As soon as the music video and song were simultaneously released, controversy was sparked. Gambino touches on the inequalities of American society today, highlighting how our modern society is not far from the discrimination that was apparent in the past. Filled with hidden messages and Easter eggs, Gambino emphasises a dystopian society, which is not far from our reality. As a concept, this was based on America, however, can easily be applied to all countries of the world, as the song reached those from all over the globe. The reception to the song was largely critical and analytical, leading to the release of many conspiracy videos and a position as YouTube’s Biggest First Week Debut this year.
In order to have a greater understanding of the song, we must look further to the music video. Within the first 30 seconds, we already see Gambino shoot an unmasked man, who is then dragged away and hidden. By having the man behind a mask, we see how the victim is often disregarded and forgotten about in shootings, which occurs too often in America. As well as this, the gun used by Gambino is carefully placed and taken away, treated with the utmost care, emphasising how the gun is important. This is close to American society as many have campaigned for the removal of guns, however, some argue how important their guns are for their safety, while disregarding the gun misuse which often occurs.
In comparison to many other countries, America has had over 154 mass shootings this year alone, which is much more compared to the UK, which has had under 10 in 2018.
This link to mass shootings also shows Gambino’s opinions of them, and how often they occur, as the video shows us a total of five shootings within five minutes, showing the negative impact of gun use in America and how often guns are misused.
Overall, Gambino has had no remarks on the video, voicing that it is simply not his place to say his opinion, leading us to believe that the video is open to public opinion and interpretation. While this angered many fans, it is actually a good creative move from Gambino, as it makes fans think further about the issues and what is meant by certain parts of the video. This keeps the issues in the minds of the people and ensures that we do not forget about the negatives of today’s society. In the future, I am sure many will look to this video to see how society is today and the issues we faced, both in discrimination and racism, as well as controversy surrounding the government in America. As of now, I hope we can finally realise that we do not live in a perfect society, and we must change in order to make it better for ourselves, as we cannot move forward and improve without actively adapting and making our social issues better.
If there is only one thing to take from this video and song, it is that we must adapt and no longer live in the past. As people, we are in charge of our own future and should want to improve so that we can come closer to peace and harmony, and I thank Childish Gambino for voicing these opinions, as 📷📷they reach all ages and audiences, and perhaps allowing us to finally face the reality we are so scared of.
By Kirath Matharu