Saturation | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 9, 2017 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 51:02 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Brockhampton
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Brockhampton chronology | ||||
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Singles from Saturation | ||||
Saturation (stylized in all caps) is the debut studio album by American rap collective Brockhampton. Independently released on June 9, 2017, the album features appearances from group members Kevin Abstract, Ameer Vann, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon, Matt Champion, Joba, and Bearface. [2] [3] Production was primarily handled by group members Romil Hemnani, Jabari Manwa, and Kiko Merley, with additional contributions from Joba, Bearface, and No Rome. Manwa, along with Brockhampton webmaster Robert Ontenient, perform the albums vocal skits.
The album's release was preceded by six singles, all of which were released alongside a music video. Saturation was released to critical acclaim, with praise directed towards its diverse sound. A follow-up album, Saturation II , was released on August 25, 2017. On September 3, the group embarked on "Jennifer's Tour", in support of Saturation and Saturation II. Saturation, along with Saturation II, Saturation III , and a documentary detailing the album's recording, was included in the Saturation Boxset, released on December 15, 2017. [4]
Following the release of Brockhampton's debut mixtape All-American Trash, the group relocated to a shared home in South Central, Los Angeles. In May 2017, Brockhampton announced Saturation, at the time referred to as the group's second mixtape. [5] The release date was set for June, although recording had not yet begun at the time of the announcement. [6] [7] Saturation was recorded, produced, and mixed in the groups home, with Romil Hemnani and Joba credited as the recording engineer and mixing engineer, respectively. [6] The entire record was mixed by Joba in three days. [7] Kevin Abstract, Hemnani, and Joba served as executive producers. [7]
Compared to previous releases, Saturation was produced more collaboratively and features a more cohesive sound. The groups dynamic on the record and decision to rap about more specific subject matter was inspired by Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) . [7] Wood and McLennon cited the tracks "Milk" and "Trip", respectively, as opportunities to open up on vulnerable verses. Group member Bearface was in London during the albums recording, and contributed the solo track "Waste", written and recorded in a single day alongside No Rome. [7]
The opening track, "Heat", has been described as "horrorcore-adjacent", with the track's blown-out bass serving as "a moment of catharsis for both the rappers and the listener". [1] "Gold" is as a "zany posse cut", with verses by Matt Champion, Ameer Vann, Merlyn Wood, and Dom McLennon that were regarded by Matthew Strauss of Pitchfork as their best performances on the album. [1] "Star" features an eerie beat, with Abstract, Vann, and McLennon making numerous pop-culture references within their verses. [8] "Boys" contrasts a "swirling" instrumental with deadpan verses from Champion, Vann, and McLennon. On "Trip", Abstract and Vann disavow the suburban lifestyle, whereas "Milk" features an uplifting message of self-acceptance. "Face" has a "pristine beat" that sports a gentle chorus from rapper and singer Joba. [1] The album closer, "Waste", is a guitar-driven ballad featuring a "tortured" performance by Bearface. [9] "Waste" is the only track on the album only featuring one member of the group. [7]
Saturation was announced on May 3, 2017 for a release in June. The first single, "Face", was released alongside a music video on May 8. [10] For the remainder of the month, the group released music videos on a weekly basis, with "Heat", "Gold", and "Star" receiving videos directed by Abstract and filmed in South Central. [11] [12] [13]
Shortly after the album's announcement, Brockhampton were revealed to be the subject of a Viceland documentary series titled American Boyband. The show premiered a day before the album's release, on June 8. The same day, a non-album single titled "Lamb" was released as the final single in promotion of the album. [14] [15] [16]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
HotNewHipHop | [17] |
Pitchfork | 6.5/10 [1] |
Pretty Much Amazing | B− [18] |
RadioUTD | [19] |
theneedledrop | 9/10 [20] |
Saturation received general acclaim from music critics upon its release. DJBooth's Brent Bradley praised the group's chemistry, noting that "With Saturation, Brockhampton has cemented themselves as a force to behold, the next in an all-too-short line of examples in which groups manage to fully realize their dynamic potential". [21] For RadioUTD, Roman Soriano referred to the group's members as "highly talented", continuing that "it's incredible to think that this was put together in just three and a half weeks, given the complexity of this project", praising its "powerful lyricism, great storytelling, and ... cohesive but diverse sound". [19] In a less positive review, Pitchfork's Matthew Strauss called the album a "split between effortless cool and empty platitudes", praising the group's stylishness and assertiveness, but criticizing the album's less aggressive moments as "sappy", revealing "the collective's lyrical weakness". [1]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
BrooklynVegan | BrooklynVegan's Top 50 Albums of 2017 | 12 | |
Clash | Clash Albums of the Year 2017 | 11 | |
Vinyl Me, Please | The Best Albums of 2017 | 25 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Heat" |
| Romil Hemnani | 4:32 |
2. | "Gold" |
|
| 4:26 |
3. | "Star" |
| Manwa | 2:41 |
4. | "Boys" |
|
| 4:38 |
5. | "2Pac" |
| Kiko Merley | 1:02 |
6. | "Skit 1" |
| Hemnani | 0:19 |
7. | "Fake" |
| Q3 | 4:36 |
8. | "Bank" |
|
| 3:16 |
9. | "Skit 2" |
| Hemnani | 0:16 |
10. | "Trip" |
|
| 3:23 |
11. | "Swim" |
|
| 3:33 |
12. | "Bump" |
|
| 2:38 |
13. | "Cash" |
|
| 3:15 |
14. | "Skit 3" |
| Hemnani | 0:39 |
15. | "Milk" |
|
| 4:55 |
16. | "Face" |
| Kiko Merley | 4:19 |
17. | "Waste" | Ciarán McDonald | 2:34 | |
Total length: | 51:02 |
Notes
Brockhampton
Additional personnel
Chart (2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ) [25] | 8 |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | June 9, 2017 | Brockhampton Records | [2] | |
December 15, 2017 | CD |
| [4] |
Clifford Ian Simpson, known by his stage name Kevin Abstract, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his role as a founding member of Brockhampton. He released his debut album, MTV1987, in 2014 to critical acclaim, and received attention from a number of major music blogs and magazine publications. His second album, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story, was released in November 2016, his third, Arizona Baby, was released in April 2019, and his fourth, Blanket, was released in November 2023.
Brockhampton were an American boy band/rap collective founded in 2014 in San Marcos, Texas. Led by Kevin Abstract and formed partially through the online music discussion forum KanyeToThe, the group's final line-up consisted of vocalists Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, and Dom McLennon, vocalists/producers Joba, Bearface, and Jabari Manwa and producers Romil Hemnani and Kiko Merley, as well as graphic designer Henock "HK" Sileshi, photographer Ashlan Grey, web designer Roberto Ontenient, and manager Jon Nunes.
Saturation II is the second studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on August 25, 2017. Production is primarily handled by Romil Hemnani, alongside production duo Q3, Bearface, Kevin Abstract, and Joba.
Saturation III is the third studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on December 15, 2017. Production is predominantly handled by Romil Hemnani, alongside production duo Q3, as with previous releases. It concludes the Saturation trilogy, commenced with Saturation and followed with Saturation II. Originally promoted as the group's "final studio album", the group announced their fourth album, titled Team Effort at the time before being scrapped, a day before Saturation III was released. Saturation III is the band's last album with founding member Ameer Vann, who left the band in May 2018 amid accusations of sexual misconduct.
"Junky" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on August 15, 2017 as the third single from their second studio album Saturation II (2017).
"Swamp" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on August 8, 2017 as the second single from their second studio album Saturation II (2017).
"Sweet" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on August 22, 2017 as the fourth single from their second studio album Saturation II (2017).
"Gold" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton and the third single from their debut studio album Saturation (2017). The music video premiered on May 23, 2017, before the song was released to streaming services on May 30, 2017.
Brockhampton was an American hip-hop collective. Formed in 2010, they have released eight studio albums, four compilations, one mixtape, 27 singles, and 38 music videos. Originally formed as AliveSinceForever in 2010 and after releasing a compilation and extended play under the name in 2012 and 2013 respectively, the group rebranded to Brockhampton, proclaiming themselves as "the world's greatest boy band". The collective's lineup underwent significant changes in 2014 alongside this rebrand. After releasing singles throughout 2015, the group's debut mixtape, All-American Trash, was released for free on March 24, 2016.
Matthew Garrett Champion is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is known for his role as a member of hip hop collective and boyband Brockhampton, with whom he released eight studio albums. His debut solo album, Mika's Laundry, was released on March 22, 2024.
Ameer Emmanuel Vann is an American rapper. He is best known for being a member of music collective Brockhampton, until his departure from the group in May 2018. After leaving Brockhampton, Vann started his solo career and released his first commercial EP, Emmanuel, in September 2019.
"1999 Wildfire" is a single by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on July 7, 2018. It features additional vocals from American producer Jazze Pha.
Arizona Baby is the third studio album by American rapper Kevin Abstract, released on April 25, 2019 by Question Everything, Inc. through RCA Records. The album was released cumulatively, with the eponymous first part released on April 11, followed by a second part titled Ghettobaby on April 18. It was primarily produced by Jack Antonoff and Abstract's fellow Brockhampton member Romil Hemnani, with several other members of Brockhampton providing additional production, vocals, and instrumentation.
"Sugar" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton from their fifth studio album, Ginger (2019). The song features guest vocals from Ryan Beatty. It was written by Matthew Champion, Ciarán McDonald, Dominique Simpson, Ian Simpson, Beatty, Jabari Manwarring, Romil Hemnani, and Chuks Chiejine, while the production was handled by Jabari Manwa and Romil Hemnani. The song impacted contemporary hit radio formats in the United States on November 19, 2019, as the album's fifth single, before being released globally on December 13, through Question Everything and RCA Records. It is a hip hop, pop, and R&B slow jam, driven by an acoustic guitar loop. Lyrically, the themes include drug abuse, codependency, and the stress of uncertainty.
"Bleach" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton from their third studio album Saturation III (2017).
Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine is the sixth studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton. The album was released on April 9, 2021 through RCA and Question Everything, and received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album contains guest appearances from Danny Brown, JPEGMafia, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, SoGone SoFlexy, Charlie Wilson, Baird, and SSGKobe.
TM is the eighth and final studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton. It was released on November 18, 2022, one day after the release of the group's previous studio album The Family, through RCA and Question Everything. For its entire rollout, The Family was advertised as the band's final album. A surprise release, TM was announced for release alongside a promo image for The Family, and was billed by the band as a "parting gift for fans".
"Face" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton and the lead single from their debut studio album Saturation (2017). The music video premiered on May 6, 2017, before the song was released to streaming services on May 18, 2017.
William Anku Kraka Mawuli Andoh Wood Jr., known by his stage name Merlyn Wood, is a Ghanaian-American rapper and songwriter. Born in Accra and raised in Texas, Wood is best known for his work as a member of hip-hop collective and boyband Brockhampton, with whom he released eight studio albums from 2014 to 2022. During his time with Brockhampton, Wood was recognized as the groups hype man, with his verses being noted for their energy and Ghanaian accent.
All-American Trash is the first and only mixtape by American rap collective and boy band Brockhampton. It was self-released on March 30, 2016, and features performances from Brockhampton members Ameer Vann, Merlyn Wood, Kevin Abstract, Rodney Tenor, Joba, Matt Champion, Bearface, and Dom McLennon. The bulk of production was handled by group members Romil Hemnani and Joba, with Tenor, Albert Gordon, Bearface, Jabari Manwa, and McLennon also receiving credits, along with guest producer Jeff Kleinman. Additionally, Ariel Wendt and group member HK perform spoken-word sections.