Childish Gambino is an interesting artist because of the amazing creativity in his songs. From “Because of the internet” to “Awaken My Love!” Childish Gambino shows that he is talented at both rapping and singing. One of Gambino’s recent tracks “This Is America” also shows his creative side by providing one of the most controversial videos of 2018.
Now he releases his fourth studio album “3.15.20” which is supposedly his last album. Instead of a normal tracklist, the album displays timestamps for each song which shows how interesting the album is.
“0.00” starts the album with an atmospheric instrumental with Gambino’s voice sounding distorted. The different sounds in the intro mesh together really well with Gambino’s voice and it perfectly flows into the next track “Algorhythm”
“Algorhythm” combines elements of dance hall and pop to create an impressive-sounding song. Gambino’s voice, while different, is decent at best and the production carries him on this track. However, his voice meshes well with the beat making it one of the enjoyable songs on the album.
“Time” gives a futuristic atmosphere with Gambino and Ariana Grande talking about the meaning of the world they are in. Gambino and Grande have great chemistry on the track with both artists giving good performances. Grande’s soft and airy voice provides a nice cushion against Gambino’s aggressive delivery.
“12.38” creates this soulful vibe with Gambino talking about a girl and the experiences he had with her. Gambino delivers a solid performance on the album with his smooth vocals. 21 Savage fits perfectly on the track with his smooth flow and somewhat witty lyricism. Gambino and Savage work perfectly and the should keep making music together.
“19.10” picks up the pace with bouncy beat that includes hints of synths and string instruments. Gambino discusses what it means to be black and how it correlates with beauty. Vocally Gambino gives a decent performance on the track with matching the energy of the song.
“32.22” is an interesting track were Gambino delivers a subpar performance. Gambino’s voice sounds aggressive and uninspiring which is disappointing since the production is insane. The song had no context and barely any lyrics. Gambino sounds like a mumble rapper instead of someone trying to deliver a message about warlords.
“35.31” goes in a completely different direction in production by providing a country like beat. Gambino on this song describes his experiences with selling drugs as a younger adult. Gambino’s performance is good with his vocals and versatile flow. The only downfall to this song is how repetitive it sounds.
“42.26”, previously released as Feels Like Summer”, has Gambino discussing an abundance of issues such as population, artificial intelligence, and climate change. The production is soothing with some hints of African drums. Vocally Gambino sounds smooth and comfortable which meshes perfectly with the beat.
“47.48” begins with a funk instrumental with Gambino discussing living in the present. His voice sounds very soothing especially during the middle of the track where he flows effortlessly. Towards the end of the song there is a nice excerpt of Gambino and son Legend which ends the track perfectly
“53.49” closes the album with an experimental funk instrumental where Gambino discusses his success. He does a good job of transitioning between singing and rapping. Vocally Gambino is decent especially during the chorus. Rapping-wise, Gambino’s flow sounds very basic, definitely in the second verse. “53.49” is good closer to the album and it displays the versatility of Gambino’s singing and rapping.
Overall “3.15.20” is a solid album from Childish Gambino. He does a good with providing a variety of different genres on the album. Vocally Gambino could be better especially when he has other vocalists who can sing better than him. The duration of some of the songs could have been shorter to condense the overall album. Gambino delivers nice album; however, if this is his supposed last album, it could have been better. 3.5/5
Photo Courtesy of RCA Records
