By Yasmin Ettobi
You’ve heard of *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and One Direction, but have you heard of BROCKHAMPTON? This alternative hip hop collective is breaking the molds of genre, stereotypes, and what it means to be a boy band.
BROCKHAMPTON contains a whopping 15 members, and truly make up a creative empire. The group writes, records and produces EVERYTHING by themselves. With the amount of talent, motive and diversity possessed within the Los Angeles based boy band, it’s only a matter of time before BROCKHAMPTON takes over the world.
Their first mixtape entitled All American Trash passed under the radar in 2016, but BROCKHAMPTON has seen an extraordinary amount of success this summer. Following the release of not one but TWO records in the past three months, BROCKHAMPTON is proving themselves to the public as a force to be reckoned within the music industry.
BROCKHAMPTON’s sophomore album, Saturation, immediately stunned listeners with their hard hitting rap tracks such as “HEAT” and “BUMP,” the smooth and irresistibly catchy “GOLD,” and deeply emotional and personal songs like “2PAC” and “WASTE.”
Listeners barely had time to digest this electrifying album before being handed a full plate of music in the form of yet another album, called Saturation II. This record followed a similar template as Saturation, but that doesn’t mean that it was unoriginal. Saturation II’s tracklist was just as good, if not better than the first. Songs such as “QUEER,” “SWEET” and “SUMMER” showcase the sharp production and complete sound that BROCKHAMPTON developed over the course of Saturation.
The Saturation albums are two of the most unique projects released this year, but BROCKHAMPTON definitely pulls inspiration from artists they respect. The most popular comparison fans tend to make is to rap collective Odd Future, along with the solo projects of some of the members of Odd Future, such as Frank Ocean and Tyler, The Creator.
BROCKHAMPTON’s music is also reminiscent of some of Childish Gambino’s discography, particularly his 2013 album Because the Internet. Both BROCKHAMPTON and Gambino succeed in delivering fresh and interesting beats in their records, along with clever lyrics and a variance of genres. For example, BROCKHAMPTON’s track “STAR” and Gambino’s “Sweatpants” bear a striking resemblance to each other, and are some of both artist’s best work.
The past couple months have been wild for BROCKHAMPTON and their fans, but this is just the beginning of the musical dominance. The group has already began a North American fall tour, where they play highlights from both of the Saturation albums. Also, it has been confirmed that there will be a Saturation III by the end of 2017.
BROCKHAMPTON has labeled themselves as a boy band, and though their music may differ from that of *NSYNC or 1D, it’s clear to see young people relating to BROCKHAMPTON in the same way that teenagers did with both of those groups. BROCKHAMPTON tackles topics of racism, homophobia and loneliness, and their words resonate with thousands of teenagers searching to identify with something. BROCKHAMPTON’s message is exactly what the world needs right now. Keep looking out for these guys, because they’re sure to be the next hottest American boy band.
Photo By: Ashlan Grey
- Trending
- Comments
- Latest
