Boyband BROCKHAMPTON puts out a mature “Iridescence”
Review by Colton Robertson
BROCKHAMPTON graced us with its fourth studio album, “Iridescence,” on Sept. 21. The self-proclaimed boyband continued with the uniqueness it has been known for with its arrival. “Iridescence” is a work unlike any I’ve seen ever, only to be compared to previous BROCKHAMPTON projects.
What sets this release apart from their first three, the “Saturation” trilogy, is the maturity. It feels like you take a dive into the mind of each member of the group. It is so incredibly vulnerable, but still illustrates its incredibly confident self. On the song “WEIGHT,” Kevin Abstract addresses how he was confused by his sexuality growing up. He raps, “I was writing poems ’bout a dog in study hall, and she was mad ’cause I never wanna show her off. And every time she took her bra off my d*** would get soft. I thought I had a problem, kept my head inside a pillow screaming.”
To address something like this in hip-hop music is a rarity. BROCKHAMPTON talks about things that aren’t addressed in mainstream rap music. Depression, anxiety, and suicide are all addressed by the group. One of the members that shines on this album is Joba. We get a deeper look into him than we have before. On the song “SAN MARCOS,” Joba makes use of a mellow and melodic auto-tuned voice and gets incredibly vulnerable with the listener: “Suicidal thoughts, but I won’t do it. Take that how you want, it’s important I admit it. I’m afraid of commitment, don’t know how to fix it.” After Joba’s verse, one of the best moments of the album is provided by the London Community Gospel Choir.
“I want more out of life than this. I want more, I want more,” the choir sings.
One thing I love about this album is the range they provide on the tracks. On some tracks they provide a grimy and exciting style, and on other tracks the songs are more melodic and soothing.
My top five off the 15-track album are “NEW ORLEANS,” “SOMETHING ABOUT HIM,” “WEIGHT,” “SAN MARCOS” and “TONYA.”
Overall, this album is one of my favorite releases of 2018 in hip-hop. It deserves all the attention you can give it.