BOOGIE: Well, that’s interesting: BROCKHAMPTON actually decided to start the album with a very braggadocious song about how unstoppable they are. Different side of them, that’s for sure. Anyway, the album starts off with a track that has a very punchy, loud instrumental that calls back to some of the more abrasive songs from the first “SATURATION” album. It’s slightly hard on the ears, and Joba’s verse adds to that abrasiveness. Still, I do like the very exciting flow throughout the verses, and any group that samples Wii Menu music has respect in my book (more specifically, they sampled the Mii Channel song). I don't know why I didn't consider this one of my favorite tracks before, but after several repeat listens, this is an amazing track.
ZIPPER: Already, I was interested in this song because it name-drops popular YouTube critic (who pretty much has been an inspiration to a number of us music critics) Anthony Fantano with the lyric “head was clean, Tony Fantano” on Merlyn’s verse (spoiler: that’s not the only hilarious bar that Merlyn drops). I also like how this one starts off in a somewhat sinister way, and then changes into something that gives me some old-school Eminem vibes. As always, the boys also have some really interesting filtered vocal performances on this one, and the hook is particularly ear-wormy here. Really like this one a lot!
JOHNNY: Here, the boys get a bit more personal, talking about how, even despite their success, they still have demons that they deal with. I like the somewhat jazz-flavored instrumentals on this one, and I also really like Kevin’s vocals, as they give me some Outkast vibes. The percussion on this one is also really great, and I think each verse is filled with some really fascinating lyrics and solid vocal performances. Definitely digging this one, it’s got a really great, somewhat nocturnal vibe to it that I love!
LIQUID: One of the shorter tracks on this thing, the boys talk about life before fame, and somehow Ameer, Dom, Merlyn, Matt, and Kevin all manage to fit on this 1-minute long song. Once again, the group does things that shouldn’t be possible for a boyband of their size. This one has a really downbeat feel to it, with the very moody piano melody and the more sad-sounding inflection on each member’s vocals. I once again appreciate how, even on these rather short interludes, the boys are still bringing their very wacky and fun production and really giving it their all. Good stuff.
CINEMA 1: As always with the “SATURATION” trilogy, we have skits. This time, as “SATURATION III” has song titles with 6 letters, each one is referred to as “CINEMA.” Robert comes back on this one to talk about how much he misses his family and how much he wants to see them again, and he also talks about some of the stories of the group’s music videos. I do again like the flute-driven production on this one and how it leads into the next track very well. It’s got some very majestic production and, while I again won’t sit and loop a skit, I do find that they did a great job putting a lot of thought into this.
STUPID: Back to the full-length tracks, the boys keep things very personal on this one, performing over a song that’s more downtempo but is no less energetic than the other songs on this trilogy. I like Kevin’s filtered, child-like vocals on the hook on this one (a hook I’d say is one of the best on the trilogy), and their very odd instrumentals make this one sound somewhat creepy, but still energetic and easy to turn-up to. It’s a case where even talking about the same thing remains interesting because the boys bring so much interesting production and clever lyricism to the table here.
BLEACH: Okay, so I was really looking forward to these next few tracks because an individual who commented on one of my Instagram posts talking about the group stated that “BLEACH,” “ALASKA” and “HOTTIE” were all amazing. I had high hopes going into this for sure, and I find it to be pretty sweet. It’s a slightly more downbeat and introspective track, but it’s got even more great flow (specifically on Matt’s verse), and it’s got a solid pitched-up hook provided by Ryan Beatty. The little string bits on the song are pretty cool, too, and I like the more melodic final parts of the song, handled by Joba, Kevin, and then bearface, respectively. To the person that told me this track was a highlight…well, this group has a lot of highlights, but yeah, this was a good one.
ALASKA: Another track dealing in one of the broad themes of the “SATURATION” trilogy (which is how the group has changed since becoming famous), this one has a much slower feel to it, driven primarily by its very simple but still pounding drum beat. I particularly love a lot of the lyrics on here, specifically on Kevin’s verse, for example when he says that he loves his friends like how white people love rap. One, because I relate as a white person that listens to rap music (and has several people reminding me of that), but also because it kind of works as something of a message about the growing amount of “culture vultures” in the rap scene. Matt also comes through with some clever lyrics as well, like when he talks about not conforming to standards while also name-dropping Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. Yep, another great track!
HOTTIE: A song that talks about the group’s uncertainty with who they are in the world, this one also sees the boys accepting that they are good enough. This one has a more upbeat, somewhat danceable sound to it that also feels a bit more melodic (Dom’s verse contributes to that with a bit more sing-y feel to it). I love Kevin’s hook on this one, and the production on this one, while a little less weird than some of their other tracks (it honestly feels a slight bit more poppy), is no less energetic and it remains infectious and exciting. To the person who pointed to “BLEACH,” “ALASKA,” and “HOTTIE” on that Instagram comment…yep, they’re all really good.
CINEMA 2: Onto the next skit! Here, Robert tells a really sad story about his reclusiveness and how he wants to stay in and watch his internal, mental world collapse. He also discusses another story from one of the music videos, a story where Robert couldn’t save his friends from seeing their own internal worlds collapse. It’s a really heartbreaking narrative, and the very sad-sounding instrumentals only add to that heartbreak. These skits were definitely really well put-together.
SISTER / NATION: This is also unusual: the first two-part track on the “SATURATION” trilogy. I’ve seen that apparently this was influenced by Tyler, The Creator, who always makes the tenth song on his albums a two-parter, and given that the group has shown a lot of influence from other artists, I wouldn’t be shocked if Tyler was one of them. Anyway, this one’s got a much faster feel to it, with a beat that’s very exciting and energetic. I’m not really all that crazy about the hook on “SISTER,” but there are some solid performances on the song, specifically on Matt’s verse and Dom’s bridge. “NATION,” the second part of the song, takes things just a little bit slower, and feels a bit more bright than “SISTER.” Once again, the flows on the verses are exciting here, specifically Dom’s verse, but I could do without the hook on this part as well. Overall, this one does feel a little too long, but it’s not a bad track, and I’m impressed they were able to at least make a two-part song like this work.
RENTAL: Here, BROCKHAMPTON talks about how they feel relationships are just temporary things, and they discuss the sadness that they feel because they struggle to find something bigger. This track immediately grabbed me because of Kevin’s vocals on his first verse, and he kept me excited with his really fun hook. The production here is very upbeat and punchy as well, and I like the overall more sing-y feel of the song, as it makes things just generally feel more melodic and pretty. And as always, a lot of the vocal filters the boys use really add to the excitement of the track, and help their vocals mesh with the instrumentals even better. Personally, this might be one of my favorites of the entire trilogy.
STAINS: This song talks again about how well the boys have turned out as a result of being in the group, and it also pokes fun at the ideology that all of their songs talk about the same thing, as well as YouTube channel Dead End Hip Hop’s review of them. The song also features some surprise vocals from the group’s photographer Ashlan Grey, who provides a lot of humor in his interlude. The production is somewhat more minimal, relying more on the more snare drum-driven beat and the boys' charismatic performances. Luckily, the song is successful because of those vocal performances, and the very exciting rhythms and flows on the verses. Ameer, Matt, and Dom have some of their best performances on the album on here, and Joba rounds things out with some energetic vocals as well. I really like this!
CINEMA 3: The final skit of the “SATURATION” trilogy, Robert acknowledges his struggles and prays to God, asking Him to help guide him in his rough times. This is a really strong way to end off the skits, with Robert praying for hope, asking for God’s help, and connecting to Him in his turbulent time. It gives off a small sense of hope that things will finally come up Robert. And once again, I love the majestic production, and it gives off this feeling that Robert is specifically asking for God’s help inside of a church. If this is how BROCKHAMPTON is choosing to end of the skits in the “SATURATION” trilogy, they did a pretty damn good job on this one.
TEAM: The final track of the “SATURATION” trilogy, this one actually has 4 letters to its name, much like the tracks on the first “SATURATION” album. Pretty easy to understand why, the group obviously envisions that, instead of this having a 7-letter name leading into a fourth “SATURATION” project, this one will go back to 4 letters to symbolize that the “SATURATION” trilogy kind of works in a loop. Clever concept indeed. This one is another two-parter that, much like “WASTE” from the first “SATURATION” album, is an acoustic ballad talking about love (at least on the first part, “EVANIE”). Once again, bearface takes the lead on this first part, and I love his vocals as always. They’re so naturally pretty, and they mesh well with the beautiful, light guitar melody. Part 2 of the song, this one titled “TEAM,” honestly feels something like a slow-jam, as the boys talk about their personal lives here. I once again love the vibe of this second part, and I like the vocal interplay between the boys on here and how natural it feels. It’s also really cool that the song ends with a small sample of “HEAT,” the opening track from the first album, perfectly adding to the idea of the trilogy being on a loop. This is definitely the “as good as it gets” ending to this fantastic trilogy of albums.
I wanted my 100th review to be special, and I must say, this was NOT a disappointment. “SATURATION III” rounds out BROCKHAMPTON’s tremendous trilogy with a bang, as the boys prove once again that being par for the course is not a bad thing when your sound is so refreshing and different. And, to the point of their lyricism being the same, they prove that this also isn’t a bad thing when they talk about topics that other rappers don’t seem to talk enough about. I’ve also heard some criticisms that apparently Pitchfork said that none of them really have true rapping talent, which not only do I totally disagree with, but I also want to point out that, regardless of how good or bad their flows are, they really come through with some very energetic and exciting vocal performances on this trilogy. I don’t think there’s much else that I can say that hasn’t been said by others, but the “SATURATION” trilogy as a whole is fantastic, and BROCKHAMPTON as a group is really a breath of fresh air for boybands, and for hip-hop. I’m glad I got to write about this album for my big 100th review.
Also, I don’t want to make this super long, but I want to just quickly say thank you to the people that have been reading this blog and sticking with it for my 100 reviews, along with my scattered mini-reviews and think pieces. I know I’m not the most analytical critic in the world, and I tend to get a little nervous in sharing some of my musical opinions, but I’m glad you guys have checked these reviews out and made doing this really fun, even when I have to cover a terrible album. You guys are amazing, and I appreciate the love so much. Here’s to 100 more album reviews!
Favorite tracks: BOOGIE*, ZIPPER, JOHNNY, LIQUID, STUPID, BLEACH, ALASKA, HOTTIE, RENTAL, STAINS, TEAM
Least favorite tracks: Uhh...I'll be honest, I don't think I have one.**
Rating: Excellent
(*An asterisk next to a “favorite track” indicates that the track wasn’t initially one of my “favorite tracks” when I first wrote the review. If a track has an asterisk next to it, it means the song wasn’t initially a favorite of mine, but it grew on me, and the text for the song may have been edited to more properly reflect that.)
(**"BOOGIE" was originally listed as a "least favorite" track. However, repeat listens helped it to grow on me, hence the double asterisks. Text in the review has been changed so as to reflect that.)
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