"Bonfire"
Single by Childish Gambino
from the album Camp
ReleasedSeptember 17, 2011
GenreHip hop
Length3:14
LabelGlassnote
Songwriter(s)Donald Glover
Producer(s)
Childish Gambino singles chronology
"Bonfire"
(2011) 		"Heartbeat"
(2011)
Music video
"Bonfire" on YouTube

"Bonfire" is the debut single by American rapper Childish Gambino. It was released on September 17, 2011, as the lead single from his debut studio album, Camp (2011), after its music video was released in July 2011. The song was produced by Gambino and Ludwig Göransson, and debuted on Funkmaster Flex's HOT 97 radio station.[1]

On August 1, 2017, a remix of "Bonfire" was released by Elijah Who, titled "don't forget to feed your neopets."[2] The remix would later go viral when edited to go along with "cursed images".

Composition

The song opens with Childish Gambino rapping, "OK, it's Childish Gambino, homegirl drop it like the NASDAQ" over a "heavy" beat.[3] In the first verse, he references the video game ToeJam & Earl, rap collective Odd Future, TV series Invader Zim, PETA, clothing brand Band of Outsiders, and fast food chain Jollibee.[4] He also addresses his Asian fetish ("This Asian dude, I stole his girl, and now he got that Kogi beef")[5] and a stereotype of African-Americans in the entertainment industry ("Man, why does every black actor gotta rap some? / I don't know, all I know is I'm the best one").[3]

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from critics. Childish Gambino's vocals in the song have been described as "raspy, aggressive spitting" and similar to Lil Wayne's flow.[6] Singer Billie Eilish has described the song as having "the most hardcore bars I've ever heard".[7]

Music video

A music video for the song was released in July 2011. It begins with Childish Gambino in a forest, sitting up with a noose around his neck, then coughing up blood before untying the noose and throwing it off. Looking up, he sees that the noose was tied to a tree branch, and realizes he was lynched.

He then wanders through the forest in search for help, and sees a group of people huddled around a campfire while someone appears to be telling them a scary story, and is relieved. It wears off quick when he notices someone approaching the campsite with the noose he previously threw off and a knife in hand, presumably a killer.

He begins trying to get their attention and sprints towards the campers, finding a small knife in the process, and gets there before the killer does, and tries warning the campers, but neither them nor the storyteller can see him, and it is then revealed the 'killer' was simply playing a joke on all of them.

CG then falls to the ground, landing in the same place he was when the video began, and the video ends. [8][9]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[10] Platinum 70,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[11] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[12] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Young, Alex (2011-09-17). "Check Out: Childish Gambino - "Bonfire"". Consequence. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17.
  2. ^ "Bonfire". knowyourmeme.com. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b Breeze, Julia Nelson | The (16 January 2017). "Donald Glover's decade of success: the highlights of his multitalented career". The Breeze. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  4. ^ Davidson, Aaron (2011-12-15). "Breaking Down the Funniest Childish Gambino Lyrics". Vulture. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25.
  5. ^ Yue, Victoria (2011-12-29). "Does Childish Gambino Have an Asian Problem?". Hyphen Magazine. Archived from the original on 2015-10-08.
  6. ^ Galil, Leor (November 14, 2011). "Childish Gambino's Camp Is No Fun". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2011-11-16.
  7. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (August 4, 2020). "Billie Eilish on Childish Gambino's "Bonfire": The Most Hardcore Bars I've Ever Heard'". Complex. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05.
  8. ^ "New Childish Gambino music video 'Bonfire' from actor/Rapper Donald Glover". Southern California Public Radio. November 2011. Archived from the original on 2020-10-24.
  9. ^ Coplan, Chris (2011-10-31). "Video: Childish Gambino - "Bonfire"". Consequence. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17.
  10. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  11. ^ "British single certifications – Childish Gambino – Bonfire". British Phonographic Industry.
  12. ^ "American single certifications – Childish Gambino – Bonfire". Recording Industry Association of America.
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