Thirteen-member boyband BROCKHAMPTON is back at it again, and their new album GINGER has crept into the minds of the public over the past three weeks. This article is not a review — far from it, as the author herself is a massive fan of every note the group produces. If you’re looking around for veritable thoughts on the album, my finger is pointing straight at the Youtube channel of Anthony Fantano, aka @TheNeedleDrop. Today, I’m going to take pains to rank the tracks off the newest album from Good to God’s Gift To Mankind. Shall we start?
- 12. “BIG BOY” – 7.9/10
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How can a song sound like a rainy day? I have no idea, but it really does. The song gets a little bit melodramatic, I will admit it, but overall, it’s a real groove, especially when you’re in your feelings.
- 11. “NO HALO” – 8/10
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Graceful addition of guitar strummings continue BROCKHAMPTON’s trend of genre-bending. Trace your fingers against the condensation on the window and squeeze your eyes shut — pretend that you’re in an early 2000s teen drama.
- 10. “HEAVEN BELONGS TO YOU” – 8.3/10
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The spunky little brother of “IF YOU PRAY RIGHT“. It’s real short though, so it doesn’t aim much higher than this safe eight range. More commentary on religion mixed with a cool beat and sound feat. slowthai.
- 9. “ST. PERCY” – 8.5/10
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Producers Jabari Manwa and Romil Hemnani really demonstrate BROCKHAMPTON’s light-handed prowess in handling samples, while also curating one of the most mainstream-sounding tracks on the album. Bopping my head just writing this.
- 8. “DEARLY DEPARTED” – 9/10
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Lead vocalist Kevin Abstract really makes this sound like a piece of slam poetry, but scraping the “corny” off the edges. It epitomizes the eyes-squeezed-shut, brain-rapidly-expanding meme, thanks to Joba’s pretty little hook.
- 7. “VICTOR ROBERTS” – 9.1/10
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A heart-breaking story packed in a 4.23 minute song. Real bold of a band to do a feature in their final track, but leave it to BROCKHAMPTON to do it so poignantly. In a nod to the the band’s earlier SATURATION trilogy, vocalist Ciaran McDonald, aka Bearface, sings us to the heavens before the conclusion.
- 6. “LOVE ME FOR LIFE” – 9.3/10
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I know Mr. Fantano would disagree, but I’m a stan for anything that spotlights Joba. He adds an odd, wildcard-type edge to everything off of which he trills. Yeah, it’s probably not the best critically, but Merlyn? Come on.
- 5. “I BEEN BORN AGAIN” – 10/10
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One of those rare tracks that needs weeks of listening for it to really sink in properly. It’s become a favorite of mine, and its grittiness is incomparable. It makes me angry, but not in a bad way. Energy booster.
- 4. “IF YOU PRAY RIGHT” – tuba tooting/10
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The tuba really gets me. Call me a Baroque Thot and maybe it’d be true. Anyway, rapper Dom McLennon slaps off magnificently on this track. Listening to him feels like hearing art in creation. The quirky music video adds even more acclaim.
- 3. “BOY BYE” – Jabari, me paddy/10
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This song is just… Fun. Helps you walk with a little extra spring in your step. It’s not the most intricate nor the most complex song, but every time I’m with friends and have the aux, this is the song I go to blast. Walking home from the bus? Singing in the shower? “BOY BYE” has got your back.
- 2. “GINGER” – title track for a reason/10
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BROCKHAMPTON is known for their powerful beat switches, and GINGER is further justification. Writing this piece, numerous times I grew distracted by the subtle chillstep provided by this track. Quaint yet complex. Hard to describe.
- 1. “SUGAR” – Ryan Beatty’s Magnificent Return/10
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BLEACH and TONYA and now this? Collaborations between Beatty and BH always result in the heaviest, most important bops. It’s timeless, as the members of the band have gushed on Twitter countless times. Kevin tweeted, “I know a new Brockhampton song is good if it sounds like something my mom would listen to on repeat for hours in a long car ride back in 2005” in March, and SUGAR is just that.
That’s the 12-track masterpiece for you! Agree? Disagree? Let me know! I’ll be replaying the album until they drop something else. First ranking track is embedded below for your listening pleasure.