The Family (Brockhampton album) explained

The Family
Type:	studio
Artist:	Brockhampton
Cover:	Brockhampton - The Family.jpg
Length:	35:24
Label:	RCA Question Everything
Producer:	Bearface Boylife Nick Velez
Prev Year:	2021
Next Title:	TM
Next Year:	2022

The Family is the seventh studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton. It was released on November 17, 2022, through RCA and Question Everything.^[1] The release of a final album during 2022 was announced during the band's performance at the 2022 Coachella festival.^[2] The Family was thought to be Brockhampton's final studio album, and was advertised as such, until the announcement of a subsequent album, TM, in a promo image released alongside The Family.^[3]

Although it is credited to the band as a whole, only two members of Brockhampton feature on the album: Bearface, who contributed to production, and Kevin Abstract, who solely provided vocals. Romil Hemnani is also credited as a writer on multiple tracks. Bearface and external collaborator Boylife are credited as executive producers, making this one of two Brockhampton albums (along with TM) where Kevin Abstract is not credited as an executive producer or creative director, and the only Brockhampton album to be executively produced by an outside collaborator.

Background

In January 2022, Brockhampton announced their disbandment via social media, which was to follow their scheduled performances at O₂ Academy Brixton and Coachella.^[4] During their performance at Coachella on April 16, 2022, they announced a then unnamed final album, to be released in the same year. Two days later, the video projected during the performance would be released to their YouTube page, titled "Message from Brockhampton".^[5]

Promotion

In October 2022, Brockhampton created a private Instagram user named @imissthebandalready. An image of the unfollowed state of this page would be reposted on the band's official Instagram page's story in the latter half of October.

On October 27, 2022, Brockhampton posted a one-minute video titled "I Miss the Band Already" to their YouTube and Instagram pages, teasing a final album announcement. In the comments of the Instagram video, Kevin Abstract stated that there would be a follow-up in "one hour..." As such, an hour later, an album teaser for The Family was released to their YouTube and Instagram pages, announcing a release date of November 17, 2022, and the album cover was posted to their various social media accounts.^{[6] [7]}

On November 4, 2022, "Big Pussy" was released as the first single from The Family. On November 11, "The Ending" was released as the second single from the album.

On November 16, 2022, Brockhampton posted a final teaser for the album titled "It All Comes Out In The Wash" to their YouTube and Instagram pages. One day later, on November 17, 2022, the album released alongside a music video for "RZA."

Track listing

Samples

• "Take It Back" contains excerpts from "Miracle", written by Raymond A. Myles.^[8]
• "RZA" contains excerpts from "The Big Draft", written by Bruce Belland and Glen Larson.
• "Big Pussy" contains excerpts from "Victim", performed by The Germs, "Bluan", written by Mario Candido Rusca, "Love Is the Reason", written by William A. Keyes and samples from "Hustlin", performed by Smoothe Da Hustler.
• "All That" contains interpolation from "All That", written by Lisa Lopes and Arnold Hennings.
• "Southside" contains excerpts from "You Are So Brave (Funeral Dirge)".
• "Good Time" contains a sample of the recording "Jesus Is the World to Me", performed by Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth For Christ Choir.
• "37th" contains excerpts from "The Dark End of the Street", written by Chips Moman and Dan Penn.
• "Boyband" contains excerpts from "In God's Own Time (My Change Will Come)", written by John W. Hason.
• "The Family" contains excerpts from "New Day", written by Donald Breedlove and Napoleon Crayton, "September in the Rain", written by Al Dubin and Harry Warren, and samples from "New Day" by Band Of Thieves.
• "The Ending" contains excerpts from "Let Me Be the One Baby", performed by Willie Hutch.
• "Brockhampton" contains excerpts from "I Can't Fake It Anymore", performed by Ruby Winters.^[9]

Personnel

Production and arrangement

• Bearface – production (2–5, 10, 15, 17), additional production (1), executive production
• Boylife – production (6–9, 11–12, 14–17), additional production (1, 13), executive production
• Nick Velez – production (1, 4, 13), additional production (2–3, 14)

Musicians

• Kevin Abstract – lead vocals
• Bearface – additional vocals (13, 15), background vocals (11)
• Boylife – additional vocals (1, 6, 13, 16)
• RZA – additional vocals (2, 11)
• Caitlyn Harris – additional vocals (2, 5)
• No Rome – additional vocals (5)
• Vanessa "Nettie" Wood – additional vocals (9)
• Erik Shiboski – upright bass (4)
• "Robot" Scott Carter – piano (13), programming (13)

Technical personnel

• Bearface – recording (1–5, 10, 17)
• Boylife – recording (6–9, 11–16)
• Bob Power – mixing
• Honey Canin – mixing assistant
• Heba Kadry – mastering

Design

• No Tricks – art direction, design
• Chris Albo – art direction, design
• Zhoutong Lesley Qi – art direction, design
• Amanda Alborano – art direction, design

Charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"

Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[10]	90

Notes and References

1. Web site: Brockhampton – Official Site . 2022-10-30 . brckhmptn.com . en.
2. Web site: Campbell . Erica . 2022-04-17 . Brockhampton announce final album during Coachella 2022 set . 2022-10-30 . . en-GB.
3. Web site: 2022-11-17 . Brockhampton Releasing Another New Album, TM, Tonight . 2022-11-17 . Pitchfork . en-US.
4. 1482049909129838593 . brckhmptn . Brockhampton's upcoming shows at the O2 Academy Brixton in London and at Coachella will be our final performances as a group. All other tour dates are canceled, effective immediately. Refunds for all tickets and VIP packages will be available at the point of purchase.
   Following these four performances, we will be taking an indefinite hiatus as a group. . Brockhampton . January 14, 2022 . November 8, 2022.
5. Web site: Message from Brockhampton . en . 2022-10-30 . YouTube.
6. Web site: The Family (Album Teaser) - Brockhampton . en . 2022-10-30 . YouTube.
7. 1585665921686700034 . brckhmptn . Brockhampton - The Family November 17th . Brockhampton . October 27, 2022 . November 8, 2022.
8. Web site: BROCKHAMPTON – Official Site .
9. Web site: Credits / The Family . November 17, 2022 . November 17, 2022.
10. The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 28 November 2022. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1708. 6. November 28, 2022.