Donald Glover has long established himself as a modern renaissance man. His work in film, TV, and music have garnered accolades and praise from all corners of media and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. His work under his musical moniker, Childish Gambino, is one of his greatest contributions to the world of art. More specifically, his expansive and complex sophomore effort Because The Internet. The 19-track concept album takes you through the ugly side of getting rich too young with Glover delivering fiery verses over mesmerizing instrumentals that shift moods in the blink of an eye. The daring and creative LP feels like the crown jewel of his discography and ten years after its initial release, Because The Internet is still as surreal as the day it was released.
Glover’s sophomore album was released on December 10, 2013, to wide critical acclaim. The concept album is accompanied by the short film Clapping for the Wrong Reasons which was released in August of 2013 and was used to preview music from the album. The film begins to hint at the narrative of Because The Internet, which follows the son of a wealthy man who leaves his son alone with unlimited money, a large house filled with fine art, and the son’s friends. Along with the album and short film, Glover wrote a 72-page screenplay that features directions on when to play what song. The screenplay has since been removed from Glover’s website but can still be found on archive websites.
The creativity doesn’t stop at the roll-out, Because The Internet is bursting with magical moments of theatrics and pure rapping. Sonically, the album takes dips in moods and tones to indicate a change in emotions for the main character. The album starts off bright and bouncy with tracks like the infectious “Telegraph Ave” and the Chance The Rapper-assisted “The Worst Guys”. The tracklist is broken up like a play with Roman numerals indicating where each scene begins and ends. The second scene is more psychedelic and musical, featuring artsy crooning on “Flight of the Navigator” and the cosmic rollercoaster that is “Zealots of Stockholm”. The final scene begins with the gorgeous pop-tinted “Pink Toes” which features stunning vocals from Jhené Aiko. The album wraps up with the vulnerable and dramatic “Life: The Biggest Troll”, one of the finest moments in all of the Childish Gambino universe.
Donald Glover has evolved Childish Gambino into a full-blown superstar. The artist has released psychedelic funk and wonky pop hits since the release of his sophomore effort, but every story starts somewhere. The fact this story started with such a forward-thinking complex concept album explains how Gambino seamlessly transitioned into so many different genres. Because the Internet captures a moment in hip-hop when today’s superstars were just beginning their rise to the top, a creative and invigorating era in the genre. Glover was at the forefront of this movement and his sophomore album will forever stand as a reminder of an era gone by.
