Listeners have witnessed firsthand Childish Gambino’s growth and experimentation throughout his musical career. However, no one could have seen this coming. Three years after the release of his last album, “Because the Internet,” Gambino leaves his old sound behind in exchange for 1970s style Funkadelic beats. “Awaken, My Love,” with its hypnotic verses and unexpectedly emotional melodies, may in fact be Gambino’s most outstanding work yet.  

Over the years Donald Glover, the musician under the pseudonym Childish Gambino, has tried his hand at everything from screenwriting to acting to comedy. From the get-go, Gambino’s career as a rapper has been subject to much criticism. His first albums, “Camp” and “Because the Internet,” faced ridicule for being too self-serious. Maybe this is why Gambino decided to step out of the rap game, at least for now, and bring us this passionate and soulful experimentation. Seeing that Glover truly is a jack of all trades, this drastic genre shift seems like something he can handle.

With the release of “Because the Internet,” listeners got a taste of Gambino’s vocal abilities. Gambino went to lengths letting us know he is more than just a tongue-in-cheek rapper. In his new album, “Awaken, My Love,” Gambino places even more of an emphasis on his singing.

“Awaken, My Love” takes listeners on an emotionally heightened, psychedelic journey through 11 songs in a mere 48 minutes. While his last couple of albums left something to be desired, Gambino has now proven to be a satisfactory lyricist. But the forward-thinking artist really is his best when he stops talking about himself. Although Gambino’s efforts are not always seamless, “Awaken, My Love” admirably explores themes of race, love and parenthood. Gambino recklessly steps into new realms of creativity and, whether you like his new sound or not, is making huge strides as an artist.

According to Glover, “Awaken, My Love” is an album not meant to be merely listened to, but rather experienced. “Me and Your Mama,” one of two previously released singles, sets the tone for the entire album. Its hypnotic verses and spacy synthesizer melodies make it arguably the best track in the collection. “Redbone” surprises listeners with some impressive vocals, stylized like those of Prince. Sprinkled with mindful verses about love and displaying Gambino’s heightened political and social awareness, this track is another favorite. Although “California,” with its lively, calypso beats, ultimately falls short, the track gives listeners the bit of light comic relief we could expect from Glover.

If you listen to “Awaken, My Love” intending to hear rap tracks similar to those found on previous albums, you will be disappointed. However, this new, experimental album shows Gambino’s great growth as an artist and creator. While “Awaken, My Love” may seem like a rambling stream of consciousness at times, Gambino’s genre-defying work proves he is an artistic force to be reckoned with.