10 Great Singles That Weren't Originally Released On A Studio Album
7. This Is America - Childish Gambino
When actor/comedian-turned-rapper Donald Glover switched his attention to music with debut album Camp, his dependency on one-liners and somewhat simplistic melodies left a lot of room for improvement, despite being a thoroughly entertaining way to spend an hour. Progressing through the musical fusions of 2013's Because The Internet and fully embracing funk and soul sensibilities with Awaken My Love, Glover took a step back from music before releasing This Is America in 2018.
Before the confusingly titled 3.15.20 provided a rare bright spark in 2020, This Is America was a song shrouded in honesty and critical reflection. Co-written and produced once again by Ludwig Goransson --who had a hand in the production of Glover's first three studio albums--, This Is America tackled heavy social and cultural issues like gun violence and systemic racism in the United States with a trap beat that only heightens the message's intensity.
It's distorted, fuzzy noise is layered with a playful bridge that thoroughly brings out Glover's immense vocal range and stunning falsetto before punching you in the face with the titular lyrics.
This Is America surely would have felt out of place on the likes of Awaken My Love, yet its quality would have made any album better.