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"Heartbeat"
Single by Childish Gambino
from the album Camp
Released	November 15, 2011 (2011-11-15)
Recorded	2011
Genre	Hip house
Length	4:31
Label	Glassnote Universal
Songwriter(s)	Donald Glover Ludwig Göransson
Producer(s)	Childish Gambino Göransson
Childish Gambino singles chronology
"Bonfire" (2011) "Heartbeat" (2011) "Fire Fly" (2012)
Music video
"Heartbeat" on YouTube

"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.

Background

Composer Ludwig Göransson worked on both the album Camp and the single. Göransson is known for his work on the television show Community where Gambino stars as a main character, Troy Barnes. Gambino also said in an interview with Hard Knock TV that part of the last verse on "Heartbeat" was his favorite yet.

Composition

The song uses an electro beat "equipped with pulsating drums and buzzing synth chords". The lyrics deal with themes of breakup, love and sex.

Critical reception

Katie Antonsson published an article called "Best of the B Sides: "Heartbeat", on a website called RockOnPhilly. She added her own perspective to Childish Gambino's hit single:

So, to "Heartbeat." It's the second single of the album (I know! I'm sorry! I just have to talk about this song!) and it's the most intoxicating song Glover's come out with. From the echoey beginning and the solemn piano refrain in the beginning to the stunning drop about 45 seconds in, "Heartbeat" is immediately something unexplored. It has a lot of the feeling and tone of Kanye's "Heartless" from 808s & Heartbreak but we get the rap element that Kanye stayed away from on 808s (808s was an entirely autotuned, melodic album from Kanye. There wasn't an inch of rap on it). Plus the drop in the beginning is mesmerizing. It's not just that the bass is dropped, it's how the bass is dropped. It's elongated, whining bass notes that just drape themselves throughout the song. In fact, everything about the song is really smooth except for Glover's razor-sharp rapping, making that factor all the more delightful.

Glover's got good speed on "Heartbeat" that he doesn't demonstrate as much through the rest of the album. But these rhymes are lightning fast, and what's so thrilling about them is how smart, witty, and ironic they are. This song takes several listens to fully grasp the nuances in the lyrics. They're emotionally charged and delivered with enough force that even if half of the lines stand out to a first-time listener, the feeling Glover's trying to capture is so clear.

Camp is an amazing album, truth be told. It's alarming, unexpected, and sort of uncomfortable to listen to. Glover really speaks his truth on Camp, whether it's the literal truth in his words or a more figurative truth through the way he says them. "Heartbeat" is the highlight of the album, by far, but even in the opening song "Outside," it's easy to get a feeling for Glover's angst and anxiety. It's artfully done.

On November 8, 2013, "Heartbeat" was rated as the third best from Childish Gambino on the Sunset in the Rearview site.

Music video

On February 10, 2012, the music video for "Heartbeat" was added on Childish Gambino's VEVO account on YouTube. It was directed by Kyle Newacheck, who Gambino had also collaborated with on the TV show Community.

Gambino described the video as a "reflection" of how he was feeling when he wrote the song, saying, "This is kinda like the mood of the song. I wouldn't say it's so much a video as much as it is just a mood." His brother Stephen appears at the beginning of the music video.

Charts

Certifications

References

1. "Amazon.com: Heartbeat [Explicit]: Childish Gambino: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
2. "Childish Gambino AKA Donald Glover Talks Black Spiderman, Asian Girls, Nerds, Community + More". YouTube.
3. Moore, Jacob (November 5, 2011). "Listen: Childish Gambino "Heartbeat"". Complex.
4. ^ Markman, Rob (January 19, 2012). "Childish Gambino's 'Heartbeat' Video Fits Song's 'Mood'". MTV News.
5. "The 15 Best Childish Gambino Songs". Sunsetintherearview.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
6. Young, Alex (2012-02-11). "Video: Childish Gambino - "Heartbeat"". Consequence of Sound.
7. "2023 48-os savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. November 30, 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
8. Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK". Zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
9. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
10. "Childish Gambino Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
11. "Childish Gambino Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
13. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
14. "Canadian single certifications – Childish Gambino – Heartbeat". Music Canada.
15. "Danish single certifications – Childish Gambino – Heartbeat". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
16. "British single certifications – Childish Gambino – Heartbeat". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
17. "American single certifications – Childish Gambino – Heartbeat". Recording Industry Association of America.

• 2011 singles
• 2011 songs
• Donald Glover songs
• Glassnote Records singles
• Songs written by Donald Glover
• Songs written by Ludwig Göransson