Opinion: Childish Gambino’s new album defies pop conventions

The entire world is being told to stay in, but Childish Gambino’s fourth studio album is finally out! Gambino (a stage name for Donald Glover) unexpectedly released “3.15.20” in an interesting way, to say the least.

 The album first appeared on his website March 15, hence the name of the album, as one 57-minute song. Hours later, the album was removed from the website, leaving fans confused. When we say these are uncertain times, this album is certainly no exception. It reminds me of that GIF of Glover where he unknowingly and happily walks into a burning room with a stack of pizzas. The burning room is the coronavirus. The pizza is Gambino’s new album. Maybe he realized he didn’t come at the most convenient time.

A week later, Gambino officially re-released “3.15.20” a second time. Though the album is still available as a singular 57-minute song on his website, it is also available as 12 individual songs on streaming platforms.

Gambino definitely defies conventional music standards, making for a unique listen. Everything about “3.15.20” is interesting to me. There are only two songs that have conventional titles, “Algorhythm” and “Time.” The other 10 songs are time stamps representing the time it starts within the album if it were played continuously.

This being said, the first track is titled “0.00,” and sounds like the ambient equivalent to a cinematic introduction. The only lyrics are “we are” repeated thirty times, preparing us that this album will be one of self-expression.

The next song, “Algorhythm,” is almost too relevant. Gambino sings in a low, raspy and guttural voice while comparing life to an algorithm. The disturbing tone is paired with lyrics that warn of virtual validation’s isolating effect. He uses religious imagery, suspecting the devil of creating the so-called algorithm. Gambino also points out society’s need to be heard, singing, “everybody wanna get chose like Moses.” Another lyric that stood out to me was, “Keep on moving, you might survive/ Pressure to evolve, take a bite of the apple.” Here, Gambino suggests our society is contingent on always moving forward and not disrupting the system. He compares the pressure to be productive and efficient to Adam and Eve’s fall. Sometimes, you have to step out of the algorithm to do the right thing. I’d like to think he spelled “Algorhythm” incorrectly both as an act of defiance to this system and to make musical pun.

The next song, “Time,” features Ariana Grande and is about exploring dreams and possibilities before inevitably running out of time. It’s both heavy and light-hearted at the same time and has a pleasant pop beat for a song contemplating the meaning of existence.

“19.10” is equally skeptical of the world, as Gambino sings, “To be beautiful is to be hunted.” The lyrics say in order to be happy you have to not care what others think of you. It’s an up-beat, catchy, feel-good tune.

“24.19” is a stand-out on the album; literally, it’s one second shy of being eight minutes long. The length of this song, as well as a few other songs that are over six minutes, serves to break the algorithm of what’s expected in pop music. This sweet song is exempt from the general anxious tone of the album as he expresses his love and gratitude to his partner. The romance is immediately broken by the next song, “32.22,” which is the most aggressive song on the album. It’s followed by “39.28,” which focuses on slow harmonies and lacks a beat. The next track, “42.26,” is the single previously released as “Feels Like Summer” and is a relaxed song about hoping for change.

“47.48” is the sentimental ending before the energetic curtain call. Gambino tells us, “Don’t worry ‘bout tomorrow” amidst the cruel violence in the world. What makes this song special is the outro in which Gambino and his children talk about the importance of loving ourselves and each other. It’s absolutely adorable. That curtain call I mentioned is titled “53.59,” and shares the same themes as “47.48” in a more celebratory way. The chorus sings “There is love in every moment,” and the album ends with Gambino urging us to “Do what you wanna do.”

This album was a hodge-podge of so many styles and themes, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to all of them. Everything about “3.15.20” is very intentional and clever. Gambino didn’t create this album to purposely be released during a global pandemic, but it certainly captures the zeitgeist of it, nonetheless. Gambino created an hour of music expressing angst, disappointment, anger, love, hope, and peace. I feel equally as disturbed as I am inspired.