10 Songs By Childish Gambino You've Been Sleeping On
As the Childish Gambino era is set to end, we look back on the tracks you're missing out on.
There is literally nothing that Donald Glover can't do. The busiest man in showbiz has spent the last few years starring in blockbuster films such as The Lion King and Star Wars and created the incredible TV series Atlanta. Yet, no matter what he does, he never forgets his musical roots.
Somehow in amongst his hectic schedule, Glover released a new album in March. Touted as the final chapter in the Childish Gambino saga, 3.15.20 came out of nowhere to surprise fans and received great acclaim. The musician continued his tradition of experimenting with new sounds and features tracks from his Summertime Pack EP, as well as reimagined versions of songs debuted on Guava Island.
Despite the strong reaction, the album has gone mostly ignored by mainstream radio and TV. Granted this is due in part to the unusual way Glover chose to release the album. Yet, it got us to thinking. If a full album can go by mostly unnoticed, what other songs in Gambino's back catalogue have gone sorely underappreciated?
10. That Power
There's no denying that Donald has worked incredibly hard to get to where he is today. It took five years of self-releasing mixtapes before he found sucess with EP in 2011. Later that same year he released Camp and proved to everyone just how talented an artist he is. While some of the album's lyrical content has aged poorly, the debut is full of amazing gems from a less tame version of Childish Gambino.
A perfect example of this would have to be That Power. The exit track attempts to put to bed any criticism against him, challenging his haters and asking what have they done with their lives. The hook is so incredibly catchy and the lyrical flows are some of his best work, but that's not all you're missing out on if you haven't heard this track.
The song transitions into a peaceful loop and listeners are treated to a short story read by Glover. It's an idea he would revisit on Kauai, but more on that later. The tale is of summer love and the lessons that come along with it. It's such a moving piece to finish the album on and offers up a fantastic transition between Camp and Because the Internet.