The rap collective/boyband Brockhampton released a whopping three albums in 2017: Saturation I, II and III, all of which received acclaim from critics and the general public alike. Singles released from the albums throughout the year received millions of listens on various platforms, and the group took out the coveted 11th place in triple j’s most recent Hottest 100 with their single ‘Sweet’. By the end of the year, one thing had become clear: with Saturation I, II and III, the group had definitely succeeded in saturating the music scene with themselves.
Before 2017, undeniably their biggest year, Brockhampton were more or less underground artists.
It now seems like every Tom, Dick and Sally knows that Brockhampton are in the midst of a boom. As of 2018 the 15 individual members boast impressive stats on social media, having garnered thousands upon thousands of followers on Instagram and Twitter, with head of the group Kevin Abstract having more than 200,000 on each. I’m almost certain you will have mutual followers with a Brockhampton member if you’re big into Instagram or Twitter – take that as a sign of their amassing fandom.
The group has come a long way since 2010, when Abstract posted on a Kanye West messageboard looking to start a band. Before 2017, undeniably their biggest year, Brockhampton were more or less underground artists. Although they had released various singles over the years and the album All-American Trash in 2016, they hadn’t quite hit the big time. I personally hadn’t heard of them before being sent Saturation I by a friend not long after its release – and even then I thought they had something to do with Rockhampton, Queensland, a city known for its beef production.
A central part of American Boyband follows Brockhampton founder Kevin Abstract as he embarks upon a solo tour of the United States.
Mid-2017 Viceland released the eight episode documentary series American Boyband, which follows Brockhampton in the pursuit of their current success. The members of the group are shown to all live in a house together in South Central, California, lovingly branded the Brockhampton Factory, which also doubles as their creative hub.
It’s worth noting that not all members of the collective are vocalists; the Brockhampton name encompasses producers, directors, designers, engineers and managers of the group, all of whom share a single house. It’s a cozy living situation for certain, but also a hotbed for creative collaboration.
A central part of American Boyband follows Brockhampton founder Abstract as he embarks upon a solo tour of the United States. Accompanying him are producers, managers and friends of Brockhampton, all of whom are stuffed into the van with him for the month long tour. Travelling between states, they play shows for passionate fans who resonate with Abstract’s lyricism, while Abstract aims to be someone the young fans aspire to, himself have been an outsider who only eventually achieved success.
The series nicely depicts the ups and downs of life on the road. Abstract directs a short film entitled Helmet Boy while on tour, enlisting help from his friends who act, film and edit. And the members are seen to bond with one another as they eat fast food, show each other mixes and meet fans. Of course, the tour isn’t without its stresses, as the collective experience live technical difficulties for the first time and become fatigued after a long time on the road.
Acclaimed Brockhampton vocalist Ameer Vann also has a prominent role in the series. At the start of the show he’s unable to go on tour with Abstract due to having a security job in California, even getting a call from his supervisor mid-interview. After eventually quitting he’s able to meet Abstract and the others on tour, even performing a song onstage at their hometown in Texas. Vann’s presence in the documentary is intriguing given his current popularity and status within Brockhampton, even having featured on all three album covers in 2017.
Fans who have only listened to Brockhampton on record might consider Abstract and Vann as the group’s beating heart, but American Boyband gives a voice to the members of the collective who aren’t as present as the frontmen. Producer Romil Hemnani and creative director and designer Henock “HK” Sileshi in particular are given a long overdue spotlight in the series: they exchange witty remarks and creative pointers with the collective at large.
This spotlight contrasts with the lack of attention given to some of the vocalists who have proven very popular following the group’s recent success. I was personally surprised by the lack of screen time of Merlyn Wood, my favourite vocalist thanks to his work on verses in songs such as ‘Sweet’ and ‘Boogie’, as well as Matt Champion, Joba and Dom McLennon. But the documentary series couldn’t predict the huge success of the group, let alone the popularity of certain members of the collective.
The last episode of American Boyband is more or less a preview of what were to become Brockhampton’s music videos ‘Heat’, ‘Gold’ and ‘Star’. After returning from tour the entire collective is present to give some insight to the clips which have since become so popular, each having accumulated millions of views.
It provides a neat point of reference for Brockhampton’s success and leads you perfectly into the world of big-time Brockhampton. American Boyband gives fans an unparalleled look at the boyband just before the big-time, and as the group continues to grow it will always display the humble beginnings of the guys from the Brockhampton Factory in South Central.
Stream American Boyband now through SBS on Demand.
