I feel that the song's lyrical simplicity is to counterbalance the 'chewyness' of the music video. I don't think Glover wrote the lyrics then the rest of the track followed, but the entire project was planned and very deliberate. In short, I don't think "This is America" was meant to be experienced *just* as a song.
Bryce Right. Especially considering how Donald likes to make music that is best when coupled with some form of cinematics, this song wasn’t meant to be experienced alone
True. I first heard it on spotify and wasnt too impressed but when i saw it along with the video and experienced it as intended i actually found it gripping
The comments on "This is america" are interesting it's like everyone wanted to have a socio political discussion but they all bashed themselves in the head with a hammer 50-100 times first.
The point of the song is the video, its why they were released simultaneously. Donald entertains in the video with his dance moves and in the song with what is the prevalently popular sound for rappers atm, while all this chaos goes on behind him.
He wasnt just embracing the new minimalist lyrical trend in hip hop, i thought he was clearly spoofing it and giving a commentary on modern hip hop, That was why he fit in all those references in the way he was rapping to other songs like gucci gang- ( when he says contra band, contra band, contra band). His minimalist lyrics in the music video make a point in themselves bc it shows rappers are singing about this pointless shit amidst a bunch of chaos
How tf is he mocking the new rappers when every adlib in that track is made by the so-called "mumble rappers" like Thug, 21 Savage and Slim Jxmmy? Yall tryin too hard to be *WOKE*
Michele Cozzarin i dont thinks hes specifically dissing it, but i cant help but feel a bit of irony in how simple the lyrics were. Especially when it comes to the video, and the overall message behind it. He definitely did that on perpose. Idk
Michele Cozzarin also with the trendy internet dance moves, again i dont think hes dissing them. But i feel it was supposed to be a reference to american hip hop trends.
Yo, the guy with a username based on a Polish monster slaying power fantasy for white boys has opinions on complex racial issues in America. Would it be more complex if it was the butcher of Blaviken?
airplaneoverthesemen without the music video Gambino wouldn’t release that song. Gambino is one of the most talented artists in the game right now, like that dude wrote a soul-album and smashed the billboards and ended up on the most popular horror film in modern times. Glover know what’s up.
Potentially, but they were clearly designed together. Seems just as much a video project as a music project, kinda like saying no one would pay attention to a soundtrack unless the movie was good too
I feel like everyone has this misconception that meaningful, impactful music has to be explicit in its message. As melon says, there is so much nuance going on in the track as well as social context that lead to its statement. Too many people listen to/perceive art on the surface level and are too quick to dub it as simple
Are we seriously suggesting that most people would be this hyped on the track if it weren't for the music video? The music video very much makes the song, and that's FINE! But why are we pretending like the song would've actually hit just as hard if it weren't for the video? I know tons of people that aren't even listening to the song as a single because so much of the experience is lost. The singles version doesn't even have the gun shots from the music video. That's a huge part of the song. The song is good, don't get me wrong, but this isn't "The Blacker the Berry" type of shit. I wish people would just admit that the experience is very much meant to be a visual and auditory one. If you lose one aspect of it, the experience immediately loses a lot of it's visceral impact.
I would take it a step further and say the song is actually incredibly forgettable, to the point where I can't recite a single lyric beside "this is America". The video is incredible, but I would never put the song on Full disclaimer though, I'm not American, so it's possible it just hits harder for the people it's actually aimed at
Not really. It's not my opinion that the song would not have had the same cultural impact if it weren't for the video. The song would not even have half the views as the video. That's fact. You and I both know it. No one is talking about the song lyrically (maybe 10% of the discussions being had are about the auditory experience), they're talking about the video.
Pizza Chit the existence and constant use of the phrase unnecessarily convoluted to describe movie and video game plots and stories in general should give you an idea of how complexity can lead to less quality.
Isn't it like, the video and lyrics are complementary to where the lyrics represent "this is what we're like when we sing these songs" and the video represents "while this is what happens around us"? Correct me if I'm wrong.
I think the sound as well is a large part of the "this is what happens around us," component, especially the transitions, which gradually become more fluid; first you have gunfire being used to introduce those deeper beats, but then they sneak back in all on their own, now inseparably woven into the song. In that respect I think the track can stand without the video if it has to (although not as well).
Everett Daly I agree with that. You can hear the lone track on Spotify. I mean, the fact he takes the melody of Gucci Gang at one point in the song kinda drives the point home.
Makain Wiginton That's why he played the song live though right ? The music video pairs well with the song well because it's a music video. A song is just a song and it's a really horrible song
This generation of hip hop fans that say they only listen to "real hip hop" don't know what real hip hop is. You don't need to rap like Ghostface Killah or Big L to make a good rap song . Tupac was a lot less skilled when it came to flow and technique in comparison to his contemporaries, BUT his subject matter an art was top notch.
He could put a verse together, if anything, Most modern rappers who are in the mainstream can't string together 4 bars, let alone 16. They just sit back and pay producers to make them catchy beats and hooks while they sit back and enjoy the fame. When people say they listen to "real hip hop", they mean that they listen to competent rappers. Guys like Joyner Lucas, Joey Badass, Run The Jewels (killer mike and ELP), etc. etc. Also, the examples you provided were awful, because Ghostface, BigL and 2pac are all accepted as legends, your contrasting of them serves as a detriment to your point.
Ridley On Steroids Who can't string together 4 bars? Name one. Artist with simple bars use it as a stylistic choice. And you further proved that by talking about catchy hooks and beats. Nothing wrong with making a catchy song. Their are plenty irrefutable classics in other genres with that same formula. Also, i use Big L and Ghost because they get nowhere near the amount of praise that Pac does despite being a lot more skilled on the mic. Also, i like how every current lyrical artist you brought up is either a fan of new school artists or has worked with some before.
Proxy Moron yea but if the song was by itself without the music video it wouldnt have done the message justice, the only reason why its recieving hype is because its symbolisym within the mv instead of the song, its really surface level and sounds like if lil pump ever tried to rap concious, what you said is kinda like saying "his intentions are good so the song is good" it was badly executed, at least to me so the message doesnt hit as hard
Zey Exactly. If you just listen to it, it's rather just another "conscious" song that's rather vague. It's not bad, but without that MV, it's not much to be hyped about. Also, with Donald's past songs, I can't take him seriously. Edit: Also, the song speaks on rather simple statements. Being black, gun control, media influence. We've heard it so many times, so this song kinda drifts by in my mind, and isn't as profound just because. Hell, Katy Perry made a song just like this (minus the black part of course), it being Chained to the rhythm. Again, it isn't bad, but it isn't something that's mind blowing which so many people believe it is.
Zey It's simple for a reason. His song is just talking shit about celebrity culture, and he makes fun of gucci gang in this song with the "hunna band contraband" lines. The video looks to be about celebrities being focused on while all the shit happening in the country is out of focus, so his simple lines is just him criticising the simple rappers in the spotlight. That's what I think at least.
two things I thought about and wanted to say about his topic: 1. I think the simplicity of the lyrics could be kind of good for heavy topics. i think it shows that its such a big thing and that it doesnt need a whole lot of words to be understood. Big ideas can come from small words. 2. The repetition and redundancy of some of the phrases said, i think, definitely has its own meaning; importance, or desperation for people to hear/know the meaning of the phrase/idea.
The music video was complex and the lyrics are simple. I think that's a great balance. He wants people to focus on the imagery more than the lyrics. People had to watch the video multiple times in order to understand it so we didn't need to decipher heavy lyrics on top of that.
That was not a hard video to understand. I loved it and I watched it twice because it was entertaining, but they make it pretty obvious what the main themes of the video are.
The lyrics are making a point. When he kills people a generic trap instrumental plays and he "mumble" raps. Amongst MANY messages, he is hinting at the death of good rap also. He did the gucci gang cadence too for like four bars at one point. People are so deaf to deeper meaning.
The Talking Penguin No it doesn't. I'm pretty sure Donald talked about what he wanted the video to portray with the director. It's still Donald's vision.
I don't think the simplicity is him "embracing" the sound, I think he's using it to make a statement. Watching the video with it makes that very clear. He's showing all of these horrible things with shootings and riots and death, while doing popular dances and saying plain trap lyrics. That's the point here.
The lyrics are making a point. When he kills people a generic trap instrumental plays and he "mumble" raps. Amongst MANY messages, he is hinting at the death of good rap also. He did the gucci gang cadence too for like four bars at one point. People are so deaf to deeper meaning.
TLDR: Anthony agrees the lyrics are too simple, apologizes for saying it was Gambino’s best single to date and states that both “3005” and “Me and Your Mama” are clearly superior.
This is why music doesn't always have borders. The music video is practically half of the significance of the song itself. In other words, the song is memorable because of the music video, and it wouldn't really have as large an effect without the music video. The song seems to be more of a companion of the music video, rather than it being the other way around.
Nicholas KMA but is that a bad thing. Itˋs part of the package, if you take it away itˋs incomplet. Musicvideos arenˋt always a part of the package, but this time it is, so I think juding it without the video is like juding a movie without sound. Btw I totally agree that the video is adding most meaning.
Robin Riediger Idk if it’s necessarily a bad thing - I guess to someone who values songs for their standalone merits, it might be. I personally don’t know where I stand on that issue. I’d never deny the cultural significance of the whole project, though.
its not a bad thing, but it sure as hell effects the song's expiration date. Got stale by the second listen for me. Boring beat, simple lyrics. After the message is understood there's not much thats left
I think the song was written and produced with the video in mind. Judging ONLY the song and it's writing is like saying a movie had bad dialogue after you watched it on mute. Of course, I could be wrong, but the two fit together so well that I honestly can't separate the music from the video like I could with any other music video.
I feel like “This is America” is just what it says on the tin. It’s the type of music that’s popular, it’s commenting on the social problems of now, and it’s a back and forth with light refrains and aggressive repetitive choruses. The song is America now.
Every conceptual track isn’t brought to fruition through its lyrics, this is America is driven through the visuals. One only need to see the music video to see the message being portrayed
I think the simple lyrics was part of what made the song what it is. The dancing and simple lyrics is supposed to be the thing distracting us from what’s really going on in the video and in America.
the vid and lyrics go hand in hand.. basically don't let the simple lyrics distract you from the chaos happening in the background "this is America" is a perfect title imo
If the sentences in a song are limited it leaves more space for the listener to interpret it in their own way Just look at certain songs off of Kid A like “how to disappear completely” and “idioteque”. I think that it makes it more artistic in a way
I agree when I first heard the song and saw the video I interpreted as Donald almost making a commentary on, or a satire of hiphop today, because it was so simplistic and saying the simplist version of what most rap songs say today. "I'm so cool like yea, I'm so dope like yea."
I'm currently listening to a band Wimps, there tracks have maybe at most 10 lines of lyrics in the songs but the angst and the message comes out quite strong, and they have a "happp pop punk" type sound
George Squires This Is America is supposed to be representative of black culture - popular and current trap music isn’t complicated music like jazz, so it’s simplistic to compliment the current black culture.
I’m not too big a fan of this song but I think it still shows Donald’s skills as an artist and his understanding of his themes and statements, which he builds upon and showcases a lot better in Atlanta
To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand this is america. The humour is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of inequality in america most of the jokes will go over a typical viewer’s head. There’s also donalds nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation- his personal philosophy draws heavily from gucci manes autobiography, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realise that they’re not just funny- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike childish gambino truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn’t appreciate, for instance, the humour in donald's cutting bar “look what im whippin now,” which itself is a cryptic reference to materialism and escapism in capitalistic societies. I’m smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as childish gambinos’s genius wit unfolds itself on their phone screens. What fools.. how I pity them. 😂
Well, life was funny when we were all 12 living in the suburbs listening to linkin park watching dragonball z drinking pepsi while playing halo co-op on the easiest setting during which we consumed doritos and looked at paintball guns on ebay in internet explorer connected through aol on a 56k modem before hopping into our balding fathers' latest midlife-crisis-impulse-sponsored japanese-built suv to head to the mall and get more skateboarding shoes and third-rate irregular levis and mountain bike parts before heading home, voting democrat and masturbating to the latest sears catalog while huffing paint in your garage before talking to pedophiles on AIM pretending to be whatever camwhore they're ranting about on myspace with a matrix quote/anime character name/triple six-asterisk-parentheses-surrounded screenname before heading to your supposed "good school" in the morning to buy more pot to smoke during your counter-strike lan party with jimmy and the rest of his friends taking ritalin and adderall and prozac eight times a day before taking a casual pass at local, state or national governmential figures, legislature, or structure to appear edgy and intelligent in front of your budweiser-sneaking, limp-wristed, near-to-columbine sociopathic "deep" friends who play the victim when they start losing arguements six days before their botched suicide attempt simply because school tramp number twelve wouldn't go under the bleachers with them to let them get to second base before their thirteenth birthday.
@pomsky Donald's philosophy is based on Gucci Mane's autobiography? That sounds really really off. @MegaTamaMan I like your prose, not sure what your point is tho. Also; as someone who is prescribed SSRI, I have no idea why people would take SSRIs recreationally several times a day. SSRIs are shit.
@Phobe Laxu I don't have a point. Just a shitty copypasta I found on the body building forums in 2011. It was a joke, just like the Rick and Morty copypasta.
I don’t know. I understand that the message is interesting. But it’s not like it’s some groundbreaking revelatory song that some people are claiming it is. It’s a kinda generic statement that we’ve heard before, if not more explored by other artists like Kanye West. I think that’s the problem a lot of people have with it, it doesn’t make the track bad, but it certainly doesn’t make the track special by any means.
If most of the message comes from the video, then the song doesn't carry the mesaage... The video does. The song can remind you of the message of the *video* but the two things are still separate.
I am pretty sure the idea of the video was created before the song was written. For me it feels like „this is America“ is written for a visual concept, especially because of the sudden mood and stylistic transitions in the song, which is emphasized in the video quite distinctly.
As someone who was born in 1998, it's crazy to think that artists were actually making super lyrical songs/albums and were ruling the charts! like damn was it even possible? watching current trends it just sounds like a dream! Like rappers in the late 80's and 90's were actually educating the youth verbally! now its just sex money drugs and those 5 political songs that create some buzz... the artistic advantage that rap had in 90's that made it stand out is just depleting and as someone who has been a hardcore rap/hip-hop fan this is just sad :(
Great analysis. So many people are only focusing on the visuals and not paying attention to what he is saying. It's not just about gun violence or police brutality; he is also criticizing "rap culture" for promoting violence and drugs while ignoring important issues.
Surprised you haven't made mention of the Jim Crow-like dance moves in the music video (after the first shooting scene). Although then again you're here to review the music, not the video itself, even though I feel that the song is very much attached to the video in a way that isn't really meant to be separated.
Jeremy Corbin Yeah it's a multimedia piece imo, a lot of the purpose and impact behind the beat/tone changes its totally lost if you don't watch the video
Bit of an odd choice to debut it on SNL without any of the elements of the music video then (other then dancing kids on one side). I should clarify that I enjoy the ong itself, and there's a couple of interesting narratives it offers on its own. The video has its own (related somewhat, but distinct) messages that doesn't entirely jibe with the lyrics. Which is also fine, music videos have never really been literal (and to take another gun violence example, Per interview, Korn's 'Freak on a Leash' was about John Davis feeling like he was being exploited as novelty for marketing by his managment)
Langston Hughes also writes in a short and "simple" way. It could be a reference to that. Hughes was criticized by his simple writing, but the messages he was trying to convey were for everyone and simple things can be understood by everyone. In the early 20s and 30s, when Hughes started to write, the literacy rate of African-American was low and those that could were limited their in ability to read. So to convey his message to the masses of African-Americans his writing had to be simple.
The instrumental is a social statement. It starts with an african chant, moving into some caribbean inspired guitar, then drops into a beat that sounds like trap meets the Bomb Squad. This is reflective of the dances in the video, but stand alone without it. "100 bands 100 bands 100 bands/Contraband contraband contraband" This lyric has depth, despite only having 3 words. 100 bands references money (the most common topic in modern hip-hop), while also referencing slave bands, or shackles. Contraband references the drugs and guns that rap music talks about, while also referencing slaves themselves as contraband. After the civil war Texas refused to free slaves, so a lot of them were transported there from states like Louisiana and Georgia. Those slaves were contraband. Black Americans sometimes feel like they are contraband, due to over-policing or banning of Black styles. Eloquence isn't about using lots of words. Just look at Langston Hughes.
The lyrical simplicity of This is America is one of its greatest strengths in my opinion because when making politically charged music reaching a mass audience is almost just as important as the message being conveyed. This usually requires a balancing of sound and entertainment value with substance. Gambino's decision to simplify the lyrics did exactly this. This is why artists with far more politically developed tracks, Lupe Fiasco for example, don't have as much of an impact. He puts so much weight on the substance of his records that it sometimes overwhelms the attention to sound and entertainment value.
I think the simplicity of the lyrics is a satire of the current state of very superficial pop, juxtaposed with the music video, his dancing fits with the stupid lyrics to distract from what is really going on.
The fact the lyrics are simple actually reinforces the message of entertainment overshadowing bigger issues and black culture being celebrated while the complexity of the struggle of its people is largely overlooked. It is a stylistic choice essential to the song.
Sometimes less is more. It's not easy making lyrics that discuss social topics without it being too preachy or on the nose. The fact that the song manages to provoke discussion with simple lyrics is pretty neat.
If he only released the audio people would say that it's trash but because he has a deep meaning behind the VIDEO people say the song is good and thoughtful when In reality, childish isn't saying anything with this track and it's very disappointing
Overanalyzing won't get you anywhere, just deeper and deeper until you miss the point. And it ain't that shallow either. But one thing's for sure, we are indeed distracted.
This is America is catchy as fuck. I love having all the past music and present music to listen to. No one should complain about no good songs on the radio... Guys...do you listen to radio... This Is America has do many layers.
I actually see the simple lyrics as a part of the general theme of the entire song and MV and that theme is distraction. The catchy lyrical flow and overall happy feel of some parts of the song are easy to pay attention to whereas, if you look a little deeper, there is much more to the lyrics, to the instrumentation, and to the music video than what first catches the eyes/ears.
i wouldn't call what gambino does on this song "social commentary". he's not commenting on anything. he's literally just saying that america stands for guns and violence. in other words he's continuously repeating a stereotype. it's as if i took a trap beat, mix it up with some neapolitan neo-melodic tunes and kept spitting "this is italy" while flipping pizzas in people's face. it's silly, it's simple, it doesn't express any statement whatsoever, i wouldn't consider it something clever. catchy? maybe. but it's not as clever as the internet would like it to be.
Ricardo Arpea thank you, I'm actually quite shocked so many people think its the deepest thing ever and is hugely powerful, it's predictable and simple, I don't get the hype, at all.
He says a lot with the simplicity of the lyrics, and the context of the video adds to the message. Even the title says ‘official video’ not music video because the visuals so key to the meaning.
Too simple, not inviting to the casual listener, and that combined with the idea that people argue that you need to watch the music video to have it hit you leave it as a pretty boring ass song tbh. Music videos should complement the song, because at the end of the day the point of the art is to have something to listen to, not a movie to watch.
The point of art is to have something to listen to? I think you mean the point of music is to have something to listen to, and you're totally right about that. But the music video is more important than the song in this case.
Eazy-E M2C still, the medium that the art is in (music) is meant to be artistic and understood in it's designed medium to be considered good in that medium. Like you wouldnt say a movie is good if everything ab the plot, characters, etc is bad but the soundtrack is good
The one thing that i ask myself about this song and video is why? When i ask that, i mean what is the goal of this song and video? people would probably answer, "to spread awareness to the issue" or "to stop ignorance" or "to educate" but why do that when "this is america" and we already know and see all these issues? A music video won't make us any more aware of it than we already are and a simple ass song won't explain shit to a ignorant person, niether this song or video provides a solution to the problem that's been addressed millions of times, so why do it? The move seems really superficial and "fake deep" to me, i listen to guys like kendrick, cole and Jay z and they either address issues that haven't been as popularized in the hip hop community or they provide suggestions and solutions in the song to help the issue, but this song and video does nothing, it just restarts a conversation that is already being heavily talked about regardless of whether this song existed or not. The symbolism and the cameo's and the easter eggs in the video do nothing. The whole thing is kinda like showing references to people and demanding them to feel something about it, when all the audience members who are listening to it already know/support, so why? The only conclusions i came up with are either: A) he didn't look that deep into it and just made the song and did it to "to spread awareness to the issue" B) He did it because he knew it would get a reaction out of the media to boost popularity and hype around the album and give him more support and a good image, or C) a little bit of both, i feel like it was C but either way i feel like it did nothing and wasn't important or as deep as everyone is saying it is.
The way I understand it, Zey isn't saying "why make any art that explores themes of our time". Rather, why praise this song for being such a great SONG, when it is so generic, even if it is in service of issues that are really important. I gotta agree, J Cole sucks, but you can't deny that people like Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest, etc. address these issues with a lot more complexity and nuance, which imo makes for a better message in the song.
I feel that the song's lyrical simplicity is to counterbalance the 'chewyness' of the music video. I don't think Glover wrote the lyrics then the rest of the track followed, but the entire project was planned and very deliberate. In short, I don't think "This is America" was meant to be experienced *just* as a song.
Bryce Right. Especially considering how Donald likes to make music that is best when coupled with some form of cinematics, this song wasn’t meant to be experienced alone
I agree. I don't think the song would be nearly as powerful without the video. Not that I agree that it's powerful at all, but to some it is.
exactly
Bryce Yes to an extent it is a parody of trap, but it only really works in the context of the video's social commentary.
True. I first heard it on spotify and wasnt too impressed but when i saw it along with the video and experienced it as intended i actually found it gripping
The comments on "This is america" are interesting it's like everyone wanted to have a socio political discussion but they all bashed themselves in the head with a hammer 50-100 times first.
some guy started off being a white nationalist in a chain but turned out to be an Incel too
+no bully I mean, I can't say I'm surprised.
Weaver Beats Yeah if only everyone could be as intelligent as you.
That’s basically the same thing on every Kanye tweet. People continue to blow my mind
So kinda like every socio political discussion on the internet?
I think the simplicity of the lyrics are the point tho....
S Mac i took it as a lowkey shot at the mumble rap and Rappers who talk about simple shit. Just me tho
The point of the song is the video, its why they were released simultaneously. Donald entertains in the video with his dance moves and in the song with what is the prevalently popular sound for rappers atm, while all this chaos goes on behind him.
+Liam Quigley First UA-cam comment that made me physically roll my eyes
That doesn’t make it good
Xbxuej eke how?
*Are the lyrics of Napalm Death-You Suffer too complex?*
But why?
hey do you know where to start with Napalm Death? never listened to them before!
From Annihilation to Obliteration is def where to start. I think it really defines their sound.
Happy Listening!
Ayy Gorillaz meme man what's good
*Are the lyrics of Godspeed You! Black Emperor-Storm too complex?*
This is America has pretty simple lyrics compared to poopy-di scoop
Zachary U. Geesaman Poop-di-scoop-did-di-doop is upper echelon.
I think kanye got a cat and got inspired while scooping the poop.
Zachary U. Geesaman god damn it
But the beat is amazing. Donald didn't write the beat. He didn't direct the video. He just wrote these basic ass lyrics
Theyungcity23 actually he’s in the credits for directing the video
He wasnt just embracing the new minimalist lyrical trend in hip hop, i thought he was clearly spoofing it and giving a commentary on modern hip hop, That was why he fit in all those references in the way he was rapping to other songs like gucci gang- ( when he says contra band, contra band, contra band). His minimalist lyrics in the music video make a point in themselves bc it shows rappers are singing about this pointless shit amidst a bunch of chaos
OMG Childish Gambino so woke fam😱😱😱 XD
I was looking for this comment
How tf is he mocking the new rappers when every adlib in that track is made by the so-called "mumble rappers" like Thug, 21 Savage and Slim Jxmmy? Yall tryin too hard to be *WOKE*
Michele Cozzarin i dont thinks hes specifically dissing it, but i cant help but feel a bit of irony in how simple the lyrics were. Especially when it comes to the video, and the overall message behind it. He definitely did that on perpose. Idk
Michele Cozzarin also with the trendy internet dance moves, again i dont think hes dissing them. But i feel it was supposed to be a reference to american hip hop trends.
Great message, song was fine, but the vid was where it's at.
Morgan Lemons indeed, I love the vibe where the main character is insane or something, and Donald acted that pretty well
Facts
The message is “Tragedies happen and nobody cares doesn’t that suck” it’s not new, it’s not great and it’s not groundbreaking
Yo, the guy with a username based on a Polish monster slaying power fantasy for white boys has opinions on complex racial issues in America.
Would it be more complex if it was the butcher of Blaviken?
Orphansmith k
Isn't the simplicy and the cliché lyrics the whole point?
Hate artist using satire as an excuse for shitty music tbh. Oh and their fans doing the same
Ellyjah Goodson but in this case the music isn't shitty.
Thanks, exactly.
Ellyjah Goodson Are we actin like Gambino isn’t lyrically talented tho?
Ellyjah Goodson there's a reason he's using adlibs from every current bad mainstream rapper.
Donald says a lot. We live in a society
vivimos en una sociedad
~ The Jocker
Jacob Jauregui Tú vives en una sociedad... yo vivo en tú madre😎😈
GAMERS RISE UP!!!
Bóg Serengheti BOTTOM TEXT
Hot take: without the (GREAT) video we wouldn't be talking about this song at all
airplaneoverthesemen without the music video Gambino wouldn’t release that song. Gambino is one of the most talented artists in the game right now, like that dude wrote a soul-album and smashed the billboards and ended up on the most popular horror film in modern times. Glover know what’s up.
True it would just be a new single for Gambino fans still would have been heard and talked about just not this big
That's a lukewarm take at best
Potentially, but they were clearly designed together. Seems just as much a video project as a music project, kinda like saying no one would pay attention to a soundtrack unless the movie was good too
That’s a hell of a cold take
Are the conditions in my divorce papers too simple?
Real shit
I like your username
"Hit the road Jack! And don't you come back no more..."
Is it just a bunch of papers with “HALF!” written on them?
Ayaxes more like 1/4 smh
I feel like everyone has this misconception that meaningful, impactful music has to be explicit in its message. As melon says, there is so much nuance going on in the track as well as social context that lead to its statement. Too many people listen to/perceive art on the surface level and are too quick to dub it as simple
Cal Chuchesta is your favorite rapper's favorite rapper
Cal Chuchesta is DOOM'S favorite rapper
Santi Barrios Cal Cuchesta is all so Cal Chuchesta's favorite rapper so Cal Chuchesta is the favorite rapper of your favorite rapper's favorite rapper
Cal Chuchesta is Tyler's favorite rapper?
Ailious ;-; Of course, Cal thaught Tyler lyricism and beatmaking
The Micheal Beasley of rap
Are we seriously suggesting that most people would be this hyped on the track if it weren't for the music video? The music video very much makes the song, and that's FINE! But why are we pretending like the song would've actually hit just as hard if it weren't for the video? I know tons of people that aren't even listening to the song as a single because so much of the experience is lost. The singles version doesn't even have the gun shots from the music video. That's a huge part of the song. The song is good, don't get me wrong, but this isn't "The Blacker the Berry" type of shit. I wish people would just admit that the experience is very much meant to be a visual and auditory one. If you lose one aspect of it, the experience immediately loses a lot of it's visceral impact.
EXACTLY
I would take it a step further and say the song is actually incredibly forgettable, to the point where I can't recite a single lyric beside "this is America".
The video is incredible, but I would never put the song on
Full disclaimer though, I'm not American, so it's possible it just hits harder for the people it's actually aimed at
Well said.
Thats your opinion...
Not really. It's not my opinion that the song would not have had the same cultural impact if it weren't for the video. The song would not even have half the views as the video. That's fact. You and I both know it. No one is talking about the song lyrically (maybe 10% of the discussions being had are about the auditory experience), they're talking about the video.
Is always a good time to remember that complexity is not equal to quality tho...
Gabriel how is it not?
Gabriel you're on the channel of the man who has given to both ''DAMN'' and the ''Lil Pump'' album a 7.We got that!
Pizza Chit the existence and constant use of the phrase unnecessarily convoluted to describe movie and video game plots and stories in general should give you an idea of how complexity can lead to less quality.
Frank Zappa is trash then
Gabriel Remember that a music video isn't indicative to the quality of the music itself.
This Is America lyrics are the written equivalent to a Banksy painting.
No, simplicity is key in this case, the mv is more important than the song in some ways or at least equal to understanding the message
"Sorry for the mood lighting -"
Is this ContraPoints???
poopity scoop is too complex tbh
Jin Marco I'm still diving deep and dissecting those layers.
The name itself gave me cancer. I'm not listening to that crap, whatever it is.
Esteban Aguayo the actual sample is dope
I miss when 50 cent said “I luh you like a fat kid love cake”
hahahaha
Ad lib game strong tho
yuh
yeah to such a degree that listening to his live SNL performance felt almost...empty, in a sense.
Venenoso I always see u
Yuh yuh yuh
BLAWWW
Is the pink shirt you're wearing too gay?
You're also wearing a bra.. are u throwing us hints melon?
D Ravines Tony Fantranny
Tranthony Mantano
Jonathan N much better, excuse me for my ignorance
Nothing wrong with wearing pink 😉
Though this particular shirt is pretty flamboyant
Isn't it like, the video and lyrics are complementary to where the lyrics represent "this is what we're like when we sing these songs" and the video represents "while this is what happens around us"? Correct me if I'm wrong.
you got it
I think the sound as well is a large part of the "this is what happens around us," component, especially the transitions, which gradually become more fluid; first you have gunfire being used to introduce those deeper beats, but then they sneak back in all on their own, now inseparably woven into the song. In that respect I think the track can stand without the video if it has to (although not as well).
Everett Daly I agree with that. You can hear the lone track on Spotify. I mean, the fact he takes the melody of Gucci Gang at one point in the song kinda drives the point home.
Makain Wiginton That's why he played the song live though right ? The music video pairs well with the song well because it's a music video. A song is just a song and it's a really horrible song
“Guns in my area, I got the strap, I gotta carry em” simple but effective
Why Donald gotta be complex, but nobody else does?
EpyonRoyal I think they're basing it off his previous projects
Mumble rappers get clowned on 24/7 for lyrics like this but Donald is supposed to be a “deep” artist
becuase his older stuff was
Because he’s set standards for himself.
Just goes to show how far up their ass purists are if they judge meaning by amount of words like we in high school lmao
This generation of hip hop fans that say they only listen to "real hip hop" don't know what real hip hop is.
You don't need to rap like Ghostface Killah or Big L to make a good rap song .
Tupac was a lot less skilled when it came to flow and technique in comparison to his contemporaries, BUT his subject matter an art was top notch.
Louis Nevers the killer that is faced ghostly has better content lyrically than the shaker of tu pacs
I like the beef bones and thugs personally
He could put a verse together, if anything, Most modern rappers who are in the mainstream can't string together 4 bars, let alone 16. They just sit back and pay producers to make them catchy beats and hooks while they sit back and enjoy the fame. When people say they listen to "real hip hop", they mean that they listen to competent rappers. Guys like Joyner Lucas, Joey Badass, Run The Jewels (killer mike and ELP), etc. etc.
Also, the examples you provided were awful, because Ghostface, BigL and 2pac are all accepted as legends, your contrasting of them serves as a detriment to your point.
Ridley On Steroids
Who can't string together 4 bars?
Name one.
Artist with simple bars use it as a stylistic choice.
And you further proved that by talking about catchy hooks and beats.
Nothing wrong with making a catchy song.
Their are plenty irrefutable classics in other genres with that same formula.
Also, i use Big L and Ghost because they get nowhere near the amount of praise that Pac does despite being a lot more skilled on the mic.
Also, i like how every current lyrical artist you brought up is either a fan of new school artists or has worked with some before.
Wrong channel for gatekeeping
Well, I don't think This is America is about how lyrical it is, instead it's about the message.
Proxy Moron YES
Proxy Moron yea but if the song was by itself without the music video it wouldnt have done the message justice, the only reason why its recieving hype is because its symbolisym within the mv instead of the song, its really surface level and sounds like if lil pump ever tried to rap concious, what you said is kinda like saying "his intentions are good so the song is good" it was badly executed, at least to me so the message doesnt hit as hard
Zey I’d punch you all over
Zey Exactly. If you just listen to it, it's rather just another "conscious" song that's rather vague. It's not bad, but without that MV, it's not much to be hyped about. Also, with Donald's past songs, I can't take him seriously.
Edit: Also, the song speaks on rather simple statements. Being black, gun control, media influence. We've heard it so many times, so this song kinda drifts by in my mind, and isn't as profound just because. Hell, Katy Perry made a song just like this (minus the black part of course), it being Chained to the rhythm.
Again, it isn't bad, but it isn't something that's mind blowing which so many people believe it is.
Zey It's simple for a reason. His song is just talking shit about celebrity culture, and he makes fun of gucci gang in this song with the "hunna band contraband" lines.
The video looks to be about celebrities being focused on while all the shit happening in the country is out of focus, so his simple lines is just him criticising the simple rappers in the spotlight.
That's what I think at least.
two things I thought about and wanted to say about his topic:
1. I think the simplicity of the lyrics could be kind of good for heavy topics. i think it shows that its such a big thing and that it doesnt need a whole lot of words to be understood. Big ideas can come from small words.
2. The repetition and redundancy of some of the phrases said, i think, definitely has its own meaning; importance, or desperation for people to hear/know the meaning of the phrase/idea.
The music video was complex and the lyrics are simple. I think that's a great balance. He wants people to focus on the imagery more than the lyrics. People had to watch the video multiple times in order to understand it so we didn't need to decipher heavy lyrics on top of that.
Facts
That was not a hard video to understand. I loved it and I watched it twice because it was entertaining, but they make it pretty obvious what the main themes of the video are.
The lyrics are making a point. When he kills people a generic trap instrumental plays and he "mumble" raps. Amongst MANY messages, he is hinting at the death of good rap also. He did the gucci gang cadence too for like four bars at one point. People are so deaf to deeper meaning.
Except he didn't direct the video. So your point goes out of the window.
The Talking Penguin No it doesn't. I'm pretty sure Donald talked about what he wanted the video to portray with the director. It's still Donald's vision.
I don't think the simplicity is him "embracing" the sound, I think he's using it to make a statement. Watching the video with it makes that very clear. He's showing all of these horrible things with shootings and riots and death, while doing popular dances and saying plain trap lyrics. That's the point here.
Simple but very effective
"Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?"- Kevin from the Office
imo the song falls flat without the video
Jason Ledesma agree
I agree
Yea, if he wouldn't have made the video people would say the track is trash
Jason Ledesma yeah, theres no gunshots in the song other than the video version which i think brings the quality down a bit also
The lyrics are making a point. When he kills people a generic trap instrumental plays and he "mumble" raps. Amongst MANY messages, he is hinting at the death of good rap also. He did the gucci gang cadence too for like four bars at one point. People are so deaf to deeper meaning.
“It’s dark and that’s when I’m shooting “ - Racist Melontano
oh fuck 😭😭😭
TLDR: Anthony agrees the lyrics are too simple, apologizes for saying it was Gambino’s best single to date and states that both “3005” and “Me and Your Mama” are clearly superior.
inb4 salty gambino stans
HoodieReviews anyone who thinks 3005 is one of best singles is a clown
This is why music doesn't always have borders. The music video is practically half of the significance of the song itself. In other words, the song is memorable because of the music video, and it wouldn't really have as large an effect without the music video. The song seems to be more of a companion of the music video, rather than it being the other way around.
The song is not that good at all without the video, in my honest opinion.
Nicholas KMA but is that a bad thing. Itˋs part of the package, if you take it away itˋs incomplet. Musicvideos arenˋt always a part of the package, but this time it is, so I think juding it without the video is like juding a movie without sound. Btw I totally agree that the video is adding most meaning.
Robin Riediger Idk if it’s necessarily a bad thing - I guess to someone who values songs for their standalone merits, it might be. I personally don’t know where I stand on that issue. I’d never deny the cultural significance of the whole project, though.
its not a bad thing, but it sure as hell effects the song's expiration date. Got stale by the second listen for me. Boring beat, simple lyrics. After the message is understood there's not much thats left
Lol no one asked
Joto. No one is ever “asking” in the comment section. This isn’t the Q&A section fam
Fakethony Woketano
Snazzy shirt, Melon!
I think the song was written and produced with the video in mind. Judging ONLY the song and it's writing is like saying a movie had bad dialogue after you watched it on mute. Of course, I could be wrong, but the two fit together so well that I honestly can't separate the music from the video like I could with any other music video.
DONthany GLOVEtano
I feel like “This is America” is just what it says on the tin. It’s the type of music that’s popular, it’s commenting on the social problems of now, and it’s a back and forth with light refrains and aggressive repetitive choruses. The song is America now.
Even though I am not a huge fan of this song, I have one giant defense for the lyrics being this simple: This is Donald's Killing In The Name
Tyler Shaina that is a very good point
Tyler Shaina actually true lmao, killing in the name is dope and the message is heavy as hell, even though they repeat most of the lyrics.
Damn so true
That song is also too repetitive.
Josh Chamberlin
Every conceptual track isn’t brought to fruition through its lyrics, this is America is driven through the visuals. One only need to see the music video to see the message being portrayed
Sexythony Shirtano
"you don't understand, it's supposed to be shitty"
🍉
huh
I think the simple lyrics was part of what made the song what it is. The dancing and simple lyrics is supposed to be the thing distracting us from what’s really going on in the video and in America.
short answer: no
TheAw3someMatt long answer noooo
Wow I was gonna comment that. 🤭
Yeah me too
TheAw3someMatt want the long answer:Nope.
Longer answer: Yes
the vid and lyrics go hand in hand.. basically don't let the simple lyrics distract you from the chaos happening in the background
"this is America" is a perfect title imo
It's just as simple as American brains
Foreigners are obsessed with America and Americans.
@Corby Dorian the fuck are you talking bout 🤣
@@lemonadebraids here go the Americans getting all defensive... nobody's actually thinking bout you. sorry ig
The production tells the story perfectly. And you HAVE to listen to the song with the video the first time you listen.
That shirt is 🔥
There's something very respectable about making a powerful statement with very few lyrics.
If the sentences in a song are limited it leaves more space for the listener to interpret it in their own way
Just look at certain songs off of Kid A like “how to disappear completely” and “idioteque”.
I think that it makes it more artistic in a way
Yeah a lot of super important things are super vague on purpose like, idk , the US constitution?
I agree when I first heard the song and saw the video I interpreted as Donald almost making a commentary on, or a satire of hiphop today, because it was so simplistic and saying the simplist version of what most rap songs say today. "I'm so cool like yea, I'm so dope like yea."
Shout out gambino for having the comment sections a mess
I'm currently listening to a band Wimps, there tracks have maybe at most 10 lines of lyrics in the songs but the angst and the message comes out quite strong, and they have a "happp pop punk" type sound
It’s simplistic for a reason...
But what... is... the reason... ... ... ...
George Squires This Is America is supposed to be representative of black culture - popular and current trap music isn’t complicated music like jazz, so it’s simplistic to compliment the current black culture.
I’m not too big a fan of this song but I think it still shows Donald’s skills as an artist and his understanding of his themes and statements, which he builds upon and showcases a lot better in Atlanta
To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand this is america. The humour is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of inequality in america most of the jokes will go over a typical viewer’s head. There’s also donalds nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation- his personal philosophy draws heavily from gucci manes autobiography, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realise that they’re not just funny- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike childish gambino truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn’t appreciate, for instance, the humour in donald's cutting bar “look what im whippin now,” which itself is a cryptic reference to materialism and escapism in capitalistic societies. I’m smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as childish gambinos’s genius wit unfolds itself on their phone screens. What fools.. how I pity them. 😂
Well, life was funny when we were all 12 living in the suburbs listening to linkin park watching dragonball z drinking pepsi while playing halo co-op on the easiest setting during which we consumed doritos and looked at paintball guns on ebay in internet explorer connected through aol on a 56k modem before hopping into our balding fathers' latest midlife-crisis-impulse-sponsored japanese-built suv to head to the mall and get more skateboarding shoes and third-rate irregular levis and mountain bike parts before heading home, voting democrat and masturbating to the latest sears catalog while huffing paint in your garage before talking to pedophiles on AIM pretending to be whatever camwhore they're ranting about on myspace with a matrix quote/anime character name/triple six-asterisk-parentheses-surrounded screenname before heading to your supposed "good school" in the morning to buy more pot to smoke during your counter-strike lan party with jimmy and the rest of his friends taking ritalin and adderall and prozac eight times a day before taking a casual pass at local, state or national governmential figures, legislature, or structure to appear edgy and intelligent in front of your budweiser-sneaking, limp-wristed, near-to-columbine sociopathic "deep" friends who play the victim when they start losing arguements six days before their botched suicide attempt simply because school tramp number twelve wouldn't go under the bleachers with them to let them get to second base before their thirteenth birthday.
MegaTamaMan damn bro that was lethal lol
Jacob Harris I'm just some loser who dropped out of college. Don't give me too much credit.
@pomsky Donald's philosophy is based on Gucci Mane's autobiography? That sounds really really off.
@MegaTamaMan I like your prose, not sure what your point is tho. Also; as someone who is prescribed SSRI, I have no idea why people would take SSRIs recreationally several times a day. SSRIs are shit.
@Phobe Laxu I don't have a point. Just a shitty copypasta I found on the body building forums in 2011. It was a joke, just like the Rick and Morty copypasta.
I don’t know. I understand that the message is interesting. But it’s not like it’s some groundbreaking revelatory song that some people are claiming it is. It’s a kinda generic statement that we’ve heard before, if not more explored by other artists like Kanye West. I think that’s the problem a lot of people have with it, it doesn’t make the track bad, but it certainly doesn’t make the track special by any means.
If most of the message comes from the video, then the song doesn't carry the mesaage... The video does. The song can remind you of the message of the *video* but the two things are still separate.
Not really, you need the song for the video to be complete. It's almost like a trap musical.
This song addresses a very simple issue; how in-game transactions are damaging the video game industry, no complex lyrics needed.
The song is way too reliant on the video to convey its message. Kind of hard to enjoy the song without it, IMO
Shoey shut up..thats the point
+Leslie Chavez No. You shut up.
Sloid , why do you speak for shoey when you can shut up on their behalf?
No. You shut up.
no you hang up
"Dumb it down"
I am pretty sure the idea of the video was created before the song was written. For me it feels like „this is America“ is written for a visual concept, especially because of the sudden mood and stylistic transitions in the song, which is emphasized in the video quite distinctly.
As someone who was born in 1998, it's crazy to think that artists were actually making super lyrical songs/albums and were ruling the charts! like damn was it even possible? watching current trends it just sounds like a dream! Like rappers in the late 80's and 90's were actually educating the youth verbally! now its just sex money drugs and those 5 political songs that create some buzz... the artistic advantage that rap had in 90's that made it stand out is just depleting and as someone who has been a hardcore rap/hip-hop fan this is just sad :(
Killing In The Name
Elton Webb Great example 🤘
Elton Webb that song has much more powerful lyrics tbh
Elton Webb was just about to comment that👏
The main thing that makes this a great song is the video. It makes all the lyrics come together and seem more complex.
Oh snap I didn’t know MEME REVIEW was back
Great analysis. So many people are only focusing on the visuals and not paying attention to what he is saying. It's not just about gun violence or police brutality; he is also criticizing "rap culture" for promoting violence and drugs while ignoring important issues.
Surprised you haven't made mention of the Jim Crow-like dance moves in the music video (after the first shooting scene). Although then again you're here to review the music, not the video itself, even though I feel that the song is very much attached to the video in a way that isn't really meant to be separated.
Jeremy Corbin Yeah it's a multimedia piece imo, a lot of the purpose and impact behind the beat/tone changes its totally lost if you don't watch the video
Bit of an odd choice to debut it on SNL without any of the elements of the music video then (other then dancing kids on one side).
I should clarify that I enjoy the ong itself, and there's a couple of interesting narratives it offers on its own. The video has its own (related somewhat, but distinct) messages that doesn't entirely jibe with the lyrics. Which is also fine, music videos have never really been literal (and to take another gun violence example, Per interview, Korn's 'Freak on a Leash' was about John Davis feeling like he was being exploited as novelty for marketing by his managment)
Langston Hughes also writes in a short and "simple" way. It could be a reference to that. Hughes was criticized by his simple writing, but the messages he was trying to convey were for everyone and simple things can be understood by everyone. In the early 20s and 30s, when Hughes started to write, the literacy rate of African-American was low and those that could were limited their in ability to read. So to convey his message to the masses of African-Americans his writing had to be simple.
I get the point he was tryna make with the simple lyrics, put i would’ve preferred some more *BARZ*
But then you'd have to focus on the bars and the hidden subliminal images i think the simple lyrics with double meanings was fine.
The instrumental is a social statement. It starts with an african chant, moving into some caribbean inspired guitar, then drops into a beat that sounds like trap meets the Bomb Squad. This is reflective of the dances in the video, but stand alone without it.
"100 bands 100 bands 100 bands/Contraband contraband contraband" This lyric has depth, despite only having 3 words. 100 bands references money (the most common topic in modern hip-hop), while also referencing slave bands, or shackles. Contraband references the drugs and guns that rap music talks about, while also referencing slaves themselves as contraband. After the civil war Texas refused to free slaves, so a lot of them were transported there from states like Louisiana and Georgia. Those slaves were contraband. Black Americans sometimes feel like they are contraband, due to over-policing or banning of Black styles.
Eloquence isn't about using lots of words. Just look at Langston Hughes.
Song is absolute garbage. Only getting traction because it’s “woke”. Video was well shot and creative though.
So glad you made this vid
Isn’t a little suspicious how a Donald Glover has the same first name as Donald Trump? 🤔 I mean, I’m just saying...
Jackass
Nonchalant1996 Gambino is Trump confirmed
Trees chose to exist in Germany during World War II as well. They gave oxygen to Hitler.
Nazi trees. I mean, I'm just saying.
Curtis Holsinger People hating on white people and calling them nazis, when trees that were helping Hitler are still alive today...
Yeah Ronald Mc Donald too? *scratches chin*
The lyrical simplicity of This is America is one of its greatest strengths in my opinion because when making politically charged music reaching a mass audience is almost just as important as the message being conveyed. This usually requires a balancing of sound and entertainment value with substance. Gambino's decision to simplify the lyrics did exactly this. This is why artists with far more politically developed tracks, Lupe Fiasco for example, don't have as much of an impact. He puts so much weight on the substance of his records that it sometimes overwhelms the attention to sound and entertainment value.
I think the simplicity of the lyrics is a satire of the current state of very superficial pop, juxtaposed with the music video, his dancing fits with the stupid lyrics to distract from what is really going on.
The fact the lyrics are simple actually reinforces the message of entertainment overshadowing bigger issues and black culture being celebrated while the complexity of the struggle of its people is largely overlooked. It is a stylistic choice essential to the song.
I knew when this song blew up as fast as it did the contrarians would come in hard.
Sometimes less is more. It's not easy making lyrics that discuss social topics without it being too preachy or on the nose. The fact that the song manages to provoke discussion with simple lyrics is pretty neat.
If he only released the audio people would say that it's trash but because he has a deep meaning behind the VIDEO people say the song is good and thoughtful when In reality, childish isn't saying anything with this track and it's very disappointing
TheNewAc 18 Better go back and listen to some Denzel Curry because he can actually rap about something
Denzel Romero I recognize the sarcasm but I truly don't understand why anyone would want to listen to this instead of a song with true meaning
Did you even watch the video?
Overanalyzing won't get you anywhere, just deeper and deeper until you miss the point. And it ain't that shallow either. But one thing's for sure, we are indeed distracted.
The song is trash, the video is pretty good.
Fight me
mrmow jorisin The song is trash, the memes from the video are god tier
Fuck you, Vice lol
This is America is catchy as fuck. I love having all the past music and present music to listen to. No one should complain about no good songs on the radio... Guys...do you listen to radio... This Is America has do many layers.
If this song is woke, then I never sleep.
I actually see the simple lyrics as a part of the general theme of the entire song and MV and that theme is distraction. The catchy lyrical flow and overall happy feel of some parts of the song are easy to pay attention to whereas, if you look a little deeper, there is much more to the lyrics, to the instrumentation, and to the music video than what first catches the eyes/ears.
Oh wow... this video is claimed by SME and cannot be reproduced in certain places... WTF...
i think the adlib features in the song add to the message of oversaturation, oversimplicity, and blissfulness of modern music.
I have a feeling A Dose of Buckley might put "This is america" in his worst song list for the simplicity of the lyric
큐베다이스키 you know that sounds like a great video
A dose of Buckley is a shit channel
Mo Neenja31 no u
Mo Neenja31 Yourrrr mom.
ur dad lesbian
This is America reminds me a lot of bump by brockhampton, the instrumentation and lyrics go from really agresive to bright and happy in no time
i wouldn't call what gambino does on this song "social commentary".
he's not commenting on anything.
he's literally just saying that america stands for guns and violence.
in other words he's continuously repeating a stereotype.
it's as if i took a trap beat, mix it up with some neapolitan neo-melodic tunes and kept spitting "this is italy" while flipping pizzas in people's face.
it's silly, it's simple, it doesn't express any statement whatsoever, i wouldn't consider it something clever.
catchy? maybe.
but it's not as clever as the internet would like it to be.
Your comment is bad. You should feel bad.
lol that imagery was hilarious, next is Bangerz and Mash (bin tha knives) bin bin bin those knives save save save those lives (Bangerz)
Ricardo Arpea thank you, I'm actually quite shocked so many people think its the deepest thing ever and is hugely powerful, it's predictable and simple, I don't get the hype, at all.
The video was nice though
Ricardo Arpea I agree, but he does it in the very symbolic video tho.
He says a lot with the simplicity of the lyrics, and the context of the video adds to the message. Even the title says ‘official video’ not music video because the visuals so key to the meaning.
Too simple, not inviting to the casual listener, and that combined with the idea that people argue that you need to watch the music video to have it hit you leave it as a pretty boring ass song tbh. Music videos should complement the song, because at the end of the day the point of the art is to have something to listen to, not a movie to watch.
Stormy it's just means the music video is great , not the song itself
The point of art is to have something to listen to? I think you mean the point of music is to have something to listen to, and you're totally right about that. But the music video is more important than the song in this case.
Eazy-E M2C still, the medium that the art is in (music) is meant to be artistic and understood in it's designed medium to be considered good in that medium. Like you wouldnt say a movie is good if everything ab the plot, characters, etc is bad but the soundtrack is good
Denzel Romero ya i agree
Hey, Fantano. What do you think of Vice telling people not to meme This Is America?
People who care that some guy at Vice made a trash article are idiots
The one thing that i ask myself about this song and video is why? When i ask that, i mean what is the goal of this song and video? people would probably answer, "to spread awareness to the issue" or "to stop ignorance" or "to educate" but why do that when "this is america" and we already know and see all these issues? A music video won't make us any more aware of it than we already are and a simple ass song won't explain shit to a ignorant person, niether this song or video provides a solution to the problem that's been addressed millions of times, so why do it? The move seems really superficial and "fake deep" to me, i listen to guys like kendrick, cole and Jay z and they either address issues that haven't been as popularized in the hip hop community or they provide suggestions and solutions in the song to help the issue, but this song and video does nothing, it just restarts a conversation that is already being heavily talked about regardless of whether this song existed or not. The symbolism and the cameo's and the easter eggs in the video do nothing. The whole thing is kinda like showing references to people and demanding them to feel something about it, when all the audience members who are listening to it already know/support, so why? The only conclusions i came up with are either: A) he didn't look that deep into it and just made the song and did it to "to spread awareness to the issue" B) He did it because he knew it would get a reaction out of the media to boost popularity and hype around the album and give him more support and a good image, or C) a little bit of both, i feel like it was C but either way i feel like it did nothing and wasn't important or as deep as everyone is saying it is.
The way I understand it, Zey isn't saying "why make any art that explores themes of our time". Rather, why praise this song for being such a great SONG, when it is so generic, even if it is in service of issues that are really important. I gotta agree, J Cole sucks, but you can't deny that people like Kendrick Lamar, A Tribe Called Quest, etc. address these issues with a lot more complexity and nuance, which imo makes for a better message in the song.
I AGREE WITH FANTANO !!!
I love the way you think Anthony