Childish Gambino turned many heads after debuting his first single since his 2016 album “Awaken, My Love!” on SNL last night.
The carefree way “This Is America” starts is very misleading. I thought it was going to be another happy-go-lucky Childish Gambino song like “California,” but it is not that at all! While watching the video, it didn’t take long to notice the pronounced social commentary once the graphic scenes started rolling in. In just a little over four minutes, Childish Gambino does an excellent job covering 3 points:
1. The reality of what America is really like vs. the idealized version.
2. America is full of gun-crazed individuals who endanger the lives of everybody else on a whim.
3. We spend time engaging in frivolous activities (i.e. learning all the latest dance crazes), completely distracted from the chaos that surrounds us.
Leave it to Donald Glover to entertain, educate, and open eyes all in one go, just like he does in his “Atlanta” show. “This Is America” is more than a song, it’s a message.
OVERALL RATING (5/5)
