New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Childish Gambino's two Grammy nominations (Best Rap Album for because the internet and Best Rap Performance for "3005") have not slowed the recording artist's creative trajectory. In the dark of the night (Midnight Pacific/3:00am EST on Jan. 9), the new video for "
Sober" debuted online as NPR
Music simultaneously featured a first look - https://www.npr.org/event/music/375920235/first-watch-childish-gambino-sober. Also, he'll perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday, January 13 on ABC.
It was only October when the enigmatic entertainer released Kauai, a digital-only EP, as a mid-point between albums. If the EP is a brief (but somehow complete) "interim" project, then it's clear that first single, "Sober," is part of a larger narrative. It's a continuation of Gambino's visual collaborations with director Hiro Murai, who directed the short film Clapping for the Wrong Reasons, as well as "Sweatpants," "3005," "Telegraph Avenue," and now, "Sober."
The soulful vocals, uninhibited dance moves and visual influences for "
Sober" take it back. There's a nod to Michael Jackson's "dedication" to the object of his affection. Ian Eastwood's modern choreography calls to mind classic Charlie Chaplin, if such a juxtaposition is possible. We also see a smile from the lately expressionless artist as he struggles to express interest to a life-and-blood lady (as opposed to "3005"'s bear). He also keeps his inner-zombie in check (unlike in "Telegraph Ave" video).
Immediately, critics, peers and fans got online.
Chance The Rapper tweeted "My squad @donaldglover just dropped THE most innovative video I've ever seen. Blown Away #Sober." Entertainment Weekly remarked, "He's shown time and again his knack for turning expectations on their head." Stereogum wrote, "Great video, and Glover deserves a lot of credit for his physically intimidating performance and his alien facial expressions."
But, with an artist as multi-layered as Gambino (also known as the actor/comedian Donald Glover), we ultimately question whether this declaration is all just for show. The careful observer might notice that the beginning and end of the video suggests that things haven't really changed…
According to Spotify data (1/9/15),
Childish Gambino was streamed more than 209 million times in 2014, with his Grammy nominated song, "3005" racking up 27 million streams in the US last year.
