Brockhampton finally released their fourth studio album, Iridescence, following a few name changes, some release date pushbacks, a wave of thermal twitter icons and impressive promotional merchandise sales.
This is the group’s first album released on a major label, RCA Records, yet it’s their most creative and raw body of work to date. Each track blends beautifully into the next even when they sound entirely different from each other. Iridescence is the auditory equivalent of a long, dark highway drive through countless cities, over lofty bridges and through bright tunnels.
Brockhampton is a multitalented 13-member collective that includes photographers, videographers, producers, graphic designers and six members who work primarily as rappers/vocalists: Kevin Abstract, Merlyn Wood, Joba, Matt Champion, Dom McLennon and bearface.
Joba in particular shined on this record. He diversified his flow from albums past and channeled powerful, punk-esque angst into his verses on “DISTRICT” and “J’OUVERT.” He continually opens up about his struggles with mental health on Iridescence by uttering vulnerable lyrics in cathartic screams: “Praise God, hallelujah! I’m still depressed/ At war with my conscience, paranoid, can’t find that shit.”
In the SATURATION trilogy, bearface worked as a singer and producer, outputting emotional, sing-song tracks such as “SUMMER,” but on Iridescence, he finally showed us he can rap too. He opens the boastful “BERLIN” with swagger and power, an unexpected show of confidence from the Brockhampton member who tends stay towards the back of the stage.
Iridescence is the group’s first big project without Ameer Vann, who was ousted over the summer due to allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct. Vann’s face is cemented on all three SATURATION album covers and his distinctive voice appear on most of their old songs. Needless to say, the boy band had a lot to overcome and a lot to prove on this album.
Iridescence proved they can make amazing music without Vann. On the silky-smooth “HONEY,” Dom McLennon delivers one of his best verses with impressive speed and clarity and Kevin Abstract’s verse questions his place in the industry, complemented by a musical and vocal sample of Beyoncé’s “Dance For You.”
Iridescence is more than just an album — it marks a new era for Brockhampton and their fans. They recorded the album in the iconic Abbey Road studios in a 10-day trip to London. The photo editing website Lunapic changed the name of their thermal filter to ‘Thermal Iridescence Effect’ and included “Check out @kevinabstract and brckhmptn.com” in it’s description, thanks to the album’s thermal branding.
The group dropped seven different batches of new merchandise before the album’s release, opened a pop-up shop in Los Angeles and played screenings of a new documentary “The Longest Summer in America” in big cities around the world.
Brockhampton has been on an incredible emotional and creative journey in recent months, and Iridescence captures that perfectly. There are loud, upbeat songs that objectively slap, and more personal creations that might require a bit of investment in the group to truly appreciate.
“SAN MARCOS” is a standout track on the album. It begins with Matt Champion rapping acapella in a gritty, high pitched tone, but it quickly takes a slower, melancholic direction with the introduction of a simple guitar melody. A classic bearface chorus connects the powerful yet intimate verses about mental health and self-image. The London Community Gospel Choir belting “I want more out of life than this” over a transcendent orchestral melody ties the song together like a sparkling bow on a birthday present.
The project proves Brockhampton is here to stay. They work hard to create music, create art, that deeply means something, turning their life experiences and emotional triumphs and pitfalls into poetic creations. Iridescence is beautiful and classic, it is beyond genre and it surpassed any expectations of what Brockhampton should be. Iridescence is perfect.
