Donald Glover had quite the weekend.
The actor, who has been riding high these days with both his series "Atlanta" and his role as young Lando Calrissian in the forthcoming "Solo: A Star Wars Story," both hosted "Saturday Night Live" and was the musical guest as his rap/R&B alter ego, Childish Gambino.
Glover as Gambino won a Grammy this year for best traditional R&B performance for his song "Redbone" and premiered two new songs on "SNL," titled "Saturday" and "This Is America."
But it was the video he released for the latter after his "SNL" performance that created a major buzz.
Here's what you need to know about the music video that has many hailing Glover/Gambino as a genius:
You will need to watch it more than once
Directed by "Atlanta" director Hiro Murai, the video is pretty surreal and packed full of messages.
It's expansive and filmed in a warehouse, which allows for a lot of action.
As much as your eye will be drawn to Glover as a shirtless Gambino, pay close attention also to what is happening in the background.
It takes on gun violence in America
Murders occur, but the guns
are treated more delicately
than human lives in the
video -- a strong statement
given the current debate over
gun control.
The imagery also has sparked
conversation about several
other themes,
including police brutality,
social media habits and what
people are really
paying attention to in the
United States.
"The fact that Childish
Gambino's 'This is America'
tackles police brutality,
gun violence, media
misdirection, and the use
of African Americans as a
brand shield, all while dancing
in Jim Crow-style caricature,
shows a transcendence
or mere performance and
demands attention,"
one person tweeted.
About that dancing
Fans have been dissecting
the various dance moves in the
video, with many
determining they represent
an overall distraction from
the chaos that is
happening in the background.
There's a cameo you might miss
Yes, that was singer SZA sitting
on a car toward the end of the
video. On Sunday, the singer
Instagrammed some photos
of herself on set.
Her guest appearance could be a clue for the pair working together.
Source: CNN
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