When thinking of typical boy bands, One Direction, The Backstreet Boys, and *NSYNC may come to mind, but times have changed.

Brockhampton, a hip-hop collective, is challenging society’s view of boy bands by describing themselves as one despite not releasing typical pop music. Consisting of members Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Joba, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon, and Bearface, Brockhampton rose to stardom throughout the course of last year. The group released three full albums last year, the Saturation trilogy; these three albums were phenomenal, causing Brockhampton’s popularity to skyrocket.

Before releasing their next album, Puppy, the group was hit with sexual misconduct allegations against former member Ameer Van. Van was a very important member of the group, and a very close friend to the others; he even appears as the sole face on all three Saturation album covers. Despite their close relationship with Van, the band put their fans and career first, kicking him out in favor of pursuing music further.

Mixed emotions were felt by fans worldwide after the departure of Van. Most fans were proud of Brockhampton for taking the allegations seriously and doing the right thing, no matter how much it hurt them to do so. Others were skeptical of the band, feeling as if they will not be the same without Van; many felt that he was the best rapper of all the members.

Nonetheless, Brockhampton’s fame continued to grow and flourish without Van. After his exit, the group went on to play several popular music festivals, such as Boston Calling, proving to fans that they are just as good, if not better, without Van.

Because of Van’s exit, the group had to scrap Puppy, which featured several of Van’s verses. The result is Brockhampton’s newest album, Iridescence, which was released on Sept 21.

Iridescence has received high praise from fans and music critics alike. Prior to the release, Brockhampton did not put out any singles, making fans wait to hear what the group had to offer without Van. According to most Brockhampton fans, it was well worth the wait.

The album features distorted beats, synths and strings, angelic vocals, and differs greatly from the content and production of the Saturation trilogy. It manages to be distinctive from all past releases and features songs for a variety of moods. The diversity in tracks is demonstrated in “Where the Cash At” which features a more aggressive sound, while “San Marcos” has almost a pop ballad feel.

Listeners can also appreciate the softness of “Thug Life” followed immediately by the hardness of “Berlin”. Iridescence is experimental yet polished, and Brockhampton has interwoven melodies and beats to create the first part of their newest trilogy, leaving fans excited to hear what the band will come up with in the future.