BROCKHAMPTON

– GINGER

Album five from this American hip-hop col-lective/hip boy band led by openly gay Kevin Abstract was sifted down to a mere dozen songs from the 100 they originally wrote. They chose well! With shades of Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino and even Kanye West, this red hot Ginger might just be the most important musical statement your ears will hear all year. Opener No Halo deals with depression and identity (“Do I matter? I’m ec-static, I’m depressed/More like God’s special mess”), while Boy Bye offers a queer slant (“trauma got me fucked up”). But what about that flaming album title? “Ginger represents the underdogs,” Brockhampton member HK reveals, “the people fighting to make it to the top with everything going against them and their back against a wall. It has nothing to do with people with red hair, but if you want it to be that’s fine.” Auburn approved.

Ginger represents the people with everything going against them.