An Ode To Brockhampton
The best boyband since One Direction
Last Friday, I received a notification to my phone from Twitter, and saw that it was a tweet from Brockhampton.
Usually, this means a new song is coming, a new album is on the way or that there is at least a merch drop for clothes that I likely will not buy. Instead, it was heartbreak.
Brockhampton will do two more shows and is calling it quits, at least for now. It appears that the supposed final album they were working on is no longer happening, and the magical journey for the group is coming to an end.
I was not a Brockhampton fan since the very, very beginning, but joined in for the singles that led up to the drop of “Saturation” in the Summer of 2017. Those singles, “Heat,” “Gold,” “Star” and “Face,” completely blew me away, with each of those four songs sounding completely different from the other, and yet each and every one of them was exceptional. The different styles that each member brought to the table, plus the exceptional production and wild videos, made Brockhampton stand out as a unique entity in Hip-Hop.
Then “Saturation” came out, and it was great. Then came “Saturation 2,” which was as great, if not better. Then came “Saturation 3,” all in the same year, all exceptional projects. A trilogy of albums in one year is remarkable in its own right, but for each of them to be some of my favorite albums that year, and looking back, that decade, is a feat I’m not sure will be replicated any time soon.
If the group never made another album again, I would still be here telling people about that run, but they made three more albums, and did so despite a key departure. That departure was Ameer Vann, the deep-voiced rapper so clearly recognizable in the group, who departed from the group after allegations of sexual misconduct and attempted robbery of another member of the group.
I know to some, Vann’s absence on the next set of projects was too much to overcome, but I would wholeheartedly disagree. Brockhampton moved forward with “iridescence,” which is one of my favorites the group has ever made. The sounds shifted in a way that more properly fit the remaining members’ sounds, while still delivering on bangers, including “J’ouvert,” my favorite song in the group’s discography.
That was followed with. “Ginger,” a mostly somber listen that had some of the highest emotional high points (looking at you, “Dearly Departed”) that Brockhampton has ever had. And finally, there was “Roadrunner,” an uneven, yet incredibly enjoyable project that has a wide range of excellent tracks, including “Buzzcut,” “Chain On” and “Don’t Shoot Up The Party.”
Both songs titled “The Light” on that album are terrific as well, and it does feel fitting that “The Light Pt. II” is the final song of the groups exceptional run of projects, if this is indeed the end. The track is as heartfelt as anything BH has done, and Joba’s gut-wrenching verse on his father’s suicide is truly stunning.
After that, Joba comes back to the chorus.
I wish this wasn’t the end for Brockhampton. I feel like I’ve been on this ride with them for more than four years, with the group making excellent project after excellent project despite the clear ups and downs of the members within the group.
This group has made some of the most exciting, weird and groundbreaking music in the genre that I have ever heard, and I’ll always cherish what we did get. I am also excited to see solo projects from guys like Matt Champion, Dom McLennon, Merlyn Wood and Joba, each of which are excellent on their own. Bearface and Ryan Beatty could also make some tremendous projects with their vocal ability. Kevin Abstract has the most solo work that I am aware of, and it’s all been very good, so I expect we will get plenty of good stuff from Brockhampton, even if it isn’t as a collective.
To sum it all up, I would like you all to watch the video for Brockhampton’s song “Lamb.” This never was put onto an album, but you can feel the joy and camaraderie that this group shared in this simple little video.
In the song, Abstract sings:
This ol’ sky, if I die
I hope I’m no random guy
Somewhere out there they will say
He is mine, he is mine.
Brockhampton may or may not be dead, but if this is it, they most certainly are no random guy, and they truly were one of my favorite artists from start to finish.
To Brockhampton, thank you for everything. You opened up my musical tastes to places I did not know prior, and made me a super fan from the first singles I heard. I have such vivid memories of 2017, a lot in thanks to your music and the excitement of each album that came out that year.
There are few groups that could put out this much good music in any time span, let alone in this short of one. It was truly a special era, and I’ll never forget it.
If you want more of Brockhampton’s music, here’s my favorite from each album since the first Saturation:
Saturation - Gold
Saturation 2 - Junky
Saturation 3 - Boogie
iridescence - J’Ouvert
Ginger - Dearly Departed
Roadrunner - Buzzcut (ft. Danny Brown)
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