This Is America (song)

"This Is America"
Single by Childish Gambino
Released May 5, 2018 (2018-05-05)
Format Digital download
Genre
Length 3:45[3]
Label
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Donald Glover
Producer(s)
  • Donald Glover
  • Ludwig Göransson
Childish Gambino singles chronology
"Terrified"
(2017)		 "This Is America"
(2018)		 "Summertime Magic"
(2018)
Music video
"This Is America" on YouTube

"This Is America" is a song by American rapper Childish Gambino. Written and produced by Gambino and Ludwig Göransson, it was released on May 5, 2018, at the same time that Gambino was hosting that day's episode of Saturday Night Live. The song features background vocals by American rappers Young Thug, Slim Jxmmi, BlocBoy JB, 21 Savage and Quavo.[4][5] The song addresses the wider issue of gun violence in the United States, the high rate of mass shootings in the United States, along with longstanding racism and discrimination against African Americans.

The song's music video was directed by Japanese-American filmmaker Hiro Murai, a frequent Gambino collaborator.[6][7] According to RCA Records, the song is not the first single from Gambino's upcoming studio album.[8][9] "This Is America" became the 31st song to debut at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming both Gambino's first number one and top ten single in the country. It has also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Composition

The song features a gospel-style choir and background contributions from various American rappers. Young Thug, Slim Jxmmi, BlocBoy JB, 21 Savage and Quavo each deliver an ad-lib.[7][10] Young Thug returns to supply the song's outro.[5] The lyrics primarily address being black in the United States and gun violence in the country.[11] It also touches on police brutality.[12][13] Pitchfork's Stephen Kearse described the song as a representation of the "tightrope of being black", with the song "built on the sharp contrast between jolly, syncretic melodies and menacing trap cadences".[14]

Media outlets reported that a number of listeners accused Gambino of plagiarism over "This Is America", pointing out the similarities between the song and "American Pharaoh" by Jase Harley.[15][16] CBS News stated, "The tracks have a similar sound, and share similar themes in the lyrics." Harley stated that he felt "This Is America" was influenced by his song, but that he does not have an issue with it. Glover's manager, Fam Rothstein, denied any plagiarism.[17]

Music video

In the video, Gambino assumes a stance similar to the Jim Crow caricature.

Directed by Hiro Murai, the music video for the song was released on YouTube simultaneously with Gambino's performance of the song on Saturday Night Live.[18] The video follows Gambino dancing through a warehouse, interacting with a series of chaotic scenes.[19] According to Murai, the video was inspired by the films Mother! and City of God.[20] Choreographed by Sherrie Silver, Gambino and his entourage of young dancers perform several viral dance moves including the South African Gwara Gwara and "Shoot" popularized by BlocBoy JB, who is one of the ad-lib contributors on the song.[10][21] Gambino's dancing is contrasted against moments of violence. Only 53 seconds into the video,[22] Gambino shoots a man in the back of the head with a handgun, while assuming a comical stance similar to a Jim Crow caricature.[23] At a later point, he uses an automatic weapon to gun down a church choir, which viewers have interpreted as a reference to the 2015 Charleston church shooting.[24] In both instances, a child appears from offscreen holding a red cloth, on which Gambino gently lays the weapon used, while the bodies are simply dragged away, which viewers have interpreted "as a reference to Americans' willingness to protect gun rights over people".[25] The first shooting also marks a transition in the music, from an African "folk-inspired melody" to "dark, pulsing trap".[7]

Throughout the video, numerous vehicles from several decades ago are featured, many of them with their hazard lights flashing and the driver's side door ajar,[25] which critics interpreted as representing fatal police shootings during traffic stops, particularly the shooting of Philando Castile, who was shot while in a 1997 Oldsmobile;[26] others have interpreted that the older model cars represent the relative lack of upward mobility of African-Americans.[25] American singer SZA makes a cameo appearance towards the end of the video, seated atop one of these vehicles.[13] The video ends with Gambino in a darkened portion of the warehouse, fearfully running towards the camera while being chased by several white people. Viewers have said this resembles scenes from the film Get Out.[24]

The video received 12.9 million views in 24 hours[27] and has over 410 million views as of October 2018.[28] The first person depicted as being shot in the video, a guitarist who had been accompanying Gambino's singing up to that point, was musician Calvin the Second, but was initially mistaken by many viewers to be the father of teenager Trayvon Martin.[29]

Critical reception

Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic described the initial reaction on Twitter as "a gushing river of well-deserved praise" and the video as "the most talked-about music video of recent memory."[7] Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone commented that the video "is a surreal, visceral statement about gun violence in America".[30] Pitchfork awarded the song the distinction of "Best New Track".[14] Billboard critics ranked it 10th among the "greatest music videos of the 21st century."[31] Mahita Gajanan of Time quoted music history professor Guthrie Ramsey at the University of Pennsylvania,[32]

He's talking about the contradictions of trying to get money, the idea of being a black man in America. It comes out of two different sound worlds. Part of the brilliance of the presentation is that you go from this happy major mode of choral singing that we associate with South African choral singing, and then after the first gunshot it moves right into the trap sound.

Cover versions and media appearances

Glover hosted the May 5 episode of the 43rd season of Saturday Night Live, and performed two new songs as Childish Gambino on the same episode, the second of which was "This Is America". Daniel Kaluuya, best known as the star of the film Get Out which the music video reportedly references, introduced the song's performance.[33][34]

Several artists attracted attention and millions of views for creating covers of the song and music video with altered lyrics and themes, retaining the song's instrumental and the general structure of its music video. On May 12, Canadian Internet personality Nicole Arbour released "This Is America: Women's Edit". Arbour intended for the cover to promote women's empowerment, but was accused of belittling the racial issues addressed by the original video.[35][36] Nigerian rapper Falz released "This Is Nigeria" on May 25, highlighting the nation's issues with corruption and organized crime among others.[37][38]

The music video also spawned popular Internet memes, particularly those in which the audio was replaced so that Childish Gambino appeared to be dancing in time to another song. Versions using Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" and Earth, Wind & Fire's "September" were some of the most viewed.[39][40]

Chart performance

"This Is America" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the 31st song to do so in the chart's history. It debuted with 78,000 downloads sold and 65.3 million US streams in the first week. Its music video accounted for 68% of the song's streaming total. "This Is America" is also Gambino's first top 10; he previously reached number 12 in August 2017 with "Redbone". "This Is America" overtook Drake's "Nice for What" from the top position for two weeks. Gambino is also the second Emmy Award-winning actor to reach number one on the Hot 100, the first being Justin Timberlake, who topped the chart with "Can't Stop the Feeling!" in 2016.[41] It topped the Hot 100 for two weeks, and left the top ten after five weeks.

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from Tidal.[42]

  • Donald Glover – lead vocals (as Childish Gambino), production, composition
  • Ludwig Göransson – production, composition, record engineering
  • Derek "MixedByAli" Ali – mix engineering
  • Mike Bozzi – master engineering
  • Quavo – background vocals
  • Young Thug – background vocals
  • 21 Savage – background vocals
  • Slim Jxmmi – background vocals
  • BlocBoy JB – background vocals
  • Alex Tumay – record engineering
  • Riley Mackin – record engineering
  • Kesha "K.Lee" Lee – record engineering

Awards and nominations

Year Organization Award Result Ref
2018 Teen Choice Awards Choice Song: Male Artist Nominated [43]
Choice Song: R&B/Hip-Hop Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Video of the Year Nominated [44]
Best Video with a Social Message Won
Best Direction Won
Best Choreography Won
Best Art Direction Nominated
Best Editing Nominated
Best Cinematography Nominated
iHeartRadio MMVAs Video of the Year Nominated [45]
Best Director Nominated
Fan Fave Video Nominated
BET Hip Hop Awards Best Hip Hop Video Pending
Single of the Year Pending
Impact Track Pending
MTV Europe Music Awards Best Video Pending
People's Choice Awards The Music Video of 2018 Pending

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[46] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[47] 20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[48] 30
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[49] 7
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[50] 1
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[51] 8
Denmark (Tracklisten)[52] 13
France (SNEP)[53] 19
Germany (Official German Charts)[54] 39
Hungary (Single Top 40)[55] 9
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[56] 3
Ireland (IRMA)[57] 2
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[58] 45
Italy (FIMI)[59] 49
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[60] 21
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[61] 19
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[62] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[63] 10
Portugal (AFP)[64] 2
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[65] 11
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[66] 3
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[67] 46
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[68] 9
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[69] 16
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[70] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[71] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[72] 1
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[73] 9

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[74] Platinum 70,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[75] Gold 15,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[76] Gold 10,000*
United States (RIAA)[77] Platinum 1,000,000double-dagger

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various May 5, 2018 Digital download
[8][9]
United States May 15, 2018 Rhythmic contemporary radio [78]

References

  1. ↑ Cornish, Audie (May 7, 2018). "Donald Glover's 'This Is America' Holds Ugly Truths To Be Self-Evident". NPR. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Jenkins, Craig (May 17, 2018). "The Internet Has Already Devoured 'This Is America'". Vulture. Retrieved May 20, 2018. The same night he dropped off the video for "This Is America," a combination trap and afrobeat banger with a beguiling message about race and gun violence.
  3. ↑ "This Is America / Childish Gambino". Tidal. Retrieved May 25, 2018. .
  4. ↑ Arcand, Rob (May 6, 2018). "Childish Gambino Debuts Politically-Charged New Song "This is America" on SNL: Watch". Spin. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Guan, Frank (May 7, 2018). "What It Means When Childish Gambino Says 'This Is America'". Vulture. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  6. ↑
    • Mitchell, Peters (May 6, 2018). "Childish Gambino 'This Is America' Reactions: The Good, The Bad & The Kanye Bashing". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
    • Lefevre, Jules (May 7, 2018). "Hello, Childish Gambino Just Dropped The Music Video Of The Year". Junkee. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Kornhaber, Spencer (May 7, 2018). "Donald Glover Is Watching You Watch Him". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Childish Gambino Releases New Song And Video "This Is America" - RCA Records". RCA Records. May 6, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Russell, Scott (May 6, 2018). "Childish Gambino Makes His Triumphant Return with "This Is America," "Saturday"". Paste Magazine. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  10. 1 2 Espinoza, Joshua (May 6, 2018). "Here Are the Rappers Who Contributed to Childish Gambino's "This Is America"". Complex. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  11. ↑ Tesema, Martha (May 6, 2018). "Donald Glover tackles gun violence in powerful video for 'This Is America,' his new single". Mashable. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  12. ↑ Holland, Jesse J. (May 9, 2018). "'This Is America' seals Glover's rep as protest artist". AP News. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  13. 1 2 France, Lisa Respers (May 7, 2018). "'This Is America': The Childish Gambino video explained". CNN. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  14. 1 2 ""This Is America" by Childish Gambino Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  15. ↑ Strauss, Matthew (June 25, 2018). "Childish Gambino Collaborator Denies "This Is America" Plagiarism Allegations". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  16. ↑ Miller, Kai (June 25, 2018). "Childish Gambino Accused of Ripping Song for "This Is America"". XXL. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  17. ↑ Park, Andrea (June 26, 2018). "Childish Gambino's manager denies accusation of plagiarism over "This is America"". CBS News. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  18. ↑
    • Skelton, Eric (May 6, 2018). "Childish Gambino Returns With Video For New Song "This Is America"". PigeonsandPlanes. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
    • Félix, Doreen St (May 8, 2018). "The Carnage and Chaos of Childish Gambino's "This Is America"". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
    • Saturday Night Live (May 7, 2018), Childish Gambino: This Is America (Live) - SNL, retrieved May 10, 2018
  19. ↑ "Childish Gambino releases surprise track". BBC News. May 6, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  20. ↑ Sharf, Zack (May 11, 2018). "'This Is America' Director Hiro Murai Shares Video Influences: 'City Of God' Meets the Last 20 Minutes of 'mother!'". IndieWire. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  21. ↑ Thompson, Desire (May 7, 2018). "Childish Gambino 'This Is America' Video: 9 Cultural References Explained". Vibe. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  22. ↑ Amoako, Aida (May 8, 2018). "Why the Dancing Makes 'This Is America' So Uncomfortable to Watch". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  23. ↑ Harris, Aisha (May 8, 2018). ""This Is America" Is What Happens When Childish Gambino and Atlanta Become One". Slate Magazine. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  24. 1 2 Rao, Sonia (May 7, 2018). "'This Is America': Breaking down Childish Gambino's powerful new music video". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  25. 1 2 3 Miller, Hayley (May 8, 2018). "Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' Video, Explained". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  26. ↑ Kaplan, Ilana (May 8, 2018). "Childish Gambino 'This Is America': All of the hidden references in hit music video". The Independent. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  27. ↑ Penrose, Nerisha (May 9, 2018). "Childish Gambino's Record-Breaking 'This Is America' Video Hits 50 Million Views in Mere Days". Billboard. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  28. ↑ Glover, Donald (May 5, 2018). "Childish Gambino - This Is America (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  29. ↑ France, Lisa Respers (May 8, 2018). "That's not Trayvon Martin's dad in 'This Is America'". CNN. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  30. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (May 6, 2018). "Watch Childish Gambino's Caustic Video for New Song 'This Is America'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  31. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 21st Century: Critics' Picks". Billboard. July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  32. ↑ Gajanan, Mahita (May 7, 2018). "An Expert's Take on the Symbolism in Childish Gambino's Viral 'This Is America' Video". Time. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  33. ↑ Baumgartner, Scott (May 6, 2018). "'SNL': Childish Gambino Delivers 'This Is America' With Intro By 'Get Out's Daniel Kaluuya". Hollywood Life. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  34. ↑ "This Is America: Breaking down Childish Gambino's powerful new music video". The Sydney Morning Herald. May 9, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  35. ↑ "YouTuber defends Gambino 'women's edit'". BBC. May 16, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  36. ↑ Ernst, Douglas. "Nicole Arbour's feminist makeover of Childish Gambino's 'This is America' sparks backlash". The Washington Times. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  37. ↑ "The hit "This is Nigeria" video tackles the country's worst problems one reference at a time". QZ. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Nigerian Rapper Goes Viral With His Take On 'This Is America'". NPR. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  39. ↑ Rosenberg, Adam. "You can't shut down 'This Is America' memes. That's what 'This Is America' is about". Mashable. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Childish Gambino's "This is America" x "Call Me Maybe" Mashup". Highsnobiety. June 4, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  41. ↑ Trust, Gary (May 14, 2018). "Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' Is No. 1 On The Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  42. ↑ "This Is America / Childish Gambino". Tidal. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Teen Choice Awards: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. August 12, 2018. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  44. ↑ Staff, Variety (2018-07-16). "Cardi B, Beyonce, Jay-Z Lead 2018 MTV VMA Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
  45. ↑ Aiello, McKenna (August 26, 2018). "iHeartRadio MMVAs 2018 Winners: The Complete List". E!. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  46. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Childish Gambino – This Is America". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  47. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Childish Gambino – This Is America" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  48. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Childish Gambino – This Is America" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  49. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Childish Gambino – This Is America" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  50. ↑ "Childish Gambino Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  51. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201821 into search. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  52. ↑ "Track Top-40 Uge 20, 2018". Hitlisten. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  53. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Childish Gambino – This Is America" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  54. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Childish Gambino – This Is America". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  55. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  56. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  57. ↑ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  58. ↑ "Japanese Top Music". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  59. ↑ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 20" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  60. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 21, 2018" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  61. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Childish Gambino – This Is America" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  62. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 21, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  63. ↑ "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single uke 20, 2018". VG-lista. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  64. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Childish Gambino – This Is America". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  65. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  66. ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201820 into search. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  67. ↑ "Top 100 Canciones – Semana 20: del 11.05.2018 al 17.05.2018" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  68. ↑ "Sverigetopplistan – Sveriges Officiella Topplista". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  69. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Childish Gambino – This Is America". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  70. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  71. ↑ "Childish Gambino Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  72. ↑ "Childish Gambino Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  73. ↑ "Childish Gambino Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  74. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  75. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Childish Gambino – This Is America". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  76. ↑ "Polish single certifications – Childish Gambino – This Is America" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  77. ↑ McIntyre, Hugh (May 31, 2018). "Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' Has Already Been Certified Platinum". Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  78. ↑ "Top 40/Rhythmic". All Access Music Group.
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