Online retailers may have beaten Childish Gambino to the punch, but now he’s getting the chance to announce things on his own terms, as the rapper premiered “Me and Your Mama,” the lead single off his new record, Awaken, My Love, on Beats 1 today.
“Me and Your Mama” is a far cry from what we’re used to hearing from Gambino – instead of hot fire verses, we’re introduced to a different, more exuberant side of him where singing takes priority. The track is frantic and can hardly be classified as hip-hop, as it keeps you guessing what will come next with its strange mix of soul, gospel and stuff straight out of another decade, but it’s also remarkable how seamlessly it all flows together.
If you’ve followed the lead up to Awaken, My Love over the past couple of months, this kind of music is to be expected, especially after Gambino debuted a bunch of new songs at his Pharos festival back in September. Although, now that we have the first full track from the album, it’s much easier to see his vision, even if it’s a bit hard to understand.
The creativity is unmatched, and even though we may not be getting another “Heartbeat” or “Bonfire” out of the record, it looks like Childish Gambino is still pulling out all stops.