Iridescence (album)

Iridescence (stylized in all lowercase) is the fourth studio album and major-label debut by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on September 21, 2018, by Question Everything, Inc. and RCA Records. The self-produced album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, as well as the group's own studio in Hawaii. It is their first album since founding member Ameer Vann's departure from the group following sexual misconduct allegations. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming the group's only chart-topping album.

Iridescence
Studio album by Brockhampton
Released	September 21, 2018
Recorded	June–September 2018
Studio	Abbey Road, London The BH Factory, Hawaii
Genre	Industrial hip hop hip hop^[1] progressive rap^[2]
Length	48:50
Label	Question Everything RCA
Producer	Brockhampton (Kevin Abstract Romil Hemnani Jabari Manwa Russell "Joba" Boring Bearface Kiko Merley Dom McLennon)
Brockhampton chronology
Saturation III (2017) Iridescence (2018) Ginger (2019)

Background

On December 14, 2017, Brockhampton announced their fourth studio album, Team Effort, slated for release in 2018,^[3] but in March 2018, they announced that Team Effort had been delayed. On March 20, Kevin Abstract and other members posted a "work-in-progress" album cover of "PUPPY", scrapping the name "Team Effort" completely. "PUPPY" was set to be released some time in June.^[4] The next week, they announced via social media that they had signed a record deal with Sony's RCA Records in a deal reportedly worth $15 million for six albums over three years.^[5] PUPPY was also delayed (revealed on Kevin Abstract's Instagram Live) following allegations of sexual misconduct against founding member Ameer Vann.^[6][7] On May 27, Brockhampton announced via Twitter that Vann would no longer be a part of the group, and cancelled the remainder of their tour dates to regroup.^[8]

Following Vann's departure, on June 20, the band made their late-night television debut when they appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon performing a new song "Tonya", accompanied by guest vocalists Jazmine Sullivan, Ryan Beatty and Serpentwithfeet, as well as revealing the new title of their upcoming album, The Best Years of Our Lives.^[9][10] The next month the group announced a Beats 1 radio show Things We Lost in the Fire Radio,^[11] where they debuted a trilogy of singles, "1999 Wildfire", "1998 Truman" and "1997 Diana", released throughout July 2018.^[12][13][14]

The album was recorded over 10 days at Abbey Road Studios in 2018, with further recording taking place at the Brockhampton Factory in Hawaii.^[15] Kevin Abstract stated on Twitter that the album was inspired by English rock band Radiohead's fourth studio album, Kid A (2000).^[16]

Release and promotion

On August 26, Kevin Abstract made a post on Instagram announcing the album's title and that it would come to be released in September,^[17] and later announced dates for their new "i'll be there" tour.^[18][19] On September 10, they released new "iridescence" merchandise on their website. The next day, they announced a documentary titled The Longest Summer In America set to be released in selected theaters on September 20.^[20]

The group then released the track listing and artwork for the album.^[21] A video for "J'ouvert" was released the day before the album's release and features shots of the members and other environments filmed on a thermal camera.^[22] The videos for "San Marcos" and "New Orleans" were released on the September 25 and 27, respectively. They were filmed during a tour of Australia, with "San Marcos" shot outside of a Hungry Jack's in Melbourne and "New Orleans" shot inside an Event Cinemas complex in Sydney.^[23][24]

The North American/Australian tour, "i'll be there" featuring 37 shows was going on from iridescence's release date up until December. On October 23, the band returned to Jimmy Fallon performing "District".

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.0/10^[25]
Metacritic	85/100^[26]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[27]
The Austin Chronicle	^[28]
The A.V. Club	B^[29]
Clash	8/10^[30]
Consequence of Sound	A−^[31]
DIY	^[32]
HipHopDX	4.1/5^[33]
The Line of Best Fit	9/10^[34]
NME	^[35]
Pitchfork	6.6/10^[36]

Iridescence received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, Iridescence received an average score of 85, based on 11 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[26] DIY gave the album a perfect score, with critic Will Richards writing, "Brockhampton have found a new sense of unity, and when Iridescence confronts every single one of these bumps, it proves that the band possess a truly special voice."^[32] Wren Graves of Consequence of Sound wrote, "Iridescence is full-to-bursting; it's like almost eating too much food, almost drinking too much booze; it's getting close to too much, and still asking for more."^[31]

Sputnikmusic opined that "Iridescence is the best Brockhampton album because it doesn't give a fuck what you think a Brockhampton album should sound like."^[37] NME's El Hunt wrote, "Far from making vague allusions to the events prior to Iridescence, Brockhampton lay them bare, atop some of their most adventurous work to date."^[35] The Line of Best Fit critic Sam Higgins stated that "the more you listen, the more intricacies you notice. The more you listen, the more you realise just how defining this record will be for the future of Brockhampton."^[34] In his review for AllMusic, Neil Z. Yeung stated, "Brockhampton absorbs what they need from across genres, sharing honest confessions from their varied personal backgrounds (the most striking provided by group leader Kevin Abstract) and reflecting its mixed audience as a voice of their generation. Brockhampton have seized upon this defining moment with Iridescence, a defining peak in their young career."^[27]

Commercial performance

Iridescence debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 dated October 6, 2018, with 101,000 album-equivalent units (including 79,000 pure album sales).^[38] It is the group's first number-one album.^[38] It fell to No. 88 in the next week's Billboard 200 chart^[39] and was not in the Billboard 200 chart dating to October 20, 2018.^[40]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Brockhampton's official website.^[41]

Iridescence track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"New Orleans"	Dominique Simpson Ian Simpson Ciarán McDonald Matthew Champion Russell Boring William Wood Romil Hemnani Jabari Manwarring	Hemnani Russell "Joba" Boring Jabari Manwa Bearface	4:03
2.	"Thug Life"	I. Simpson McDonald D. Simpson Hemnani Boring Manwarring	Hemnani Joba Bearface Manwa	2:03
3.	"Berlin"	McDonald D. Simpson Champion I. Simpson Boring Hemnani Manwarring	Hemnani Joba Manwa Dom McLennon Kevin Abstract Bearface	3:20
4.	"Something About Him"	I. Simpson Isaiah Merriweather Hemnani Manwarring	Kiko Merley Hemnani Manwa	1:33
5.	"Where the Cash At"	Wood Champion Manwarring Hemnani Boring I. Simpson	Manwa Hemnani Joba Abstract	1:55
6.	"Weight"	I. Simpson Boring D. Simpson Hemnani Manwarring	Hemnani Abstract Joba Manwa	4:20
7.	"District"	I. Simpson Wood Boring McDonald D. Simpson Champion Hemnani Manwarring	Hemnani Joba Bearface Manwa	3:32
8.	"Loophole"	Hemnani	Hemnani	0:53
9.	"Tape"	I. Simpson Boring Champion D. Simpson Hemnani	Hemnani Joba	3:30
10.	"J'ouvert"	Champion Wood Boring McDonald Manwarring Hemnani James Charles^[a] Marcus James^[a]	Manwa Hemnani Joba	3:54
11.	"Honey"	I. Simpson Wood D. Simpson Champion Hemnani Manwarring Merriweather Beyoncé Knowles^[b] Christopher Stewart^[b] Terius Nash^[b]	Hemnani Abstract Manwa Merley	3:15
12.	"Vivid"	Champion D. Simpson McDonald I. Simpson Merriweather Hemnani Manwarring	Merley Hemnani Manwa Bearface	2:24
13.	"San Marcos"	Champion I. Simpson McDonald D. Simpson Boring Hemnani Merriweather Manwarring	Bearface Hemnani Merley Abstract Joba Manwa	4:47
14.	"Tonya"	McDonald I. Simpson Boring D. Simpson Wood Hemnani Manwarring Josiah Wise	Hemnani Joba McLennon Manwa Bearface	4:43
15.	"Fabric"	I. Simpson D. Simpson Wood Boring McDonald Hemnani Manwarring	Hemnani Abstract Manwa McLennon	4:38
Total length:				48:50

Notes

• All track titles stylized in all caps.
• "New Orleans" features vocals by Jaden Smith.
• "Thug Life" and "San Marcos" feature vocals by London Community Gospel Choir Children featuring St. Ann's.
• "Tonya" features vocals by Serpentwithfeet.
• "Honey" features additional vocals by Kirsty Hopkins.

Samples

• "Loophole" features a clip from Shade 45 featuring DJ Whoo Kid and Cam'ron.
• "Tape" contains an interpolation of "Videotape" by Radiohead.^[42]
• ^{^[a]} "J'ouvert" contains excerpts from "Doh Blame Me", performed by Lavaman and written by James Charles and Marcus James.
• ^{^[b]} "Honey" contains a sample of "Dance For You" by Beyoncé; and excerpts from "Bump", by Brockhampton

Personnel

Credits adapted from Brockhampton's official website.^[41]

Technical Russell "Joba" Boring – mixing (except on "Something About Him", "Weight" and "Tape") Matt Mysko – mixing (on "Something About Him", "Weight" and "Tape"), mixing assistance, recording assistance Andy Maxwell – mixing (on "New Orleans", "Thug Life", "Where the Cash At" and "Vivid"), mixing assistance, recording Neal H Pogue – mixing (on "Tonya") Romil Hemnani – mixing assistance, recording Chris Parker – recording assistance Mike Bozzi – mastering Artwork Henock Sileshi – creative direction, album cover direction Kevin Abstract – creative direction, album cover direction Ashlan Grey – photography, album cover direction George Muncey – album cover direction

Strings (on "Weight", "Loophole", "Tape" and "San Marcos") Nicole Garcia – arrangement Laura Anstee Nick Barr Meghan Cassidy Rosie Danvers Patrick Kiernan Steve Morris Jenny Sacha Ellie Stamford

Charts

Weekly charts Chart performance for Iridescence Chart (2018) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)^[43] 6 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[44] 47 Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[45] 6 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)^[46] 29 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[47] 39 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)^[48] 46 Irish Albums (IRMA)^[49] 8 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[50] 2 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[51] 21 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[52] 41 UK Albums (OCC)^[53] 20 US Billboard 200^[38] 1 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[54] 1

Year-end charts 2018 Year-end chart performance for Iridescence Chart (2018) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[55] 94

References

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2. Sacher, Andrew (December 19, 2019). "100 Best Rap and R&B Albums of the 2010s". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
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5. "Brockhampton Signs With RCA Records". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
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7. "Brockhampton set to delay 'Puppy' album release following Ameer Vann sexual abuse allegations – NME". NME. May 24, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
8. Kim, Michelle (May 27, 2018). "BROCKHAMPTON Kick Out Ameer Vann Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
9. Minsker, Evan; Yoo, Noah (June 21, 2018). "BROCKHAMPTON Debut New Song "Tonya," Announce New Album on "Fallon": Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
10. Minsker, Evan (June 13, 2018). "BROCKHAMPTON's First Appearance After Ameer Vann's Exit Happened on "Fallon"". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
11. Sodomsky, Sam (July 5, 2018). "BROCKHAMPTON Announce New Beats 1 Radio Show". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
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15. https://twitter.com/brckhmptn/status/1040441554966441984^{[non-primary source needed]}
16. "kevin abstract on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved September 23, 2018.^{[non-primary source needed]}
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22. "Brockhampton share "J'Ouvert" video".
23. "BROCKHAMPTON Delivers Kevin Abstract-Directed Video for "San Marcos"". HYPEBEAST. September 26, 2018.
24. "BROCKHAMPTON share video for 'New Orleans'". The FADER.
25. "iridescence by BROCKHAMPTON reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
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27. Yeung, Neil Z. "iridescence – BROCKHAMPTON". AllMusic. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
28. Steinberger, Jeremy (October 5, 2018). "Brockhampton: Iridescence (RCA)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
29. Purdom, Clayton (September 28, 2018). "BROCKHAMPTON, Iridescence". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
30. Rosebury, Will (September 28, 2018). "Brockhampton – Iridescence". Clash. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
31. Graves, Wren (September 24, 2018). "Brockhampton Makes One Hell of a Statement for the ADHD Streaming Age with Iridescence". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
32. Richards, Will (September 24, 2018). "Brockhampton – Iridescence". DIY. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
33. Spielberger, Daniel (September 24, 2018). "Review: Brockhampton's "Iridescence" Is Simply Thrilling". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
34. Higgins, Sam (September 21, 2018). "Brockhampton return with the outstanding Iridescence". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
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37. Rowan5215 (September 23, 2018). "Review: Brockhampton – Iridescence". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved September 25, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
38. Caulfield, Keith (September 30, 2018). "Brockhampton's 'Iridescence' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
39. "Top 200 Albums | Billboard 200 chart". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
40. "Top 200 Albums | Billboard 200 chart". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
41. "IRIDESCENCE". Brockhampton. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
42. Bote, Joshua (September 21, 2018). "5 Queerest Moments on Brockhampton's New Album 'Iridescence'". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
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48. "Brockhampton: Iridescence" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
49. "Villagers claim highest new entry on Official Irish Albums Chart with The Art of Pretending to Swim". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
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53. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
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55. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2021.

External links

• Official website