Over winter vacation, I found myself in a music rut. I’m one of those people who basically listens to the same three songs on my playlist until I find three brand new ones to replace those. It’s a vicious cycle, but one self-proclaimed “boy band” pulled me out of it: Brockhampton.
Formed in 2015 by a rapper named Kevin Abstract, Brockhampton has quickly gained a huge number of followers thanks to their release of their album trilogy, Saturation, this past year. It’s a pretty astonishing feat to produce one full-length album a year, let alone three.
Even though it took me an embarrassingly long time to find this amazing group, doesn’t mean that I love them any less than the fans that have supported them from the beginning. So, here I present an organized list of the reasons you should be listening to Brockhampton right now, like as you’re reading this article. Here, I’ll even link their Spotify page for your enjoyment.
1. Their videos are super entertaining.
Along with recording, editing and producing almost 50 songs last year alone, the group also created detailed, thought-out videos for many of the songs, too. Watching their fun, rowdy videos are a great way to get yourself acclimated to the group’s sound and unique personality.
2. Their tour is literally called the “Love Your Parents” Tour.
A hip-hop group that supports cherishing your family? Seems unlikely, but Brockhampton exceeds the (sadly) low expectations people have of the notorious genre.
3. Kevin Abstract, who founded the group, is openly gay and addresses it in multiple songs.
Similar to Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean, the rapper frequently mentions his orientation in his songs. Along with that, he chooses to address the homophobia associated with rap culture and why that motivates him to continue being a voice for the LGBT community.
4. Each of their songs has a surprisingly deep meaning.
Rape culture, racism, and mental illness are just some of the topics that Brockhampton touches on. And that’s just on one song.
5. Their group consists of 15 members, who all live together in California.
Let’s just be honest. Who doesn’t want to move into a house with all of their friends and make a career doing what they love? Seems like the perfect dream to me.
6. Every member is given a chance to shine.
Even though Brockhampton is a relatively large music group, it’s clear that everyone supports one another. On most songs, every vocalist in the group is given a chance to showcase their immense talent.
7. Their songs are just really relatable.
Right now, our country is in a state of frustrated, anxious confusion. Sometimes we just need dumb, carefree lyrics like “Wake up like shit then I feel like the shit, So I guess I’m the shit” to remind us that yeah, all of our lives suck. But at least we can suffer through them together.