Formed in San Marcos, Texas back in 2015, Brockhampton currently consists of 14 members and are led by rapper Kevin Abstract. Describing themselves as “America’s favorite boy band”, Brockhampton released their first mixtape All American Trash in early 2016, followed by the Saturation Trilogy, which consisted of three albums that were released throughout 2017. The hip-pop boy band has gained worldwide recognition with songs such as “SWEET”, “BLEACH”, and “GOLD”. Released worldwide on September 21st as the first installment of The Best Years of Our Lives album trilogy, Iridescence is everything you would expect and more from the group.

Recorded in just 10 days, the 15 track album recognizes each artists individual talent and highlights many of their personal lives through their lyrics. Leading up to the release of Iridescence, Brockhampton dropped three singles over the summer: “1997 DIANA”, “1998 TRUMAN”, and “1999 WILDFIRE”. More recently, the band performed at Lollapalooza here in Chicago. Brockhampton also performed their new song “TONYA” on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, which would be their first performance since the departure of one of the band’s main vocalists Ameer Vann. “TONYA”, which is featured on Iridescence, compares and contrasts the drama surrounding retired figure skater Tonya Harding to Ameer’s exit from the band. I and many other fans were worried about what would happen to the band after losing such a vital member, but the group was able to bounce back and produce an outstanding album. Another emotive track from the album is “WEIGHT”, which gives insight into Kevin Abstract’s struggle with his sexuality growing up and is easily the most moving and personal track on the album. Songs such as “NEW ORLEANS”, which features Jaden Smith, and “DISTRICT” are similar to Brockhampton’s usual style, consisting of elaborate lyrics, a faster tempo, and unique rhythmic foundations. “BERLIN” offers a more grungy vibe than many of the other songs on the album.

The day before the release of Iridescence, the group dropped one song and a music video from the album. “J’OUVERT” includes verses from the majority of the band members and visualizes the album by displaying the music video in a thermal filter. The youthful and wild energy presented on this album truly represents the group. After seeing them perform live a few months ago, I had high hopes for this album and it definitely lived up to my expectations. Since announcing their new album trilogy, the band released the dates for the “I’ll Be There Tour” which kicks off on October 7th in Houston. Brockhampton is very different to any other boy band I’ve seen before and their songs are very unique, making them stand out from many of today’s artists. I believe we will be seeing much more of Brockhampton in the future and that this is only the beginning.