| Saturation II | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 25, 2017 | |||
| Studio | Brockhampton Factory, Van Nuys, California | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 48:02 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | Brockhampton
| |||
| Brockhampton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Saturation II | ||||
Saturation II is the second studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on August 25, 2017. [1] Production is primarily handled by Romil Hemnani, alongside production duo Q3 (composed of Jabari Manwa and Kiko Merley), Bearface, Kevin Abstract, and Joba.
With only a few months since the release of their debut album, Saturation (2017), the group revealed plans to release the sequel to the predecessor. [2] [3] The album's official cover art and tracklist was revealed on August 21, 2017. [4]
The album was supported by four singles, "Gummy", "Swamp", "Junky" and "Sweet". The lead single, "Gummy" was released on August 2, 2017. [5] The second single, "Swamp" was released on August 8, 2017. [6] The third single, "Junky" was released on August 15, 2017. [7] The fourth and final single, "Sweet", was released August 22, 2017, alongside "Follow", the lead single from the upcoming Saturation III. However, it was later revealed that "Follow" would not be on Saturation III. [8] As the four singles were released, they were accompanied by their own music videos. [9] [10] [11] [12]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [13] |
| GigSoup | [14] |
| HotNewHipHop | 85% [15] |
| PopMatters | [16] |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10 [17] |
| Pretty Much Amazing | A− [18] |
| The Young Folks | [19] |
| theneedledrop | 8/10 [20] |
}} Saturation II received general acclaim from music critics upon its release, with most favouring it over its predecessor. For Fact , Al Horner called the album "sublime", commenting that "on the adventurous, quietly subversive Saturation II, [Brockhampton] dare to imagine a better hip-hop world to blaze trails in". He however warned of a "suspicion that Brockhampton could do with reviewing their balance of quality versus quantity", criticizing "moments on Saturation II that reduce its pace to a drag like the sluggish 'Chick'". [21]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Neil Z. Yeung wrote that "building upon the promise of its predecessor, II is another genre-blurring collection of thrills that's packed with even more wild energy and potential. The flurry of activity produced by this gang of strong personalities manages to be a cohesive and seamless experience." [13]
In a positive review for Pitchfork , Matthew Strauss praised the group's "sleek and cool performance style" and "aggression and swagger", as well as noting that the group have "ameliorated some of their more glaring flaws that existed on their debut". However, Strauss criticized the group's chemistry, writing that "there are precious few moments where they complement each other or build on distinct themes", summarizing that "there remains a sense that no matter how cool BROCKHAMPTON sound, they prize coolness more than they prize breaking molds and taking risks to become something bigger." [17]
For PopMatters , Christopher Thiessen praised the group for "creat[ing] a new offering that is equally refreshing and enjoyable by pretty much following their original formula to the letter". [16] In a joint review of the trilogy's first two installments for Pretty Much Amazing, Mick Jacobs wrote that "Brockhampton understands how to get your attention: by addressing all the shit that's taking up yours right this moment", asserting that "where Saturation feels more upfront, II feels more mischievous, a willingness to twist things to their own perception". [18]
Ryan Feyre wrote for The Young Folks that "much like on their previous album, Brockhampton brings versatility on every corner of Saturation II, and … they’ve even one-upped themselves". [19] DJBooth's Henry Solotaroff-Webber highlighted the tracks "Queer", "Junky" and "Summer" as highlights, concluding that "despite the wild, creative energy Saturation II embodies as they charge toward their final destinations, the album is far from slapdash, is mostly cohesive and has certainly yielded some diamonds". [22]
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrooklynVegan | BrooklynVegan's Top 50 Albums of 2017 | 12 | |
| Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Albums of 2017 | 34 | |
| Highsnobiety | The 25 Best Albums of 2017 | 14 | |
| New York Daily News | The 25 Albums of 2017 | 25 | |
| Pigeons & Planes | Best Albums of 2017 | 15 | |
| Pretty Much Amazing | The Best Albums of 2017 | 17 | |
| The Skinny | The Skinny's Top 50 Albums of 2017 | 40 | |
| State | State's Albums of 2017 | 5 | |
| Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2017 | 11 | |
| Vinyl Me, Please | The Best Albums of 2017 | 25 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gummy" |
| 4:20 | |
| 2. | "Queer" |
|
| 3:47 |
| 3. | "Jello" |
|
| 4:00 |
| 4. | "Teeth" | Vann | Hemnani | 1:20 |
| 5. | "Swamp" |
| Manwa | 4:11 |
| 6. | "Scene 1" |
| Hemnani | 0:39 |
| 7. | "Tokyo" |
|
| 3:12 |
| 8. | "Jesus" |
| Hemnani | 1:20 |
| 9. | "Chick" |
| Hemnani | 3:24 |
| 10. | "Junky" |
| 4:08 | |
| 11. | "Scene 2" |
| Hemnani | 0:29 |
| 12. | "Fight" |
|
| 3:01 |
| 13. | "Sweet" |
| 4:34 | |
| 14. | "Gamba" |
|
| 3:22 |
| 15. | "Sunny" |
|
| 2:50 |
| 16. | "Summer" | McDonald | Bearface | 3:24 |
| Total length: | 48:02 | |||
Notes
Brockhampton
Additional personnel
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [33] | 108 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) [34] | 50 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [35] | 156 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [36] | 35 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [37] | 44 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC) [38] | 17 |
| US Billboard 200 [39] | 57 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [40] | 12 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [41] | 34 |
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.
Saturation 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. 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.
Brockhampton was 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 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.
"Gummy" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton and the lead single from their second studio album Saturation II (2017). The music video premiered on August 1, 2017, before the song was released to streaming services on August 2.
"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.
Ginger is the fifth studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton. It was released on August 23, 2019, through the band's label Question Everything and RCA. The album contains guest appearances from Deb Never, Ryan Beatty, and Slowthai.
"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.
"Boogie" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on December 12, 2017, as the lead single from their third studio album Saturation III (2017).
"Zipper" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on December 15, 2017, as a single from their third studio album Saturation III (2017). It contains a sample of "Cha Cha Cha!" by Optigan.
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.
