Act: Childish Gambino
Genre: Trap - Afrobeat
Track: This is America
Released: 2018
The opening shot lasts a total of 1:41 and features a man sitting in a empty warehouse with a guitar, the camera spins to Glover who holds a gun up to the mans head that is now covered by a bag and shoots him.
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This music video was extremely well received by most critics for its representation and statements towards the state of America at the moment and the oppression of the black community. There are many moments of symbolism throughout the whole video, many more easier to spot then others which is part of what made the video so special.
Andrew Goodwin: The 6 defining features of a music video
Throughout the entirety of the music video there is a very strong relationship between the visuals and the music - The pace and beat of the music seems to rely on the visuals rather then vice versa. For example:
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At the point of the gunshot the music changes drastically from the upbeat, joyful afrobeat music too the more aggressive trap. This change is used to great effect and makes the statement that this killing is what is going on in America at the moment as the line "This is America" immediately precedes.
Through a lot of Childish Gambino's music videos, especially those directed by Hiro Murai, there is a noticeable style that emerges. These videos seem to feature long takes and feature Gambino up close and personal to the camera. This is extremely noticeable in "Sweatpants" which shares a lot of similar characteristics in how it is filmed.
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The video seems to be one huge continuous shot and features again, like This is America, Gambino singing/rapping directly into the camera whilst moving around the set.
Another defining feature which is mentioned above is the use of intertextual references in "This is America," although instead of being to films or other videos its to the history of America, for example Gambinos pose is meant to resemble the Jim Crow poster which was used to ridicule freed black slaves.
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Another reference which is quite brutal is that of the 2015 Charleston Shooting at an African Methodist Episcopal Church. In which Gambino is seen dancing into the room and then has a gun thrown at him which he then uses to fire at the singers.
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Through a lot of Childish Gambino's music videos, especially those directed by Hiro Murai, there is a noticeable style that emerges. These videos seem to feature long takes and feature Gambino up close and personal to the camera. This is extremely noticeable in "Sweatpants" which shares a lot of similar characteristics in how it is filmed.
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 |
| "Sweatpants" |
The video seems to be one huge continuous shot and features again, like This is America, Gambino singing/rapping directly into the camera whilst moving around the set.
Another defining feature which is mentioned above is the use of intertextual references in "This is America," although instead of being to films or other videos its to the history of America, for example Gambinos pose is meant to resemble the Jim Crow poster which was used to ridicule freed black slaves.
...
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| comparison of Gambino's pose to Jim Crow |
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Another reference which is quite brutal is that of the 2015 Charleston Shooting at an African Methodist Episcopal Church. In which Gambino is seen dancing into the room and then has a gun thrown at him which he then uses to fire at the singers.
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| Charleston Shooting reference |
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