BROCKHAMPTON achieved enormous success during the group’s eight-year existence. But in the beginning of 2022, the band announced that they were going on an “indefinite hiatus”. The announcement left fans speculating something had happened within the band. In this article, we’ll take a look at some possible reasons for the group’s breakup and hopefully answer the question: why did BROCKHAMPTON break up?
How BROCKHAMPTON was founded
The history of BROCKHAMPTON can be traced back to 2010 when artist Kevin Abstract met Jalen Jones through the online forum KanyeToThe. The two created the collective AliveSinceForever and started recruiting other artists through the forum. The collective was initially based entirely online, but in late 2014, Kevin felt the group lacked focus and invited a number of selected members from the collective to move to Texas and form a new group. The new group was named after Brockhampton Street, where Abstract had previously lived.
The success of Brockhampton
The group released their first mixtape in 2016 and shortly after moved into a house in the South Central area of Los Angeles. In the following year of 2017, the group released a trilogy of albums called Saturation. Even though the albums didn’t place the band at the top of any charts, the group built a large and loyal fan base through vulnerable lyrics and distinctive visuals.
Just a few months later, the group signed a reported $15 million deal with RCA Records.
Controversy
The last album of the trilogy, Saturation III, was announced on Twitter with an image reading “the last studio album by BROCKHAMPTON”. The tweet left fans confused and was later explained by Kevin Abstract in an interview with Zane Lowe as “everybody knows it’s not really our last album”.
The release of the three albums were followed up with a planned North American and European tour. The tour, however, was abruptly cancelled when a member of the group faced serious allegations from multiple women. The member, Ameer Vann, was kicked out of the group and later issued an apology to fans and victims.
Creative tensions
The departure of Ameer Vann also created a difficult creative period for the band. After the release of the fourth studio album, Iridescence, the group went on a six-month hiatus. Creative differences were nothing new for the group. Following the release of All-American trash in 2016, Rodney Tenor and Albert Gordon left the group due to creative differences. Around the same period, the photographer Ashlan Gray, was invited to join.
Following the hiatus, the group released its fifth studio album GINGER. The album included the band’s most successful song to date, SUGAR, which was the group’s first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100. The band went on a North American tour and had planned an extensive European tour which later was cancelled due to COVID-19.
BROCKHAMPTON announces an indefinite hiatus
After the release of BROCKHAMPTON’s sixth studio album, Roadrunner, the group abruptly announced that the their two upcoming shows in London and Coachella would be their last performances, and that the remaining shows would be cancelled. Even though the announcement itself didn’t come as a real surprise for fans, the timing surprised many.
So why did BROCKHAMPTON break up?
In an interview with GQ in 2021, it became clear that the group had become tired of constant compromise. Many had thought about individual careers, including producer Romil Hemnani who said “I think everyone kind of deserves the shot to do what they want – no compromises”. Kevin Abstract, founder of the group, shifted his focus to his solo career near the end of the group.
The members, many of whom joined the group as teenagers, grew up and eventually grew apart. Member Joba, who battled depression following the death of his father, seriously considered quitting music the year before the split of the group. Matt Champion, singer of the group, later said that “I think people look for growth and expansion and want to try different things. I think it was just the time to be okay with that change”. After nearly a decade of constantly collaborating, the group naturally grew apart.
By the end, the group’s endless creative momentum appeared to be fading. Bearface, singer in the group, said “we didn’t have that many more albums in us”. Abstract, on the other hand, felt that the group had achieved “everything”. Dom Mclennon, rapper and producer in the group, said “this was never meant to exist forever”. The members of the group clearly agreed that BROCKHAMPTON had reached its natural end.
Conclusion
BROCKHAMPTON teased their hiatus numerous times and made it official in the beginning of 2022. Due to creative differences, an aversion to compromise, and a growing desire to pursue individual careers, BROCKHAMPTON’s structure became harder to maintain. Although the breakup may have looked chaotic from the outside, several members still speak fondly about the eight years together and have not yet completely ruled out a future reunion.