On Jan. 14, Brockhampton announced that they will be taking an indefinite hiatus as a group. Their announcement via social media made it known that their final shows will be in London and at Coachella, canceling all further shows. Those who purchased tickets for the canceled shows are being offered a refund. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and rescheduling, this tour kept getting pushed back further and further. After eight years, they are calling it quits. This announcement took place via Twitter and Instagram.
Brockhampton functioned as a collective of artists, photographers, vocalists, rappers, producers and so forth. Having formed in a Kanye internet subgroup, the collective is something rather unseen before. Based in Texas, this was a new and chaotic music group the area was not used to. Original members include Kevin Abstract, Ameer Vann (later kicked out), Matt Champion, Jabari Manwa, Kiko Merley, Merlyn Wood, Bearface, Robert Ontinient, Roil Hemnani, Dom McLennon and JOBA. They released their first project in 2016 titled All-American Trash. Following that is Saturation I, II and III. Next is Iridescence, followed by Ginger and Roadrunner. Their current top songs include “Sugar,” “Bleach,” “Face,” “Bankroll” and “Summer.” They came to be known as Experimental Hip-Hop and Anti-Pop genre definers.
Some fans had suspicions of the group potentially splitting up back in May of 2018. This is when Ameer Vann was removed from the group due to accusations of sexual abuse. Many original fans claim that the group became different ever since. Vann has since gone on to release his own music and projects.
Different members from the group commented individually on the announcement. Kevin Abstract tweeted, “Brockhampton fans, I love you. You gave me everything.” Another member, Joba, had a frenzy of tweets expressing his emotions a few days after the announcement. In these tweets, he mentions how he was born to perform, the importance of his real fans, the state of his mental health, and writing about his dad on Roadrunner. Merlyn was seen tweeting, “We don’t break up! We take breaks.”
Some fans have taken to Twitter to express their thoughts as well. One user, @THEWHITEROCK, said, “Brockhampton gig was weird. Felt like their hearts weren’t in it…I guess when you’ve broken up it’s hard to show face.” There seemed to be mixed reactions all over the internet. Some were glad to see the music come to an end due to personal opinions, and some were very heartbroken over it.
Brockhampton closed their statement out with: “We are bonded and grateful to you for life.” While it is clear that fans will generally miss them, there is no doubt that they accomplished a lot in the music realm during this time and changed a portion of music history. Their final performance at Coachella is set to take place in mid to late April. What this indefinite hiatus means for the future is still unclear, but for now one can assume that things are truly and maybe permanently over for the iconic, musical group.
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