Donald Glover, better known by his stage name Childish Gambino, recently broke the internet with his new album–again. He’s the jack of all trades: a producer, director, artist, musician, DJ, writer, comedian and actor. He’s been in Spiderman and Star Wars movies and even produced for Tina Fey. His music style is almost as diverse as his career path. 

“3.15.20” is no exception. The songs in his new album range from tribal music to 21 Savage’s rapping about police harassment. Many of the songs flow right to the next, the beat changing at the end to match the song coming directly after it. 

Gambino’s creativity is unmatched, and he often surrounds himself with equally creative people. His collaboration with Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson has been rewarding; the beat from his most successful song, “Redbone,” came from Göransson. However, Gambino also worked with DJ Dahi on “3.15.20” who helped produce 9 of the 12 songs. 

0.00

Each song, except for two, is titled with their timestamp in the album. Thus, the first song in the album is aptly named “0.00.” It has a grand total of two words, “we are,” continuously repeated. Honestly, it really sounds like something you’d expect to hear after you die. It’s a smooth hum with some peaceful piano with wind sounds softly playing in the background. That being said, there are several other songs I’d listen to before this one. 

Algorithm 

“Algorithm” isn’t actually a new song. Gambino sang it last year at a concert, and it has a rave type of vibe to it. I think most people would enjoy it, although it has a rather unique ending. It sounds as if a futuristic motorcycle just won’t start and then fades into a heartbeat type sound to the next song. I’m not too into rave music, but this one’s actually pretty good. 

Time 

“Time” is pretty upbeat for describing an apocalypse. It even features Ariana Grande. I really like the instrumental in the background and its synthesized beat works well for the lyrics–if you really listen to them, they’re quite thought-provoking. Nothing like an existential crisis mid-quarantine, right?

12.38

By far my favorite track in the entire album, “12.38” goes from psychedelic sexy-time to 21 Savage’s police problems. It has a 70s funk type beat, perfect for the psychedelic intro, and it, oddly enough, flows with 21 Savage’s last third of the song. The ending is pretty solid as well; it sounds like a space battle scene from a 12-year-old’s amateur film. 

19.10

This song has a little bit of a deeper meaning than the rest and requires a little more thought to understand. Part of the chorus, “To be beautiful is to be hunted,” can be interpreted in two different ways. One theory is that he’s describing his years in fame, how they amplify his insecurities and that he can never really get used to it. The other explores black beauty and how “hunted” may really mean persecuted. The lyrics make it 10x better–not only is the song catchy, but it’s meaningful. 

24.19

“24.19” is 100 percent a love song. Imagine this: you’ve taken your lover out on a date, and you’ve just gotten back to their place. You pour the wine, and this song starts playing. Boom. Magic. Just make sure you skip it as it comes to an end because it starts to sound like a major panic attack. Like I said before, Glover is very creative. In all seriousness, it’s one of my favorites from the album and definitely what I’d play for my significant other. 

32.22

Pretend you’ve traveled back in time to the Battle of Isandlwana between the Zulus and British. Then pretend you’ve given the Zulus access to modern music equipment. In short, the British would be swimming back to England out of fear. There you go, that’s the best description I can give. 

35.31

“35.31” is another one of Glover’s confusingly upbeat songs. It depicts moving rather large quantities of cocaine and other drugs while animal sounds play in the background. Eventually, some of the characters in the song who are moving the drugs, armed with heavy weapons, get life sentences. The animal sounds only become more apparent as the song progresses. I really like it despite the farm aura; it’s a quality song. Play the end of “35.31” backward and you’ll be surprised. 

39.28

This is the perfect song for the quarantine. The piano pairs well with his rather synthesized voice. Not the first song I’d listen to, but still good. The lyrics, “why go to the party,” have never been truer. Even Gambino is advocating for social distancing; listen up, people. 

42.26

The beginning of “42.26” sounds like the soundtrack to a Tarantino horror film, but it quickly transitions into “Feels like Summer,” released in 2018. It’s a happy song and perfect to play during summer, as the original title indicates. Definitely one of my favorites. 

47.48

It starts off with a smooth and catchy beat, like 21st century Jamaican R&B. The song discusses violence in the digital age, from gang activity to cyberbullying. It ends with a conversation between Glover and his 3-year-old son, Legend, where Glover asks him about love. Legend’s answers are, well, quite legendary for a kid. It’s very genuine and worth listening to. 

53.49

“53.49” is a little more fast-paced than the rest, and it really follows the outro of “47.48” by emphasizing self-love and love in general. It’s quite catchy and certainly one of the better songs of the album.

Childish Gambino never ceases to amaze me. He is by far one of the most influential musicians of the 21st century, and this album reflects that. He stated that he intends to retire from his Childish Gambino persona soon; it will be very sad when he does. Gambino was not defined by one style or one song, he was all about variety, all about the 50 different shades of gray and each interpretation. “3.15.20” will forever be remembered as one of his greatest albums and will serve as a testament to his endless creativity.