Childish Gambino lives again, at least for one more album. Donald Glover’s music alter ego has gone through many transformations through the years as he evolved to become one of the biggest acts on the globe. But though he’s reached this point of his career, Glover has made many statements in the recent past that his Childish Gambino persona would soon be closing out its life cycle, telling fans at his arena tours that they were there witnessing the final Childish Gambino tour.
So when I hear him say things like this (I was at the United Center when he claimed that as he asked us to put the phones down and enjoy the show while we have a chance) and then see him put on epic performances headlining iconic festivals like Lollapalooza in 2019, saying that he surprised fans when he delivered 3.15.20 is putting it very lightly.
Coming at just under an hour, the track list consists of songs mostly named after time stamps as the album progress, with the only exceptions being “Algorhythm” and “Time,” which should give you a pretty straightforward message on the social commentary he’s trying to make about music consumption.
Gambino’s biggest challenge was following-up his incredible 2016 album “Awaken, My Love!” and though this lacks the radio-friendly hits, 3.15.20 isn’t without gems of its own. So without further ado, lemme tell y’all what I have found are the top 5 tracks on the album.
“12.38”
This song is fantastic, and it’s hard to argue against declaring this one being the best on the album. It lasts nearly 7 minutes but it’s not an epic like “Redbone” or “Me and Your Mama,” instead going for a sound that’s smoother around the edges. Built around an organ riff, the jam-like quality to the music allows Gambino to tell you about an amorous encounter he has with a woman, trying to smooth-talk his way into being with her as he describes everything about her that’s captivating him, but in the end she just wanted to go on a little adventure and proved slicker than ‘Bino. The track features Kadhja Bonet (bridge), 21 Savage (second verse), and Ink (outro), each bringing something great to the track. 21 stands out a little more with his contribution, dropping this crispy rhyme:
“19.10”
Immediately after comes this soulful track. Childish Gambino tackles the tribulations of being black in America, explaining how he learned early in life that the world is cold and is filled with people that will see their swagger and their success as if it’s somehow coming at the expense of those to which “this country belongs.” While I’m not typically a fan of songs that mostly consists of repeating the chorus, I actually like the way this technique is employed on “19.10.” Gambino sings “To be beautiful is to be hunted / I can’t change the truth, I can’t get you used to this” in a silky voice on top of this bouncy beat, which kind of make you want to dance. When you think of how he’s giving his audience a peek into the black experience in the good ol’ U.S. of A., then you’ll see how it can also stand to represent the driving force that helps push black people in this country forward (and other minority groups can relate to that feeling, to which I can attest from personal experience). It’s a rallying cry. Haters gonna hate, and to have haters can be a beautiful thing, so let’s keep doing our thing.
“32.22”
When I played the album the first time around, this is the track that made me sit up at the edge of my couch and drop everything that could’ve been distracting me. The controlled chaos Childish Gambino paints with “32.22” is the kind of stuff that I’ve been finding in recent years to be the most fascinating, and the way it’s executed here is so dope. The tribalistic patterns in the music, the buzzing in the background of the chorus, and the chanting all fuse together like if it’s beckoning for us to prepare for battle. I’m down.
“39.28”
That war-like track is followed by the sunny “39.28.” This Country-fried joint with a slinky guitar helps remind you of Childish Gambino’s southern upbringing. The school playground-style rhyming paired with verses on the lavish sides of selling weed and pushing coke is a depiction of the idea that dealing can become such a normal part of life for some communities and that the path towards entering that world is carved when some are in their most impressionable phases.
“53.49”
Childish Gambino ends his album with a bang. The final track starts with an aggressive verse followed by a call-and-response chorus, casting Bino as a church preacher sent to deliver the message that “There is love in every moment.” But the religious themes aren’t confined to his vocal delivery, with Childish Gambino making several church-y references throughout his song. Some of the ones that stick out the most include:
I’m just tryna put the spirit in your Yeezy Boosts (Yeezy Boosts)
Get your cup, it runneth over once I got the juice
Every day is Sunday mornin’, woo, you hella late (You hella late)
in the first verse, saying in the second verse that his beard is long like Jesus’, and later opening the third verse with:
When you looking at the devil
But you lookin’ in the mirror
What you gon’ say? (Wait a minute)
Childish Gambino wants to steer you in the right direction but he’s also asking you to look at yourself. Because what good is good advice, if we’re not ready for it?
