Childish Gambino released his latest album Dec. 2, and his diverse style rightfully shook the Hip-Hop nation and showed absolutely no mercy. Awaken My Love! was the first of several highly anticipated albums from the likes of J. Cole and Drake to come later this month, making Gambino’s album part of one of the best Hip-Hop Christmas release series that we have seen in a long time. Although Gambino faced controversy over decisions made in his past, there’s no denying that his recent art, from his critically acclaimed T.V show Atlanta to his most recent album, has yet to disappoint.
“The musician drastically switches up his style in this new album, swapping his fast-raps for slow and steady reminiscent beats and original vocals.”
Awaken My Love! is an intimate ode to both 70’s funk and love itself. Through personal ballads like “Me and Your Mama, ” a song that oozes emotion and pure passion, listeners are merely eavesdropping on a conversation between Gambino and his loved ones, more specifically his newly arrived child. Gambino even takes a moment to speak directly to his “little one” in “Baby Boy.” The artist doesn’t hold back on the feels in this one, and more importantly, doesn’t shy away from the truth within the emotion.
The musician drastically switches up his style in this new album, swapping his fast-raps for slow steady reminiscent beats and original vocals. Inspiration from the 70’s is evident in the sharp electric guitar riffs and beats that split mountains and burst speakers. All of his songs feature his vocie, yet in each piece, Gambino shakes things up a bit- never boring listeners and constantly keeping them surprised in the span of mere minutes. The beginning of “Stand Tall” is perhaps the Gambino that fans are most familiar with, featuring his raw voice on top of a simple melody and later transitioning into a more complex sound that mimics the overall vibe of the rest of the album.
In “Have Some Love,” a tune that comes straight from a soundtrack of a 70’s movie, Gambino preaches on the importance of having love for your ‘brother’ and unity within differing communities. Although the message is relayed with beats one can only describe as ‘groovy,’ and listeners can practically picture the pletheroa of rich afros and colorful flower prints, Gambino’s advice is incredibly relevant. Especially in today’s world, where our nation is divided, a reminder of love within communities is much needed.
Gambino’s album is not all fun and games. In his song “Boogieman,” through the same style as the rest of the album, Gambino dives into the heartache of police brutality, singing, “If he’s scared of me, how can we be free.” Many artists stray away from politics, especially such dividing topics like police brutality, but for Gambino to so artfully convey the fears from both sides of the issue is refreshing. He tackled an important issue with the Black community and for that I am grateful.
“Gambino took a huge leap, and luckily he stuck the landing with this one.”
If nothing else, the vibes from Awaken My Love! are fresh and feel-good and not like anything else out at the moment. The album takes us back to better times while exploring the full range of human emotions- from fear to love. While it is unlike anything else Gambino has released, it is something new that is definitly worth giving a chance. The artist has learned to relay paragraphs of truths with his music without uttering a single word, and that is truly commendable. Each and every track has their own indiosyncracy, and at no point while listeing to the album will you think that his style is getting old- because it never really does. Gambino took a huge leap, and luckily he stuck the landing with this one.
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