Rapper Childish Gambino recently came out with a new EP titled “Kauai,” which debuted a new sound for the artist. The seven-track album highlights the versatility of the artist as he shows off that he is much more than just a rapper. His singing chops are on full display as he barely raps throughout the seven songs.

A surprise on the album is the inclusion of the ever-pondering Jaden Smith. Smith does not sing or rap on any of the songs but he speaks over the music as if performing spoken word poetry. It is almost as if he compiled all of his tweets into a journal and read them one after another. The album also features Gambino’s younger brother Steven G. Lover who proves that rapping runs in the family. 

All seven songs bring something different to the table in Gambino’s newest project to date.

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"Sober"

The album's opening track establishes the mood of the entire record. The uptempo song follows Gambino as he serenades a woman about the joys of not being sober. 

Toward the end of the song, the bass drops and the key of the song goes higher, creating a more lucid atmosphere, almost as if Gambino has hit the high that he references in the song. The song just sounds happy, although one has to wonder if Gambino can truly be happy if he sings about a world where he does not want to return to being sober.  

The most powerful line in the song is one that is repeated throughout the four minutes: “And now that it’s over, I’ll never be sober.” 

This seems to be in reference to a happier time when Gambino was in a healthy relationship and did not have to reach a high to be truly happy. Now that the relationship has ended, Gambino relies on the high to find that happiness.

"Pop Thieves (Make It Feel Good)"

This song opens with the sound of chirping birds to establish the island setting of the album. He then sings about holding tight to a girl and the good feeling that this relationship is giving him, even referencing to getting a high when he is with her. He goes on to sing about running away with this girl and ignoring what other people have to say because their relationship is so good and strong. He is focused on this relationship and the good feeling it gives him, even ignoring his friends who tell him to slow down.

“But I’m so tired of wasting all this time, I need your love right now.” 

This line is my favorite in the song because, similar to "Sober," Gambino is relying on this love to make him happy. He does not want to wait around or listen to others because the feeling is good to him and that is all that matters at this point.

The song then cuts out and transitions to the sound of waves. Over the sound of waves, we receive a story from Jaden Smith telling us about a walk on the beach. The sound of bongos make an appearance as Smith continues to tell this story about his night on the beach. He is reflecting on the night because he misses the magic that he felt that night with a romantic interest. This night seems very important to Jaden and coincides with the beginning of the song in that happiness was found through love and mutual good feelings.

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"Retro [ROUGH]"

This song is another up-tempo song featuring the range of Gambino’s voice as he sings about the potential of a relationship that can be reached if they both try. After Gambino’s falsetto intro, the listener gets the first taste of Gambino’s rapping ability.

“This is World War Three, I’m the new Jay-Z, I ain’t write shit down, I’m a steal that crown.”

This is my favorite line in the whole EP because it references Gambino’s intentions as an artist. As someone who is generally referred to as an up-and-comer or an underground artist, Gambino reveals his desire to have huge commercial success. Jay-Z is often referred to as one of the best rappers in the industry and for Gambino to say that he wants to reach that point proves that he has confidence in his abilities and he is ready to be much more than just a rapper with a few songs on the radio.

The song ends with the instruments playing the melody of the track as it transitions to the next song.

"The Palisades"

The song opens with a guitar line that is repeated throughout the song. Gambino continues to show off his singing ability as he sings about going after a relationship with a girl whose smile simply makes him happy. 

Gambino raps about his desire for every day to be as simple as sitting on a beach with a girl and just enjoying life. Not having a care in the world would be the perfect life in the eyes of Gambino. This desire for a simpler life outlines the troubles that Gambino has with life and how he is not able to relax or truly enjoy life mostly because of the absence of the love that he sings about.

“Love don’t really happen.”

This is repeated in the song as Gambino lets out his frustrations with the complicated life he is living and not being able to have the girl he truly wants, which leads him to believe that love cannot really happen. 

"Poke"

Gambino sings about his memories of summer days and how they will never change no matter what else does. We are then introduced to his younger brother, Lover, who raps over the track. Lover talks about getting over the stress of a relationship and how love and the relaxation of the island atmosphere makes everything better. The two brothers both reference the importance of a simpler time and how the memories are most important when something goes wrong.

“She be pushing buttons and she push it til that button broke. Then we smoke a blunt and all that drama it go up in smoke.”

My favorite line of the song goes to Lover who raps about the problems of a relationship when bickering becomes a constant thing. Above anything though, the love is most important and more powerful than the bickering that comes along with any relationship. 

"Last Night In Kauai"

This song marks the return of the bongos and Jaden Smith talking about a night on the beach. He describes looking up at the stars with a girl who makes him smile. He mentions the clothes they were wearing which just shows how clear this memory is in his mind and how important this night must have been. It was a simple night of stargazing, but being alone with this young love obviously made an impact on Smith. 

Gambino abruptly enters the song by repeating the phrase, “We are becoming God.” This could reference that it is only up to him and the woman he loves to control their fate and collectively they can choose what they do. 

“Do you really like that shit you like? Or do you like the way they gave it to you?”

This comes from rapper Fam who poses a question about the things that become popular. Do you like something because you genuinely like it or because everyone else does?

"V. 3005 Beach Picnic Version"

This version of Gambino’s most commercially successful song takes it to the beach of Kauai and incorporates the various island sounds while simultaneously transforming the sound of Gambino’s voice to one that is barely recognizable. 

“No matter what you say or what you do, when I’m alone I’d rather be with you.”

Gambino’s desire for love is evident in his most popular line from any of his songs and is a theme that is resonated throughout his newest project, making this a good song to include as a remix.

Childish Gambino’s new EP is different from anything that he has ever done and it provides a handful of catchy songs that will get stuck in your head, something that is not a bad thing if you are a fan of his work. It took me a while to get used to some of the songs on the album, but after listening to it on a loop, I have grown to appreciate the work as a whole, although “Sober” is still my favorite song on the EP if not one of my favorites from his entire collection of work. 

The EP leaves me wanting more of the same and I am very excited to see which destination Gambino decides to take his listeners next.

Listen to Kauai on iTunes here and on Spotify here.

Contact Staff Reporter Noah Camarena here and follow him on Twitter here.