Brockhampton, “Ginger” 9/10

Brockhampton’s sixth studio album had a lot riding on it for America’s boy band. After their stellar “Saturation” trilogy put them on the map in 2017, the collective went through a rough 2018 after one of their lead rappers, Ameer Vann, was accused of abuse and later kicked out of the group. “Puppy”, their fifth album, was scrapped and the group hastily put together “Iridescence”, a flawed but decent album. Many of the fans saw the release of “Iridescence” and the loss of Ameer as the beginning of the end for the young boy band. I was among these fans who feared for the future of Brockhampton, and like those fans I was dead wrong. Brockhampton has crafted their most focused album that can stand toe to toe with their “Saturation” trilogy. The group after taking a long time to get back on their feet now comes back filled with reflection and grief. In a way, this album feels exactly like its cover art, a group hug for the collective. The album lacks the same energy that albums like the “Saturation” trilogy had but overall the boy band has created one of their best albums yet and secured their future as a staple of the rap game.