There are plenty of places where you can listen to BROCKHAMPTON’s “SATURATION III.” I’ve listened to it in the car, while cooking, while in the shower, and even in a cramped airplane on a flight to London while writing this review.
BROCKHAMPTON offers something different. The group is something new and fantastic. The self-titled “Internet’s first boy band” consists of 15 members, but the 15 members are more than just rappers. Some are art directors and management, according to The Fader, a New York City-based music magazine.
Kevin Abstract, @kevinabstract on Twitter, created the band in 2015 in Texas, and then the crew made its way to its now-home base: California. The crew connected on a Kanye West fan forum, according to The Fader, and you can definitely hear this influence in some of their songs.
Not only does BROCKHAMPTON make incredible tunes, but the group is also an entirely independent creative agency and record label, according to The Fader.
In 2017 alone, the self-proclaimed boy band released three albums — “SATURATION”, “SATURATION II” and “SATURATION III.” The first was released in June, the second in August, and the third was released in December.
Typically, when a group releases that amount of albums in one year, some of them are subpar. Stunningly, nothing from BROCKHAMPTON’s 2017 collection was lacking in any way.
The album “SATURATION III” as a whole can be described in one word: hype. I don’t know how else to put it. The group creates a sound that blends a mix of Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt and even Odd Future.
While I can hear the inspiration, the group entirely holds their own and creates a sound I haven’t heard put together before. I can hear Kanye’s influential yell-rapping style in “STUPID,” and I can hear a combination of Earl Sweatshirt and Frank Ocean in “LIQUID,” but neither of these qualities are the dominating ones.
The group is so large that it’s hard for me to tell who is rapping and when, which was something I also struggled with when I began listening to Odd Future.
It takes a while, and it usually takes listening to the group members' solo songs, for me to really hear who is who. Still, all the artists possess a different style, and all of them blend perfectly together with their interesting beats.
The group is set to perform at many major music festivals in 2018, including Bonnaroo and Coachella.
Sometimes, listening to the entirety of an album feels like a little bit too much, so while I think this album deserves that, I would like to highlight a few of my favorites.
The album opens with an upbeat track called “BOOGIE,” which says the band is the "best boy band since One Direction.”
“BOOGIE” has a steady and incredibly fun beat. This song is one that you will find yourself bobbing your head and tapping your feet to, even if you’re in the tightest part of an airplane.
Many of the songs, including one of my favorites, "ZIPPER," feature a saxophone layered under what sounds like someone yelling “woo!” over and over.
“HOTTIE” is another song that makes me feel full of joy, and it's a track I anticipate being on my 2018 most-listened-to list.
“STUPID,” like I mentioned earlier, sounds like a combination of Earl Sweatshirt and Frank Ocean, with a hint of Odd Future and Kanye West, twisted into something special and different.
The last track I will tell you to check out before you decide that you absolutely love this crew, too, is “BLEACH.”
“BLEACH” starts slower than the other songs I mentioned and stays steadily slow throughout.
BROCKHAMPTON’s style is extremely hard to describe. It’s a mix of things I know and love, while at the same time it’s something entirely new that I’ve never heard before. I would highly recommend this group to anyone looking for some new, exciting music.
You can check out an hour-long playlist called "Brockhampton, call ya mama" that I made for this week here. It features artists including Kanye West, Frank Ocean and Odd Future.
