The Texas-based hip hop collective, or “boy band”, Brockhampton burst onto the scene in June with the release of their debut album Saturation. Saturation earned the boy band critical acclaim for their effortless charm and style, themes of self-love and friendship, and an undeniable loyalty to each other and their work. To the surprise of fans and the music community alike, they returned with the release of Saturation II on August 1st and the announcement of a third and final installment of the Saturation trilogy. Brockhampton has proved that they are on the track of pioneering rap/hip hop into a fresh, exciting direction with youthful energy and an unapologetic voice for the queer community.
Saturation II is essentially an extension of the style and themes explored in Saturation, and that’s exactly what we needed. Brockhampton’s ability to compose hard-hitting and electrifying tracks while still remaining true to their lyrical goals of raw honesty is an important breath of fresh air not only to rap and hip hop, but to the music community as a whole.
In Saturation II, Brockhampton successfully displays that they can produce crowd-pleasing bangers while also offering soft ballads containing sensitive and sincere lyrics such as “SUMMER” and “JESUS”. On tracks such as “JUNKY” and “TEETH”, the former serving as a single verse interlude performed by Ameer Vann, they showcase their willingness to deliver powerful responses to criticism and brutally raw anecdotes on subjects such as sexuality, race, and class.
Overall, the album leaves little to be desired and pleasingly adds more of the same quality material to the Saturation trilogy. To fully “saturate” listeners, Brockhampton needs to experiment further with their sound in the upcoming third installment and ensure that they are capable of variety in their craft.
Brockhampton excels in ways that other hip hop collectives have yet to catch up on. Their drive to immerse the public in their sound and image is undeniable, and they’ve got our attention. With multiple visual projects, a TV show, and a soon to be completed album trilogy, they truly have shown their unbreakable work ethic and proved their place as a creative, multi-dimensional powerhouse. While Brockhampton’s future has yet to be fully determined, they have secured attention and a standard to uphold to. They may not be there yet, but Brockhampton is en route to becoming hip hop trailblazers in more ways than one.
