Boy band Brockhampton dropped their latest track “If Pray Right” on Thursday. This is their second release in two weeks, following last week’s “I Been Born Again”. The singles are part of their fifth album, GINGER. The video also features a short clip from a future song called “Hood Still Love Me”.
The Three 6 Mafia sampling “If You Pray Right” has religious references in it right from the get-go. This is, as the title suggests, a major theme that comes up in the song as each member explores ideas around organized religion and spirituality in their own ways.
Dom McLennon’s opening verse makes references to not just his own, but multiple religions in the span of four lines. His verse here is the star of the show. It is well constructed and McLennon’s delivery sits very comfortably on the beat. The rest of the song, however, tapers off with sometimes lukewarm or too-short verses from other members.
It’s hard to figure out what to expect from Brockhampton in this album. Each teaser is followed by an entirely different song release and the two do not sound similar. The two singles have also been different enough that it’s uncertain whether GINGER will have a coherent sonic palette or whether it will be a mish-mash of ideas that don’t really work together.
On the whole, “If You Pray Right” is a solid, thoughtful but, at times, disappointing offering from a group whose sonic direction remains unclear at the moment.
The self-proclaimed “best boy band since One Direction” will release GINGER this month. Whether the album will match last year’s Iridescence remains to be seen, but Brockhampton’s work ethic and often crowded release schedules are sure to ensure hype builds steadily around this album.
