TM by Brockhampton | Album Review
A final farewell from hip-hop’s favourite boyband
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The name Brockhampton used to ring bells 5 years ago. When the self-proclaimed boy band drew significant attention to themselves in 2017 with their Saturation album series, they ushered in a new wave of hip-hop. Their DIY style and brotherly camaraderie were quite similar to groups before them like Odd Future. Their unique style and flair were something fresh for the genre.
To the surprise of many, Brockhampton announced their indefinite hiatus earlier this year. They would commemorate their disbandment with their final album. Initially, The Family (released November 17th) was expected to be Brockhampton’s final project. However, on the same day, they announced that another album: TM, would be the “real” final album by the entire group, which was released the following day.
While The Family is a solo effort by Kevin Abstract, TM brings the boys together one last time. Doubling down on their fusion of rap and pop makes for an endearing listen. It may not be as sentimental or as personal as its sister album The Family, but TM wraps up the story the group started nearly half a decade ago, ending the group’s journey on an extremely high note.
From a production standpoint, TM builds on the glitchy rap anthems from 2021’s Roadrunner, while also drawing elements of pop and surprisingly, dance music into the mix. While opening tracks such as “FMG” and “NEW SHOES” offers the usual posse cut, bar-for-bar songs we know and love. The more bouncy tracks like “MAN ON THE MOON” or the dancehall-influenced “KEEP IT SOUTHERN” bring a little more variety into the album’s mix. As the final project, Brockhampton slows things down a bit with a handful of ballads near the album’s middle half. The minimal pianos and drums of “CRUCIFY ME” help add to the emotional weight the song conveys.
Lyrically, TM never really felt like a “final goodbye”. A majority of the songs build on the group’s repertoire of funny one-liners and personal anecdotes, but it never came off as the end of a chapter like The Family did. If anything, TM is your standard Brockhampton affair which isn’t a bad thing, especially for longtime fans.
Leading man Kevin Abstract carries a certain cockiness in a majority of songs, lines like (“Came out the closet and ended up famous and rich. You bitch, you’ll never see me complain again.”) evokes a sense of confidence that he can be proud of. Meanwhile Matt Champion, Don McLennon, and Merlyn Woods offer some eccentric wordplay.
Joba provides most of the album’s personable moments. He contemplates life and getting older on the chorus for “CRUCIFY ME” (“The weight of the world rests on my shoulder, day by day, only getting older. Perfect timing, I guess.”). Producer-turned-rapper Jabari’s verses are filled with a forward-thinking mindset as he prepares for the future ahead of him.
TM’s swan song comes in the form of “GOODBYE”, the final track. It’s here when everything starts to culminate and the realization that Brockhampton is over settles in. Joba and Matt both talk about relationships that they’ve yearned for and appreciated, which can be an allusion to the fans who’ve stuck by them for so long. It samples Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses” for the outro, a fitting song that ends the album rather beautifully.
While I believe The Family would offer more introspection surrounding the group’s hiatus and thematically would be a more fitting end, TM is still a rather solid conclusion to Brockhampton. Overall I wasn’t too disappointed with the album, it features a lot of Brockhampton’s signature style we’ve come to know and love, which for a final album is what anybody would want to hear anyways.
Overall I’d give TM a 7/10. I’m curious to see where each member goes now that Brockhampton is no more. If the last 5 years were any indication, then I’d say each member can successfully carve their own path and continue making music in the future. While this era of Brockhampton may be over, a new era for its members begins.
Final Rating: 7/10
Favourite Tracks: FMG, NEW SHOES, KEEP IT SOUTHERN, MAN ON THE MOON, GOODBYE.
Stream TM by Brockhampton: Apple Music | Spotify
