This Is America by Childish Gambino

Media Review Article
On May 5th 2018, Donald Glover, also known under his performer name “Childish Gambino”, released a music video for his single This Is America. This release date was also chosen because of the artist’s planned performance later that day on Saturday Night Live. 

The music video was directed by filmmaker Hiro Murai and the song paired to it was produced and written by Childish Gambino in collaboration with Ludwig Göransson. Ever since its debut, the video has been viewed over 121 million times, making it the singer’s first No. 1 single ever. This Is America gained a lot of popularity and sparked a lot of debates, praise and in-depth analysis because of its brutally honest representation of gun control in the United States. With the use of a choir and background vocals featuring rappers such as 21 Savage and Quavo, the song is a mix of rap, gospel, trap and hip-hop. 

The visuals and lyrics for this anthem have brought up a lot of attention all over the globe as they are understood to have hidden meanings and relate to past events involving firearms in America. The main setting of the warehouse allows you to really focus on everything that is happening in the background and to closely follow a brilliant storyline. In different appearances, the guns used are either given or taken back carefully from the performer to represent how guns are taken better care of than human lives. All through the 4:04 minutes of this visionary tale, Donald Glover is dancing and that in itself represents how preoccupied we are about the hidden struggles of life and how we forget to pay attention to the brutality and violence that affect the population, but also mainly how African Americans are too often used as a “brand shield” in society. 

During three key moments in the music video, we get to assess how accessibly guns are used in today’s America. The first gunshot is fired towards a man with a hidden face, to portray how easily and quickly a life can be taken, especially when that person is of color. Police brutality is also a major theme depicted in this piece. The second shooting is against an entire choir, to remember the Charleston massacre that occurred in 2015, where the lives of 9 black people were taken in the church’s basement. Lastly, we see Childish Gambino dancing with children, until they run away as he raises his arm in the shape of a gun. With the numerous school shootings that have taken place in America, especially within the past year, this was the visual the artist used to represent the current situation. He also paused the song and music for exactly 17 seconds after this scene. These are meant to be 17 seconds of silence for the student victims of the Parkland shooting. 

If you look meticulously, the details even come down to his clothing choices. The reason Donald Glover remains shirtless throughout his music video is a reminder that he is a black and vulnerable man, and how the color of your skin is often used to interpret and decide your life’s worth. He is also wearing grey trousers accessorized by 4 black buttons to symbolize the uniform worn by Confederate Soldiers, the main group who inflicted pain towards black slaves in the late 1800’s.

This piece of art by Childish Gambino is actually like a movie, in which you have to watch is multiple times to access and comprehend the bigger picture and tiny details. This Is America is the wake up call the entire world was craving. It is truth, it is pain, it is human and it is a voice for those who have been silenced by the sound of a gunshot. 

Image source: http://www.womensmediacenter.com/fbomb/a-breakdown-of-childish-gambinos-new-single-this-is-america