Yes, I Said It)

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Elyssa Dalaker, Web Staffer

Well, someone had to address the elephant in the room.

As of midnight on September 21st, 2018, Brockhampton’s fourth full-length studio album iridescence had hype-beasts and hipsters alike scrambling for their headphones. The California-based, self-dubbed “boyband” currently boasts a whopping 13 members, all of whom lend their vocals and production skills to create a sound that is unabashedly different. Their prior trilogy of albums, entitled SATURATION I, II, and III, were a breath of fresh air in a rapidly narrowing genre of R&B. There’s something for everyone, overarching every genre of music from club bangers to psychedelic ballads.

So, like any other liberal-arts-hipster-music-junkie, I was eager to dive into their latest collection and rediscover their sound. The album is the first to be released since the departure of founding band member Ameer Vann earlier in 2018. Brockhampton fans had been eagerly awaiting new music after several projects were prematurely announced and canceled (R.I.P. Puppy). At the end of my first listen, however, something felt… off.

Now, don’t get me wrong– I loved iridescence. It’s a symphony of sounds in your ears, overwhelming your senses in the best way possible.  “J’OUVERT” had me dancing in my seat, and “WEIGHT” is the perfect song to listen to when you need to feel empowered. (Come on, those lyrics? Dom McLennon really outdid himself with “Why this world love echoing hate?”)

via GIPHY

However, what I don’t love about the new Brockhampton is the absence of something more.  One of my favorite things about the group is their transparency– in previous works, they tackled an abundance of social issues and almost nothing was off-limits. On the new album, however, the signature capitalization of all their song titles didn’t do much to disguise that their honesty was somewhat lacking.  ”FIGHT” and “QUEER,” both off of SATURATION II, started a conversation about real-world issues of racism and homophobia. They preached messages of self-love and acceptance, something that’s increasingly important in today’s society. Comparatively, iridescence felt one-dimensional.

Social commentary aside, there’s an abundance of reasons to be enthralled by Brockhampton aside from their sound. Whether it’s frontman Kevin Abstract’s endearing obsession with Harry Styles (you and me both, Kevin) or simply the charisma and energy that they bring to every live performance, It’s obvious that Brockhampton are a force to be reckoned with in the music world. And the sold-out I’ll Be There Tour only bolsters the fact that these boys are here to stay.

(Which, coincidentally, is coming to the Anthem on Tuesday, October 16th– and tickets are available HERE)

Whether you love Brockhampton or love to hate them, they’re the name that can’t seem to stay out of anyone’s mouth for too long. And if you’re totally indifferent, or clicked on this article out of sheer boredom, you can check out iridescence below. At least then you’ll be able to strategically drop a few songs into conversation and impress everyone in the room (I’d recommend you start with “BERLIN” and “TONYA.”)