BROCKHAMPTON has produced three albums since June 9, 2017 when they released SATURATION. The hip-hop boy band is breaking ground with its latest rendition, known as SATURATION III.
The album was released on Dec. 15 and has gained international attention since. The US Billboard ranked the album no. 15 for 2017 and the New Zealand Heatseeker Albums ranked SATURATION III No. 1. The word eclectic does not even begin to describe SATURATION III. The album unexpectedly encompasses romantic Spanish songs, such as “CINEMA 1,” aggressive songs such as “SISTER /NATION” and folk-influenced songs such as “STUPID.” The cover art for this album features Ameer Vann who is a vocalist for the band.
The album highlights all fifteen members’ individuality to perfection. The boys focus on how their broken childhoods have shaped them. This is prevalent in lyrics from “SISTER/NATION,” “That’s why I’m pure to some, a psychopath to others. I grew up in counsellin,’ flippin’ off my counselors.” The song features a blend of high-pitch voices to match a catchy beat, making the intense lyrics more bearable and the bleakness of the song less noticeable. Kevin Abstract raps about his homosexuality in “JOHNNY,” “I could’ve got a job at McDonald’s, but I like curly fries. That’s a metaphor for my life and I like taller guys.”
The album has a song for almost any mood that you can find yourself in. “CINEMA 1” is a spoken-word track read by Robert Ontenient in Spanish. Ontenient sets a somber, yet hopeful tone when he speaks of missing his family over an instrumental track. There is a perfectly executed transition into the next song “STUPID”. The smooth flow makes the two separate songs feel like one.
“SISTER / NATION” is a song with many different powerful elements. It is a two-part song featuring five of the 15 members as well as a female voice at the end of part one. Since the song is broken down into two parts, and has many voices in it, it feels like an experience, rather than just another song in an album.
“HOTTIE” is an existential song that focuses on how humans can be better at living. Kevin Abstract raps about how we escape the troubles of life with love, art and friendships. Each member of BROCKHAMPTON explains how they just want to do their best and be “enough”.
BROCKHAMPTON is important to the music industry because the members, though all male, are diverse. Younger children who are minorities can look up to the band and see people like them thrive. All people can listen to their lyrics and relate in one way or another.
