The mood of this scene however quickly evolves as he pulls out a gun and shoots the hooded man who had recently been playing his guitar. The very first scene of the video is of a man strumming on his guitar as Gambino slowly approaches while dancing in a particulate matter to a steady and serene beat. And although the incorporation of these symbols have a very clear message, it may go unnoticed as the beginning of the video has a very upbeat mood to it. Not only does his garment represent those worn by confederate soldiers, but he is also shown depicting a racist black stereotype that emerged in the 19th century whose sole intent was to ridicule blacks.
This harsh reality is revealed through symbolism which is made very apparent from the beginning of the video, as Gambino is introduced as the embodiment of white America. Both are credible sources for expressing all the scrutiny that comes with being a minority. Gambino is a primary source in describing the harsh realities that come with being black in a white America, while Murai represents the poor conditions that come with being an immigrant. He is a credible source to be speaking upon such issue, and so is the director of the video, Hiro Murai. He has faced some of the hardships that come along with being black in America hence has an authentic perspective, allowing for the message to be successfully portrayed. He is not only recognized as a well respected actor, musician and writer but is also a person of color. Gambinos presence is a tactic to fully validate everything presented in the video. In the video, a shirtless Donald Glover, the performer who uses “Childish Gambino” as his musical alter ego is featured as the main persona. Our attention dilutes when we are exposed to the spectacle that is pop culture, as Gambino manages to grasps our attention rather than the chaos unfolding behind him. Arguably, the focus of the video is to illustrate the struggles faced by Americans specifically blacks and how easily the media diverts our attention from the abhorrent truths that partake in our society. The video itself is up to interpretation however its message is clear.
The video conceptualizes oppression and gun violence all while cryptically portraying society’s obscure and detrimental relationship with media. “This Is America” finds itself in the company of a host of one-off songs and full-length outings from his contemporaries directly challenging the way of life in the United States, specifically as it relates to the experiences of Black Americans.“This is America” tackles many prevalent political issues within American society. While the clip seems to take on a more upbeat pace, once the smoke clears Gambino’s stance aligns itself with a fairly bleak and satirical look at all the vices that frankly “make America great.” If this new cut is indicative of shift in content for Childish Gambino, we’re certainly not mad at it. While we’re initially greeted by a melodic introduction reminiscent of the more soulful sound adopted in his last project, we’re quickly hit with a change of pace as he reverts back to the form with which earlier fans are familiar, rapping over the backdrop, crafted by Doomsday with Ibra Ake and Fam Rothstein of Wolf + Rothstein. First premiered through a live performance on SNL, the new track “This Is America” arrives packaged in a cinematic clip directed by Hiro Murai. Just a few weeks after Cardi B made use of the Saturday Night Live stage to confirm buzzing pregnancy rumors and set the Internet ablaze, Donald Glover has made use of his evening as both host and musical guest as Childish Gambino, on the season opener of the sketch comedy show to drop off his newest offering since delivering on his Grammy-nominated Awaken, My Love! effort, save for the digital re-release of his first EP back in January. Childish Gambino drops first single since “Awaken, My Love!” We’re sure this was no coincidence.
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