"Redbone" | ||||
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Single by Childish Gambino | ||||
from the album "Awaken, My Love!" | ||||
Released | November 17, 2016 | |||
Recorded | 2016 | |||
Genre | Psychedelic funk [1] | |||
Length |
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Label | Glassnote | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Childish Gambino singles chronology | ||||
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"Redbone" is a song recorded by American singer Childish Gambino, the stage name of Donald Glover. It was released on November 17, 2016, and serves as the second single from his third studio album "Awaken, My Love!" [2] The song received three Grammy Award nominations including Record of the Year at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, eventually winning the award for Best Traditional R&B Performance. [3] In 2021, it was ranked No. 383 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [4]
Following the release of "Me and Your Mama", Gambino released the song on November 17, 2016, premiering on Annie Mac's Hottest Record on BBC Radio 1, with the DJ describing it as "oozing with soul". [5] [6]
"Redbone" was written by Donald Glover and produced by Ludwig Göransson. In an interview with Triple J, Glover explained:
There wasn't a ton of vocal stuff done ... I think people hear "Redbone" and are like, "Oh, he pitched up his vocals," but there was no vocal pitching on the album—I just sang differently. [7]
Göransson recorded all the instruments starting out from a drum beat that Donald Glover was playing. The intro of the song is dominated by a recurrent slap bass line and the Maestro G-2 wah of a vintage Telecaster that plays the melody while a synth organ makes the counterpoint. An old Rhodes conduct the base chords in D minor as other instruments get in, like a clavinet, a mellotron, a glockenspiel and the Juno-106 synthesizer. The outro part ends with several fuzz guitar harmony licks, a doubled distorted acoustic guitar and some classic piano arrangements. [8] The song is based on "I'd Rather Be with You" by Bootsy's Rubber Band. [9] [10]
"Redbone" was critically acclaimed upon release, resulting in its inclusion in several publications’ year-end best songs lists. [11] [12] [13] Critics primarily praised the track as a faithful homage to P-Funk and 1970s R&B, as well as for Glover's vocals. [14] [15] [16] [17] In a positive review, Pitchfork ’s Sheldon Pearce called the track "a full-blown funk slow jam" which "parses love, lust, reconciliation, generations of black soul, and wokeness". [18] Slant Magazine , which ranked the song as the Best Single of 2017, described it as "a creepin’ tribute to the pre-quiet-storm R&B characterized by the Delfonics and the Floaters" and highlighted the "Thundercat-worthy popping bassline" and "insistent glockenspiel diddling strike", [13] with author Jonathan Wroble noting the song's "wah-wah guitar and slap bass, distant chimes, and pitch-shifted vocals", calling them "robotic and soulful at once". [19] Jason Woodbury of Flood Magazine compared the song to "Prince’s erudite R&B" and called Glover's falsetto singing "remarkable". [15] NME ranked the song 14th in its Best Songs of the Decade list, noting Glover's "bold reinvention as a 70s soul’n’funk crooner" and that his singing "incredibly, wasn’t pitch-shifted in the studio". [20] Editors from Rolling Stone included the track in the publication's 100 Greatest Songs of the Century So Far list in 2018, stating that it distilled the spirit of "that Seventies black music that felt like they were trying to start a revolution". [14]
"Redbone" was a sleeper hit in the United States, debuting at number 75 on Billboard Hot 100 for the chart dated December 10, 2016. [21] The song then re-entered and peaked at number 12 on the chart for the week of August 19, 2017, [22] making it Gambino's highest-charting single at the time (since surpassed by "This Is America") and his first top 20 single. The song became Childish Gambino's first ever number-one single on the Adult R&B chart.
The track was voted into fifth place in Australian radio station Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2016. [23]
The 2017 film Get Out , directed by Jordan Peele, features the song during the film's opening scene. [24]
The song became a popular internet meme, following its re-entry to the Billboard charts, consisting of various remixes of the song in certain themes and scenarios. During a concert in June 2017, Glover acknowledged the meme onstage before leading into a performance of the song. [25]
During the 2018 Grammy Awards, an Apple ad showing off iPhone X's Animoji effect aired, in which the song was used, with an animated alien head singing the song. [26]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [55] | 5× Platinum | 350,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [56] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [57] | 4× Platinum | 320,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [58] | 2× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [59] | Diamond | 333,333‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [60] | Gold | 300,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [61] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [62] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [63] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
South Africa (RISA) [64] | Gold | 10,000* |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [65] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Sweden (GLF) [66] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [67] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [68] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Donald McKinley Glover Jr., also known by his musical name Childish Gambino, is an American actor, comedian, musician, and filmmaker. While he studied at New York University and after working in Derrick Comedy, a comedy group, Glover was hired by Tina Fey to write for the NBC sitcom 30 Rock at age 23. He gained fame for portraying college student Troy Barnes on the NBC sitcom Community from 2009 to 2014. From 2016 to 2022, he starred in the FX series Atlanta, which he created and occasionally directed. For his work on Atlanta, he won various accolades including two Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as two Golden Globe Awards.
"Lost in You" is a song co-written by Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, and Tommy Sims. It was recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks under the fictitious persona of Australian alternative rock artist Chris Gaines. It was released in July 1999 as the lead single from the album Garth Brooks in...the Life of Chris Gaines. Originally, the album was intended to be the soundtrack for a movie called The Lamb that would star Brooks as a rock star recalling the different periods of his life. The single was purposefully released over a year in advance from the scheduled film release date to pique interest in Brooks performing rock instead of country. The Lamb, however, was never filmed due to financial and management problems. It debuted and peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, giving Garth Brooks his first, and only top 40 hit in his career.
Camp is the debut studio album by American rapper Donald Glover, under his stage name Childish Gambino. It was released on November 15, 2011, by Glassnote Records. After releasing four mixtapes and three independent albums, Gambino signed a deal to Glassnote, making Camp his first album on a major record label. The album was co-produced in its entirety by Gambino's longtime collaborator Ludwig Göransson.
"Heartbeat" is a song by American rapper Childish Gambino. It was released on November 15, 2011, by Glassnote Records as the second single from his debut studio album, Camp (2011). The song was written and produced by Gambino himself along with Ludwig Göransson.
The discography of American hip hop recording artist and actor Childish Gambino comprises five studio albums, fourteen mixtapes, and four EPs. After releasing his first five mixtapes and EP independently, he signed to Glassnote Records and released Camp (2011), his first album on a major record label.
Because the Internet is the second studio album by American rapper Donald Glover, under the stage name Childish Gambino. It was released on December 10, 2013, by Glassnote Records. The recording process began in 2012 and ended in October 2013. Recording primarily took place at a mansion owned by basketball player Chris Bosh, which Gambino rented. The album features guest appearances from Chance the Rapper, Jhené Aiko, and Azealia Banks, with production primarily handled by Gambino himself, Stefan Ponce, and Ludwig Göransson, among others.
"3005" is a song by American rapper Childish Gambino from his second studio album Because the Internet. The song was released on October 22, 2013 as the first official single from the album. It peaked at number eight on the UK R&B Chart and 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Sweatpants" is a song by American rapper Childish Gambino from his second studio album Because the Internet. The song was officially released on June 9, 2014 as the third official single from the album. It was produced by Gambino himself and Ludwig Göransson, and features ad-libs from rapper Problem. The song peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. It has had multiple live performances, including during the Childish Gambino This is America Tour. It also features a music video released on YouTube with over 160 million views since its release. It was also featured as the backing to the final fight scene of the third episode of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
STN MTN / Kauai is the combined release of the seventh mixtape and second extended play (EP) by American recording artist Childish Gambino. The STN MTN mixtape was released on October 2, 2014 as a free download from DatPiff, while the Kauai EP was made available the following day through online music stores by Glassnote Records. They are each considered dual sides of a concept album that are unified by a cohesive story line, and come ten months after Glover's second studio album, Because the Internet.
"Sober" is the first single from American recording artist Childish Gambino's 2014 EP Kauai.
"Awaken, My Love!" is the third studio album by the American actor and singer Donald Glover, under his stage name Childish Gambino. It was released by Glassnote Records on December 2, 2016. Consisting of tracks being sung rather than rapped, its fusion of psychedelic soul, funk and R&B influences was considered a bold departure from the predominantly hip hop style of his prior work. The album was produced by Glover and his longtime collaborator, Ludwig Göransson.
"Me and Your Mama" is a single by American singer Donald Glover, under his stage name Childish Gambino. It was released on November 10, 2016 worldwide, and is the first single from his third studio album "Awaken, My Love!"
"This Is America" is a song by American rapper Childish Gambino. Written by Gambino, Ludwig Göransson, & fellow American rapper Young Thug and produced by the former two, it was released on May 6, 2018, at the same time that Gambino was hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live. The song also features backing vocals from fellow American rappers Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd, BlocBoy JB, Quavo, and 21 Savage. The lyrics and accompanying music video, reflecting the core of the Black Lives Matter movement, confront issues of ongoing systemic racism, including prejudice, racial violence, the ghetto, and law enforcement in the United States, as well as the wider issues of mass shootings and gun violence in the United States. Originally, Gambino intended it to be a diss record towards Canadian rapper Drake.
"Summertime Magic" is a song by the American recording artist Childish Gambino. Written and produced by Gambino and Ludwig Göransson, the song was released by Wolf+Rothstein and RCA Records on July 11, 2018. The song was speculated to be the lead single from Gambino's then-upcoming fourth studio album, but was eventually not included. It was made available for digital download and streaming with "Feels Like Summer" as an extended play under the title Summer Pack.
"Feels Like Summer", also known as "42.26", is a song by American recording artist Childish Gambino. The song was released by Wolf+Rothstein, Liberator Music and RCA Records on July 11, 2018. It was written and produced by Gambino and his longtime collaborator Ludwig Göransson. The song was made available for digital download and streaming along with "Summertime Magic" as a part of the extended play Summer Pack. It is featured on the FIFA 19 soundtrack. It later appeared on his fourth album, 3.15.20, under the title "42.26". The song received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Song at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
Summer Pack is the third extended play by American actor and musician Donald Glover, under his stage name Childish Gambino. It was released by Wolf+Rothstein, Liberator Music and RCA Records on July 11, 2018. It contains only two songs, "Summertime Magic" and "Feels Like Summer". The EP was produced by Glover and his longtime collaborator, Ludwig Göransson. It was revealed to the public via social media shortly after its release in a surprise manner.
"Monster" is a song by British-American rapper 21 Savage featuring fellow American rapper and actor Childish Gambino from the former's second studio album I Am > I Was (2018). It was produced by DJ Dahi, Axl Folie, Dave Sava6e, and Tiggi. The song was first previewed on December 16, 2018 on 21 Savage's Instagram and was eventually sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on May 7, 2019.
3.15.20 is the fourth studio album by the American actor and rapper Donald Glover, under his stage name Childish Gambino. It was initially uploaded to the website donaldgloverpresents.com on March 15, 2020, before being taken down 12 hours later. After a countdown, it was released to streaming and download services under the title 3.15.20 on March 22. It is therefore interchangeably referred to as both 3.15.20 and Donald Glover Presents.
"Time" is a song by American singer Donald Glover, under the stage name Childish Gambino, from his fourth studio album 3.15.20 (2020). It was re-recorded and rereleased on the album Atavista (2024). The song features guest vocals by fellow American singer Ariana Grande and background vocals by American gospel musician Brent Jones and his backing group The Best Life Singers. It was produced and written by Glover and Grande, along with DJ Dahi, Ludwig Göransson, and Chukwudi Hodge. Australian songwriter Sarah Aarons is also credited for writing and British producer Jai Paul provided miscellaneous production.
"Lithonia" is a song by American singer Childish Gambino. It was released as the lead single from his fifth studio album Bando Stone & the New World on July 2, 2024. It is a guitar-driven rock song named after Lithonia, Georgia.