In 2018, hip-hop and R&B artist, Childish Gambino released This is America, accompanied by a shocking music video that better conveys the message behind the song. Upon the track’s release, it was controversial. The obvious political statement garnered both praise and pushback from listeners. So, how does the song hold up today? Come along as we explore the history and meaning behind Childish Gambino’s This is America.
The Story Behind the Statement
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When Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) was brainstorming for This is America, he didn’t actually have a political statement in mind. The song was originally meant to be a diss track for the Canadian rapper Drake. The title This Is America started as a joke, poking fun at Drake’s international roots. After a while, though, Glover realized that the standout lyric could be better utilized to talk about the current political climate. Working with composer Ludwig Göransson, Glover built the powerful piece that we have now.
This is America, which we first unveiled as a performance on Saturday Night Live alongside the release of the music video directed by Hiro Murai. Of course, there are things you can’t do on television, so the most authentic version of the story is the video. It remains, to this day, the most shocking and impactful way to experience the song. With depictions of gun violence, Jim Crow stereotypes, and heaps of cynical sarcasm, This is America became a hot topic in 2018.
Conversations sparked online about the meaning behind the song and its imagery. Its surreal and uncomfortable nature seemed to be the thing that made it so interesting. More importantly, Americans were opening their eyes to the true message within the track. This is America is, at its core, a commentary on gun violence, racism, and police brutality in America. The song calls the public out in a way that makes them uncomfortable, mocking the typical American’s ignorance of crimes and prejudices that cost lives every single day.
How Does it Hold Up Today?
While the political message behind This is America was undeniably powerful in 2018, it would be an understatement not to say it’s even more powerful now. Given the more recent events of the Black Lives Matter riots in 2020 sparked by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others, it’s fair to point out that the shocking anthem is even more iconic. According to FBI statistics, there were 61 active shooter incidents reported in the US in 2021 and 50 incidents reported in 2022. 2021’s incidents alone were more than double the number of incidents catalogued in 2018, when this song was released.
Needless to say, more and more Americans are getting the picture when it comes to Glover’s vision. It’s easy to be oblivious to violence when it isn’t happening to us directly. The blissfully ignorant nature of the dance scenes in the music video exposes an overall dystopian feeling. With violent events happening so frequently around us, what can we really do about it as citizens? This is America reflecting on issues that listeners feel desperate to fix and helpless to change.
On a more positive note, the track gets people talking. It inspires folks to build stronger communities, to vote, and to take notice of what’s going on around them on a smaller scale. For a song to remain so relevant and impactful six years later is a testament to its message. It’s a great song to pull out of the mothballs every now and then to remind ourselves to be aware of current events and make informed decisions.
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