Less than two years after the release of “Awaken, My Love!”, Donald Glover – aka Childish Gambino – returns with a socially-relevant new single, “This is America.”

Is there anything that Donald Glover can’t do? Until he proves that he can’t do something, it’s clear that Glover is truly a prodigiously talented individual.  Musically best known as Donald Glover, he earned his first Grammy in 2017 for the stellar “Redbone”, the crowning achievement of his 2016 urban contemporary album, “Awaken, My Love!” Back with a new single less than two years later, Childish Gambino goes a different direction with “This is America.”  Unsurprisingly, it’s brilliant.

The intro of “This is America” is performed by a black choir.  Notably, there’s a hint of tropical, international flavor – clearly an ‘African’ influence, which seems intentional to say the least.  The tropical, international flavor is more pronounced – more developed – on the following bridge performed by Childish Gambino. This section adds instrumentation, namely guitar and drum programming.

“We just wanna party

Party just for you

We just want the money

Money just for you…”

The tone of the chorus is an about-face from the extended intro/bridge section.  The sound is clearly darker, more pessimistic, and more serious in tone.  Childish Gambino raps:

“This is America

Don’t catch you slippin’ up…

Look what I’m whippin’ up…”

The first verse settles into the darker, hip-hop driven sound introduced upon the chorus.  Donald Glover is the lead, but there are ad-libs inserted from a variety of rappers.  Glover makes references to policing in America and gun violence, important issues in the black community. A contrasting refrain, performed by the choir with a response by Glover, embodies the exuberance of the intro with different lyrics: “Get your money, black man (get your money).”

Once again, the major key returns on the chorus, followed by the second verse by Childish Gambino.  He focuses on excess as a ‘distraction’ you might say from truly important matters. This includes material things, as well as referencing hustling, prevalent in the black community in America. Following another refrain that incorporates Young Thug for two lines, Young Thug provides the outro for this socially-conscious number.

Final Thoughts

Childish Gambino returns with a bang on “This is America.”  While the approach lyrically is simple on this record, the social message Glover makes is pitch-perfect – clearly relevant to the times. Yes, it’s a stark contrast from the R&B of “Awaken, My Love!”, but one must remember, that was a stark contrast from Because the Internet.   Can we just go ahead and call Donald Glover a genius?

Childish Gambino • This is America– Single • RCA • Release: 5.8.18

Photo Credit: RCA