BROCKHAMPTON never fails to capture our attention. J’OUVERT is a trademark track on their new album Iridescence, a characteristic blend of razor-crisp production and explosive vocal talent, with the brash style to back it all up. More than that, though, it encompasses everything that makes the new album so great: BROCKHAMPTON are grappling with fame while pushing themselves further creatively with each new release. Iridescence sees them at their most troubled, their most open, and their most experimental — all of which are qualities the public has loved about BROCKHAMPTON from the start. Joba’s spitting, “Wish that I was better/ At dealing with the fame and you fake motherfuckers/ Guess I’m too real,” feels like an accusation, a wish, and a self-declaration all at once. It’s impossible to capture all of what’s right about BROCKHAMPTON in a four-minute-long snapshot, but J’OUVERT comes pretty darn close.
Brockhampton is redefining what it means to be an American boy band. Founded by the young Texas-raised creative visionary and artist Kevin Abstract in 2015, the 15-strong crew consists of self-motivated young men ranging from rappers to art directors. Originally connecting online through a notable Kanye West fan forum, the group is a completely self-sufficient creative powerhouse. In the two years since its conception, they have released the ambitiously multi-genre All- American mixtape, followed by their captivatingly honest, riled-up-rap and warm-chorus-filled debut album Saturation, supported Abstract on tour, and even got their own TV show — all the while handling the ins and outs of their creative output independently.