ONE OF US

Merlyn Wood, of BROCKHAMPTON fame, has released his third single since the group announced their split, seeing him focus on his solo career, in an exciting new chapter of his career. Following on from bangers S.Y.K and GREEN LIGHT, ONE OF US might be the best single he’s released thus far. 

The 26-year-old emcee appears just as animated, and playful as usual, despite the sleepy, nocturnal production. Produced by Lido, the beat features gentle, snappy drums and slinky, harp like keys, it sounds almost like some sort of ambient video game score with its intoxicating, drowsy tone. The video also shows this with its ethereal, retro computer game feel, and neon blue cyberpunk-esque lights. 

The pitched vocals on the chorus are reminiscent of early BROCKHAMPTON, but the song feels very separate from their work, with Merlyn continuing to grow into his own artist, with his own daring sound. 

Out of all the BROCKHAMPTON members, besides Kevin Abstract, Merlyn Wood is the first to really show off his newfound potential for solo fame, since the ‘indefinite hiatus’. Whilst all of them could certainly have fruitful careers, perhaps most notably Bearface, Merlyn’s energy always made him such a core part of the group’s bold dynamic, so his ambitions for a solo career make a lot of sense. 

In the last leg of the song, the video transitions into a glitchy reality, and we’re treated to a sonically interesting, distorted verse where Merlyn passionately raps lines like ‘they call me crackhead, still I’m gon’ get it crackin’, and ‘ever since I was 6, I was seen as the token black kid’. It’s a very passionate verse from the rapper, and really shows his potential outside of the boyband. 

Whilst his solo work is yet to provide anything as impressive as any of the SATURATION’s, there’s plenty of room for the young star to grow.