Donald Glover tackles gun violence in powerful video for 'This Is America,' his new single

Donald Glover, in addition to delivering a hilarious round of sketches on Saturday Night Live, whipped out his Childish Gambino hat and performed on the storied show.

But while all eyes were on the Studio 8H stage, Gambino simultaneously dropped a new single and music video called "This Is America." Since its release, the video has racked up over 2 million views as of publishing this, and it's easy to understand why.

Gambino packs in a whole lot into in "This Is America." It's a major departure from the funk he's given us previously but it works wonderfully in the context of conversations this track sparks. In addition to the musical references (there are adlibs from Billboard-charting artists like 21 Savage, Young Thug, Big Sean, Blocboy JB, and more), the visuals are a nuanced examination of life in America — particularly as a black person in this country.

It's full of heartbreaking, but realistic, juxtapositions: the way life is carelessly taken vs. the care placed into putting the guns away; the group of young folks hitting popular dance moves vs. the police violence in the background; the reference to the 2015 Charleston mass shooting. All that, and we haven't even broken down the lyrics Gambino is uttering throughout the track. "Don't catch you slipping," he raps, which takes on an even more sinister meaning if you are black in America.

The video, directed by Glover's constant collaborator Hiro Murai, sparked a range of reactions —including a lot of emotional tweets from folks breaking down what "This Is America" means to them.

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This is the first new music from Gambino since he released the widely celebrated album, Awaken, My Love! in 2016 — and according to him, it will be the last. Gambino kicks off a nation-wide "This Is America" Tour this fall, in what's sure to be quite the experience.

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