Is it the video?, His attire (or lack there of)? The way he's dancing? Chances are if you've seen this video, after your shock and awe moment you either loved it, hated it, or are still waiting for your senses to catch up with you to form an opinion.
If you abhor violence DO NOT WATCH the video. Suffice to say, there are moments of violent behaviour, gore, and film shots heralding an epic horror film. BUT, there's also epic dance moves, interesting costuming, striking visual staging in an empty but clean warehouse using generic household items, stage sets, and cars-cars-cars. There's meditative moments of beauty. There's also undeniable shock and awe.
CNN labelled the song political. From the very beginning of the video, and through out, Danny Glover is centre stage of the action; to me that denotes this is a personal expression. Even when he dances with his 'chorus,' 'crew,' or 'back-up dancers,' he is the focal point. What is art, and what is good art? It may be easier to define what art isn't. It isn't the everyday or the mundane. There's very little art in doing dishes. A croissant can be art of mundane. Music and its visual sister the video, are undeniably art, but whether its good, poignant, entertaining, or impacting, only the greater culture can decide.
As of today, “This is America”
debuted at #1 in every YouTube publishing country on several popular music charts
has 161,511, 358 views on YouTube
has at least 10 remakes being published this hour...
YouTube is floooooooded with remakes of this vid, a tonne of symbolism commentary and political commentary. My favourite moment so far of this over discussed piece of art is Danny Glover's comment of “I just wanted to make a good song; I hope you enjoy it,” which has been reprinted so many times I couldn't find it's origin...
Normally I try to stay away from popular culture icons, popular media news, and try to look for the underexposed and could be interesting-if-given-the-chance news. However, this pop music event is personal as we are Childish Gambino fans at our house (thanks Community :). My main impression is that good art PROVOKES EMOTION. Win for Childish Gambino. Great art provokes SOCIAL DEBATE, again a check-mark. Lasting art... only time will tell. The same with inferential art, except for the fact that hundreds of remake videos are already on the web, along with mems, gifs, and snapchat has been permanently altered - again.... we won't have to wait long as the web is indelibly marked with “This is America.”
Other music videos that pop into mind re: political controversy, shock and awe (besides cheapshot nudity), and culture influencers:
Miles Davis: So What (Black Intellectualism)
Nina Simone: Mississippi Goddamn (1963 Birmingham Church Bombing)
John Lennon: War is Over (Political change)
Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Two Tribes (Cold War)
Neil Young: This Note's For You (Power in Advertising)
Michael Jackson: Bad (Gang Life)
Salt N Pepa: None of Your Business (Single Motherhood)
M.I.A.: Born Free (Genocide)
Robin Thicke: Blurred Lines (Sexy to some/Rape Culture to others)
A Tribe Called Red: R.E.D. (Indigenous environmentalism)
And so many more great ones... I'm sure any music and/or video aficionado can add to this list. Please do. And above all. Lets keep talking, singing, painting, sculpting, film-making, our issues. The more we art it out, the better chance we will all achieve social harmony.
Childish Gambino – This is America
Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY
Read the Lyrics https://genius.com/Childish-gambino-this-is-america-lyrics
Debate the art
-pretty much any forum on the web, help yourself to your chosen forum.