A group of rappers, vocalists, producers and designers, brockhampton During their short and prolific career, they became more than just a “boy band”.
After forming on an online forum dedicated to Kanye West fans, Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon, Joba, Ameer Vann and Bearface released their debut mixtape All-American Trash in 2016 and shook up the hip-hop world the following year with their critically acclaimed Saturation album. rice field. Trilogy. Brockhampton became known for his eccentric personality, energetic live performances, and ultra-stylized music his videos and merchandise. Additionally, in the pre-Lil Nas X era, bandleader Kevin’s casual, humorous, and sometimes graphic lyrics about being gay were a refreshing novelty in hip-hop.
In 2018, Amer, whose face appears on all three album covers of Saturation, was banned from the band after being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. After Amer’s departure from the group, Brockhampton released 2018’s “Iridescence” and 2019’s “Ginger,” with the song “Dearly Departed” centering around the loss of a friend and band member.
Through eight studio albums, shows at Viceland, and numerous documentaries, Brockhampton have created a unique ecosystem and cultivated a rich fan community obsessed with the band’s lore.
In October, Brockhampton released their final album as a group, “The Family,” and released another surprise album, “TM,” on Thursday. variety From “Saturation” to “Sugar,” we’ve ranked the top 15 Brockhampton songs.
Honorable mentions: “Queer”, “San Marcos”, “No Hello”, “Infatuation”, “Dearly Departed”, “Sweet”
15. Joubert
Joba can unleash such frenetic energy on the track that Brockhampton strategically sprinkles him. In “J’Ouvert,” he breaks loose and goes berserk, knocking on a steaming kettle until it erupts. I have never heard him vent like this, spitting out deeply personal bars about mental health issues and substance use. “I have been misunderstood since I was born,” Peak said with a strained voice that gave me goosebumps. The other verses aren’t as memorable, but synths, sirens and reverb effectively build tension on this strangely powerful track.
14. Junkie
On “Junkie,” each member tackles a gigantic topic: Kevin tackles homophobia, Amer takes drug addiction seriously, Merlin reflects on family ties, and Matt speaks out against misogyny. This is arguably Matt’s best poem of all time. is your butt human? / I look into your eyes and say / Respect my mother, her ‘respect her sister, respect these women’ all this in tune with her Romil’s insane beats, erratic synths and reverse her The effect conveys a sense of impending doom.
13. Johnny
“I could have gotten a job at McDonald’s, but I like curly fries,” Kevin raps on “Johnny.” Kevin, at his funniest and most playful, once took back the mic by asking, “Does anyone have Harry Styles’ phone number?” Towards the end of the song, Joba is given plenty of room to deliver one of his strongest and most confessional verses. “Johnny,” with its signature jam-packed beat, shouldn’t work, instead it easily falls into place like a jigsaw puzzle.
12. Face
“Face”, featuring Brockhampton, is perhaps the group’s most proven love song. It’s Joba’s moment of glory, showing off his whispered falsetto both in the song’s catchy chorus (“Tell me what you’re waiting for/I just want to love you”) and on the towering bridge. Dom, Matt and Ameer deliver some of the most gentle verses to Kiko’s simple yet effective beats. Each one of Dom’s “I don’t know how to ride a tsunami that crashes into my thighs,” Matt’s subtly sexy “What’s your motive with me, baby?” /I still feel lonely.”
11. Wildfires of 1999
“1999 Wildfire” features one of Brockhampton’s most catchy choruses, but the song’s highlight is Joba’s “Lord of the Rings,” which evokes images of hip-hop’s “Lord of the Rings.” Medieval Flow”. “I heard a call from the top of the mountain (Joba),” he begins, beginning the tale of wizards, peasants, and castles of the Shire. Brockhampton may have started out as “just a group of outcasts with the gift of hope,” but “now we’re eating grapes and the best cheese,” he raps. and Dom close out Joba with a solid verse, while Bearface closes out with one of his signature angelic melodies, giving him a seat in front of Brockhampton Church. Although not on the album, “1999 Wildfire”, released just two months after Amir’s departure as fans were unsure of Brockhampton’s future, became one of the group’s enduring hits. It’s one.
10. Rental
Brockhampton prove they have R&B in their arsenal too, with the downtempo jam “Rental” from “Saturation III.” Showing off her melodic prowess, Dom glides over her minimal electronic beats, like a pop flavored heart pounding in her heart (“I want a love that make me make me like I love you”). ain’t breakin’ ya heart”). The chorus (“Throw me in the fire, baby, I’ll alive”) is the perfect tonic for Kevin’s jagged hook (“Ridin’ on the Roof with a $ sign on a head to my head”).
9. Tokyo
Joba maximizes his impression of Justin Timberlake in “Tokyo”. It’s a cocktail of rocking basses, fluttering synths and soaring woodwinds that doesn’t feel weighty and constantly shifts. “She hit me with ‘if’, ‘when’ and ‘then’ / Where has my life gone, am I living in the moment?” It still sounds smooth in the trap segment. While most of the beat feels like a canvas, the instrumental of “Tokyo” feels like an active member of Brockhampton, engaging the rapper in its own unique vein of complexity and wonderfully quirky.
8. Boogie
Are Brockhampton the greatest boy band since One Direction? Perhaps outside of K-pop, they’re gunning for that honor, and ‘Boogie’ is the main reason. Not only does it slam open “Saturation III”, it drops a bomb. Within seconds, the track explodes with adrenaline and Red Bull roaring brass his section, with sirens blaring every few seconds. Everyone here he raises to eleven. “Who pissed me off?” The normally reserved Matt belts out mid-song, followed by Joba’s comically chaotic “Break your neck, I’m a chiropractor!” After the first two ‘Saturation’ albums, ‘Boogie’ quickly set the tone for ‘Saturation III’ and pushed the boundaries even further.
7. Summer
Bearface is hopeless, guitar-strumming and romantic in this dreamy ballad that closes out “Saturation II.” “In the heat of the summer, you’re so different,” he sings over and over, longing to get lost in the twinkling piano loops and distorted guitars. You know you should be my boy.” A festival setlist staple, “Summer” is a left-wing crooning that proves it’s impossible to box Brockhampton. It’s also an indie tune.
6. Bleach
Saturation III’s standout track, “Bleach,” opens with what can only be described as a momentary rush of dopamine. “Who did you feel? Tell me why you cry when you feel it,” sings guest Ryan Beatty in auto-tuned falsetto before a tape rewind switch-up to a smooth verse from Matt. be connected. A true team effort, everyone grabs a verse on this track, with Kevin stepping back infrequently and only appearing in pitched-up refrains. When is the best, offering evocative and catchy verses to Romil and Jabari’s nostalgic beats, including one of Merlin’s best (“I want to die during sex or religion/Only God and cats knows “my intention”). Joba takes the track to angelic heights on the bridge, where his upper registers meld together in stunning harmonies as Bareface joins Beatty to complete the track.
5. Heat
As the kickoff track for Brockhampton’s debut album ‘Saturation’, ‘Heat’ heats up with proof. The track plays like a confession, with each member offering a verse detailing their sins and their deepest, darkest secrets. Ameer’s part, in which he says he “loves bitches to bleed” after leaving the group following sexual abuse allegations, has a more haunting effect. delivers an enthusiastic “Fuck you!” Romil’s Industrial as his beats become more and more frenetic. Matt Champion fantasizes about “getting my bitch on board and pissing off the yacht” with his signature tranquilizing swagger, and rounds out the track with one of his best outings.
4. Tonya
After Ameer left the group, Brockhampton had to find a way forward. The aftermath yielded “Iridescence” and its outstanding track “Tonya.” This is a song about a slingshot to fame and getting yourself back after the Amir drama. A heartbreaking piano melody opens the brooding tune, and the hook (“I used to feel like I didn’t care”) blares out as the men process their emotions. It’s clear they still miss their ex-friend Amer — “Maybe it means nothing, but I have to say I’m thinking of you a lot.” The 2016 movie “I, Tonya” even screams in this deep, sad, yet endlessly catchy tune.
3. Sugar
On “Boogie” Kevin proclaimed Brockhampton “the best boy band since One Direction”, but it would be two years before the group had their first real pop hit. A self-tuned Dom and laid-back Matt sing his first two verses on “Sugar,” while Kevin and Bareface weave an effortless melody between moody acoustic guitar loops. Everyone’s in the right place, but in the end “Sugar” is guest singer Ryan Beatty’s. Ryan Beatty’s harmonious hook is so maddeningly irresistibly sweet that it doesn’t matter how good the rest of the song is.
2. Star
“Star,” the third track on “Saturation,” showcases Brockhampton’s lyrical finesse at its best while dropping names like Beyoncé, Barack Obama, Matthew McConaughey and Anthony Hopkins at a fast pace. I’m here. Featuring only Dom, Ameer, and Kevin, each rapper brings their own flair to Jabari’s swirling beats, claiming their own star power. While 40 of his names and cultural touchpoints are mentioned in the span of 2 minutes and 40 seconds (yes, roughly every 4 seconds of him is one reference to him), each seamlessly links to the next reference. Connected. For example, Amer’s “John Travolta, when I take off, Brad Pitt, start a fight club / Turn a trap into a nightclub, I’m like a prince with a white dove.” Who could forget that Shawn Mendes line?
1. Gold
“Gold” is Brockhampton at its best. Over heady beats, hypnotized and catchy hooks are combined with each member’s career-best verses (sadly no Joba). Like the mission statement at the beginning of the “Saturation” trilogy, Kevin’s “Keep the gold chain around your neck/Fly like a jet, boy, treat me with respect” is a tribute to the hip-hop world. Reads like a warning: A new powerhouse group was on the rise. Meanwhile, each verse spotlights the rapper’s strengths. Matt drools low-key brag. Ameer and Merlyn bounce off each other in a filthy bar of pure fun. Dom concludes strongly with clever lines like the memorable “I feel like ratatouille when I’m whipping cheddar cheese.” With a fluid roster and dynamic, genre-agnostic sound, it’s impossible for him to cover all of Brockhampton in one song, but “Gold” is an early classic and what they’re aiming for. It’s an excellent introduction to what it used to be.