BROCKHAMPTON, the group that redefines the word boyband by releasing all music with hip hop vibes, has released their fourth album iridescence after the departure of former member Ameer Vann following accusations of sexual misconduct. The 14 member group consists of vocalists, graphic designers and producers who met through a Kanye West fan forum in 2015. Their current album, iridescence, sold over 101,000 copies according to Rolling Stone and scored #1 on Billboard 200.

Reviews such as one featured in Pitchfork commented on Vann’s absence, stating that the musicality of Vann was no longer seen in the new tracks; “the vocalist often get swallowed in the heavy mix, making the absence of Vann, their sharpest MC on past releases, noticeable.” As someone who has not listened to their past albums thoroughly, the change within their sound was not as easily noticeable to me, making their current album sound close to their past releases.

The different tones on the album range from the softer piano appeal of “TONYA” to the harsher sound of “WHERE THE CASH AT.” The album is entirely full of different sounds due to the 14 members jumping in to help produce songs, creating different dynamics between them. The softer piano of “TONYA” was more appealing to me but I do enjoy the contrast of the harsher sound and how they come together in the album.

Though iridescence received a #1 on Billboard, Pitchfork’s critics gave it a lower score (6.6 out of 10) than their third album, Saturation lll (7.5 out of 10). Nonetheless, this score is still higher than many well known artists such as Ed Sheeran with his album Divide, which scored a 2.8. From my first listen, I was pleased with how iridescence sounded, yet some songs were a bit chaotic as it is something I am not usually interested in. But overall, it was well constructed and well produced even with the absence of one member. If you are interested in the boybands new album, you can stream it on Spotify and Youtube platforms.