Friday, January 20, 2012

Childish Gambino's 'Heartbeat' Video Fits Song's 'Mood'

'Fans should be able to check this out and just see my visualization of the song,' 'Community' star-turned-rapper tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Ross McAlpine


Childish Gambino
Photo: MTV News

Don't call Childish Gambino's upcoming "Heartbeat" clip a video; rather, it's a reflection of how the actor-turned-rapper was feeling when he recorded it.

"I do not really have a set of things in mind. I thought the best way to convey the feeling that's in the song was to be confused ourselves," Childish Gambino, a.k.a. "Community" star Donald Glover, told MTV News last week during a break from filming the clip in Van Nuys, California. "I guess when it's all said and done, fans should be able to check this out and just see my visualization of the song."

"Heartbeat" — from CG's debut album, Camp — is an electrified breakup song equipped with pulsating drums and buzzing synth chords. The rapper, who is better known (for now) for his role as Troy Barnes on "Community," enlisted director Kyle Newacheck to shoot the visual. Newacheck directed an episode of the NBC comedy back in 2009.

In the month leading up to his November release, Childish told MTV News that Camp was a "labor of love." With the independently released LP, Gambino aimed to tell a story. "The biggest compliment I can give it is that I like it more than everything else I've done," he said. "I think it's a cohesive piece, and I wanted to tell a whole story with it. Hopefully, the whole album is like a book or a novel where [there's] a through line."

"Heartbeat" is simply a chapter in that story, and its video will be reflective. "This is kinda like the mood of the song," Gambino said. "I wouldn't say it's so much a video as much as it is just a mood."

What are you expecting from Childish's "Heartbeat" video? Let us know in the comments below!

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