Donald Glover is a rapper and actor staring in the new T.V. show “Atlanta.” The first weekend of September, Glover, also know as Childish Gambino, hosted a concert at Joshua Tree California. The concert was prompted by an app, Pharos. The concert was a listening party for his new album, “Awaken, My Love!” It was a phone-free event, but that didn’t stop people from talking about the event on social media, which created a massive hype for the album.
This is Gambino’s 3rd studio album following “The Camp” and “Because of the Internet,” on top of multiple mixtapes and singles also released. This album is unlike anything ever released by him. Gambino usually has beats with strong rhythm and bass, with witty yet meaningful lyrics. This album strays from the rap path and has aspects of R&B, soul, and funk. After the pre-releases of two songs, “Redbone” and “Me and Your Mama,” the album was released on December 2nd followed by 9 other tracks. The album has no features and is a total genre change for Gambino, but it couldn’t have been done better.
Even though the album is done beautifully, as a fan it’s upsetting not to have another rap album. Gambino’s raps are characteristically his, and has a style that can attempt to be mimicked but won’t ever be copied. His approach has a more casual and freestyle sound but always ends up with clean flowing lyrics full of emotion. Gambino is pushing boundaries and it’s working out.
My favorite song in the album is “Me and Your Mama.” The starting beat gives me slight chills and seems like it should be placed in a movie where the main protagonist and antagonist meet. The background vocals are powerful and keeps you listening throughout the song.
The album is the perfect night driving playlist. The instrumentals are mid-tempo but still exciting, and the vocals are soft and pared perfectly with the music. Any fans of Gambino should definitely listen to the new album and those that aren’t fans or haven’t heard of him should take a listen to the new album. It’s a massive style change that works near perfectly for this artist. Overall, I give the album a 8/10.
