Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, is known for his acting, screenwriting, and rapping. At 33 years old he has a lot going for him, from his success as a screenwriter for TV shows, his recent hit show Atlanta, casting in a new Star Wars movie, his stand up comedy, having released 7 mixtapes, 2 EP’s, and now 3 studio albums, you can add “Awaken, My love!” to its own category of success. This hip hop album bends the rules and completely changes the way hip-hop traditionally sounds. With no rapping on this album at all, Gambino took a shot and experimented. He could have put out another rap album, knowing that it would work and do what rap albums would normally do, but he wanted to push the limits and change the way people look at hip-hop. The way he experiments with his music is similar to the great pioneers of hip hop, Andre 3000 and Kanye West. Gambino was one to focus on lyrics, punch lines and giving his raps multiple meaning in layers throughout his lyrics. Now he tries to focus on the music part of songs, the rhythms and melodies, and he emphasizes the nature of vocals.

“Redbone” is one of the songs on his third studio album. The song is structured behind a loud slap bass, giving it a slow and melodic feel. Gambino uses high and soulful vocals to give it a throwback kind of feel to it. The song is very catchy and appealing to the listeners, making it a song that you want to hear over and over for its unique sound.

“California” is another song on the album. This song has many purposes to it. It acts as a good break to the deep, intense, and soulful songs and relieves the listeners with a fun, comedic, and good feeling song. The song uses a caribbean/ calypso type beat and an unorthodox flow and sound to his vocals to capture the attention of the listeners. The song captures what California is all about, making it the type of song everyone can enjoy and feel good listening to.

“Me and Your Mama” is the first song of the album, and possibly the most intriguing. The song is described as a “dreamy experiment between funk and rock.” There really is no way to describe it better. The way that the music changes from opposite sides of the spectrum with vocals to help make the changes more dramatic, it is truly an experiment. The song is just over six minutes, making it a real journey for the listeners, setting up the rest of the album. It lets listeners know that this album was made to change the way people look at music, that it something you really have to listen to, and that it is filled with different types of music that can change at anytime. He also references lines from the classic group Outkast. Andre 3000, a main rapper of Outkast, was most likely an inspiration to the Atlanta native, as Andre 3000 did similar experiments with his own music.

“Awaken, My Love!” is a musical masterpiece. With its ability to range in sound, emotion, and meaning, it makes the album more unique and special. There really are no other songs out like the songs on this album. Overall, this album is filled with songs that any listener can enjoy. I definitely recommend listening to this album at least once, and let it open your mind and change your views on music.