“Kauai” is Childish Gambino’s seventh mixtape and second EP. Following the release of “Because the Internet,” Gambino decided to release a shorter album with a much lighter feel to it. The album is made up of seven songs and includes features from Jaden Smith, Christian Rich, and Steve Glover. “Kauai” shows off Gambino’s versatility as he barely raps throughout the album, but he also maintains the storyline he created through his previous albums.

The album starts off with the track “Sober.” This song sets the tone for the rest of the album. It is very upbeat and uptempo, but it has an underlying message of love and addiction. Gambino repeats the line, “And now that it’s over, I’ll never be sober — I couldn’t believe, but now I’m so high.” Gambino is inferring that he needs drugs to be happy because his relationship is now over. In the music video, Gambino circles around the girl at a restaurant, and she doesn’t seem to notice him. Most likely, he is hallucinating and he is not with the girl at all. The song symbolizes this craziness with a loud beat drop. The song becomes chaotic with bass, drums, and chanting all playing at the same time. The track then begins to calm down, and a woman begins to sing. In the video, the girl starts to notice Gambino and she smiles. This moment is short though, as she leaves the store right after. Gambino finally sits down and begins to think to himself. The song begins to fade away and the mood becomes happy again. Gambino has finally come to the realization that his life isn’t so bad, and that he can try to get his girl back. “Sober” is the most played song on the album and rightfully so. It is very catchy and has a deeper meaning than many people might think.

The second track is titled “Pop Thieves (Make It Feel Good).” The song starts with birds chirping and waves crashing, setting the “island” theme for the album. Gambino sings about his love for a girl. He talks about always wanting to be with her, and that he needs her love all the time. Unlike the previous song, Gambino does not need drugs to be high, he sings “You make me feel so high, oh no.” Now that he is in love again, he does not need drugs to make him happy. The beat of the song contains bongos, maracas, and synths giving it a “tribal” feel. The song then transitions to the sound of waves crashing and bongos in the background. Jaden Smith begins to talk and reminisces about the times he had with this girl. He talks about sleeping on the beach and writing poems about her. He finishes his monologue by talking about how he misses her and needs to see her again. This outro ends the song perfectly. Jaden Smith talks about love, nostalgia, and reliance on others.

The next track is called “Retro (Rough).” This is a remix of Gambi- no’s song “Love Is Crazy,” from his 2008 mixtape “Sick Boi.” This is the only track where Gambino truly raps, and it contains some very memorable lyrics including, “Royalty, I’m the boss, we ain’t gotta work” and “This is World War Three, I’m the new Jay-Z I ain’t write sh*t down, I’ma steal that crown.” This song does not add to the storyline, but it adds to the album as a whole. It fits into the nostalgia theme because it gives listeners a throwback to one of his older songs and it is a very happy “summertime” song.

In “The Palisades,” Gambino talks about having a simpler life and enjoying the little things. He sings about how he wants to spend his days at the beach, and how he loves his girlfriend’s smile. He raps, “Now why can’t every day be like this.” With all the complicated experiences- es that Gambino has suffered so far, he is finally at peace and wants this day to last forever. The instrumental contains a repeating guitar riff and some snapping. Once again, the song gives you a feeling of peacefulness and warmth. Gambino sings, “Love don’t really happen.” Gambi- no’s frustration with love continues, just as he thought he found the perfect girl, she leaves and he contemplates if love is even real.

“Poke” features Childish Gambino and his younger brother, Steve Glover. The beat has shakers and a ukulele that go along with the album’s style. Gambino sings about his memories of the summer, and how they never leave his mind. He mentions not taking things seriously and going with the flow. He sings “I ain’t tryna catch no feels,” alluding to a relationship with a girl. Steve Glover continues rapping about this same girl. He describes her and talks about what they did over the summer. He raps, “Never serious so I make everything a joke.” Just like his brother, Glover takes things simply and doesn’t worry too much. They regret their decision at the end of the song as they talk about how
they actually liked the girl. This song shows the progression of Gambino throughout the album. He tries to be simple and not start a relationship with a girl, but he ends up going back to his old habits and gets his heart broken.

Jaden Smith returns on the track, “Late Night in Kauai.” The bongos also make a return, and Jaden begins another detailed speech. He vividly describes his night on the beach with the girl. The detail that Smith gives shows how important this night was to him and the impact it had. He keeps mentioning how he “doesn’t want this night to end.” Gambino interrupts Smith and repeats the phrase “We are becoming god.” This mysterious message is referencing how Jaden can control his own fate and should make decisions himself. The outro to the song features rapper Fam, who has a series of questions. Most importantly he asks, “Do you really like that sh*t you like? — Or you like the way they gave it to you?” He questions the idea of popularity and what things should really be important. This song is not one to listen to, but it still portrays themes of love, religion, and importance.

The album finishes off with the song “V. 3005 - Beach Picnic Edition.” This is a remix of his hit song “3005.” This version is quite different from the original, as Glover’s voice is higher pitched and the beat only contains snares and synths. The lyric, “No matter what you say or what you do — When I’m alone, I’d rather be with you” is repeated throughout the song. This lyric relates to Glover’s feelings for the girl that he’s been talking about this whole time. This song is a perfect ending to the album because it ties together the ideas of nostalgic love and keeping life simple.

If you’re looking for an album to play in the summer, then “Kauai” is the album for you. It represents feelings of warmth and happiness. Childish Gambino maintains a storyline that has deep themes of love and passion. It truly makes you feel like you’re on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.