Childish Gambino has the world’s attention as the artist-also-known-as Donald Glover takes one final lap under the moniker. His new album, Bando Stone And The New World, offers a myriad of genres to choose from, with each executed quite well. But perhaps none better than the set’s lead single “Lithonia.”
Rather than act as an advertisement for the movie set to accompany the soundtrack, Gambino leans into the grunge feel of the track with a clip that almost feels like it was filmed in in the ’90s. It all begins with the song’s organ chords as Gambino approaches the mic and wails the song’s opening lines. From there, he and his band (including Hereditary actor Alex Wolff on drums) rock out for the small audience watching them perform.
But as the short clip progresses, you quickly realizes that something’s...off. The vibe starts getting more eerie and more intense by the second. First, you notice that the band is sweating quite a bit. Then, you start noticing the fear that’s radiating from their eyes as they play on in a trance like state. Just when you’re not sure where things are going to go, all hell breaks loose as Gambino lets out a primal scream and his eyes burst, spraying blood across the entire audience. The clip then ends with a possessed Gambino chasing one of the concertgoers through a grove of orange trees as the song’s title flashes across the screen.
It’s a very WTF moment and not at all the kind of visual we expected for “Lithonia” when we first heard it. However, after the initial shock and disgust wear off, the clip somehow fits the vibe of the song perfectly. It’s definitely not for the squeamish, though, so consider yourself warned.
If that didn’t scare you off, then prepare to get macabre when you watch the clip for “Lithonia” when you press play.
