Since its conception in 2015, Los Angeles based boy band Brockhampton has firmly established its place as one of America’s most popular up-and-coming bands. With a discography consisting of five critically acclaimed studio albums and millions of fans all over the world, it’s no surprise that Brockhampton coins itself as “the world’s greatest boy band.” Their songs are best known for synthesizing rap with somewhat outlandish beats. While most bands range from three to five members, Brockhampton has thirteen members, providing them with a wide variety of vocals and musical styles. Even though some of their songs may seem chaotic or strange at times, their shift from traditional hip-hop and their ambition to try something new makes them one of the most exciting musical groups of the decade. 

 The group was formed in 2012 when lead singer Kevin Abstract made a post on a Kanye West fan forum asking if anyone wanted to be in a band with him. This eventually led to the formation of Brockhampton, and the band officially entered the music scene in 2015 with their single “Dirt.” In 2016, they released their debut album “ALL-AMERICAN TRASH” which combined elements of mainstream hip-hop with the unique voices of Brockhampton’s vocalists. In 2017, within a span of seven months, the group released a trilogy of albums (SATURATION, SATURATION II, and SATURATION III) that were highly experimental and had a wide variety of musical styles. 

About a year after the release of the Saturation trilogy, Brockhampton released “iridescence” that displayed more musical maturity than the Saturation trilogy as it dealt with more complex themes, such as depression and self image. After a year long hiatus following the release of “iridescence,” Brockhampton released their fifth album, “GINGER,” in August 2019, and the album is nothing short of phenomenal.  

In contrast to Brockhampton’s previous albums, GINGER has a mellow vibe that leaves the listener feeling calm and serene. Most notably, the group has cut their usual youthful energy and yelping ad-libs in favor of more soothing vocals and melancholy themes. The album opens with the songs “NO HALO” and “SUGAR” which deal with themes such as depression and loneliness, and are beautifully anchored by an acoustic guitar. The slow pace, along with the guitar accompaniment make these songs perfect to listen to on night drives or while studying. 

Even though “GINGER” opens with two melancholic songs, Brockhampton certainly touches on their upbeat side with the songs “BOY BYE” and “IF YOU PRAY RIGHT.” Both songs are energetic and lively as they contain a wide variety of vocals from different members of the group, and also focus more heavily on rap. Because of the dynamic nature of these songs, they are great to listen to when you just need a song to jam out to.

While “GINGER” represents a drastic shift from Brockhampton’s old albums, Brockhampton returns to their more chaotic, experimental roots with the song “I BEEN BORN AGAIN.” Similar to songs on older albums such as “SWEET” and “GOLD,” “I BEEN BORN AGAIN” contains a varied, sometimes clashing, mix of vocals and background instrumentation. This song sounds the most erratic out of any of the tracks on this album, but also serves as a refreshing break from the more melancholic songs on the rest of the album.

Overall, “GINGER” elicits a wide variety of emotions, making it the most unique and versatile Brockhampton album yet. The album incorporates both Brockhampton’s old style, and a newer, more mature style, catering to both loyal Brockhampton fans and new listeners who are just getting into their music. Brockhampton, once again, has come through and released yet another amazing album.