by Jack Gillespie For people who were in the know, 2017 was the year of Brockhampton. In a span of six months, the self-described “boy band” released three albums, Saturation, Saturation ll, and Saturation lll, filled with some of the most charismatic, catchy, wonderfully produced hip hop of the decade. Every single emcee had a distinct personality, style and tone, but the chemistry shared among all of them was undeniable. This isn’t even mentioning the variety of music videos, all directed by band member Kevin Abstract, that solidified their strong aesthetic that had a huge part in their virality. They were bona fide phenomenons! It wasn’t until May of 2018 that the band came back to Earth after their meteoric rise; Ameer Vann, one of the founding members, was accused of sexual misconduct by two women and was eventually removed from the band. One of the most prominent members of Brockhampton was now gone. For a group whose greatest appeal is their chemistry, this was absolutely game-changing. Now with iridescence, the first album in a whole new trilogy of records, the idea of a Brockhampton album without Ameer is now a reality. How exactly Brockhampton were going to address the departure of Ameer or whether they’d mention it in the music at all was a significant question. The result? While there are a few lines that may reference him, they are few and far between, and they only ever allude to what happened. Considering the circumstances in which he left and the disappointment they show towards Ameer in the statement they issued shortly after the allegations started to spread, this is probably for the better. Much like how the band have decided to move on from the situation, the best idea is most likely to do the same and not obsess over the something the group obviously does not want to define them.
Turning things up to 11
Swap Pop for Odd
The Power of Chemistry
iridescence Saturation I iridescence. Saturation Recommended if you like: Top Tracks:Featured image: DJBooth
