Childish Gambino Returns with a Psychedelic Visual Experience
Childish Gambino is back in his surreal, soulful bag with the brand new music video for “Psilocybae (Millennial Love)”—and it’s a full-on psychedelic vibe.
Originally released as “12.38” on his 2020 album 3.15.20, the track was recently reimagined for his 2024 album Atavista, where it received its full (and extremely fitting) title. The updated version brings new energy, dreamy textures, and a vibrant visual story to one of the most unique tracks in Gambino’s catalog.
The video, which just dropped on YouTube, stars internet-favorite dancer and comedian Casey Frey as he embarks on a technicolor trip through love, paranoia, and absurdity. Think: neon lighting, squiggly reality warps, retro dance breaks, and Casey making existential faces at a housecat. It’s hilarious, hypnotic, and beautifully weird—in other words, exactly what you’d expect from a visual inspired by a psilocybin-induced love spiral.
The Sound Behind the Psychedelia
Musically, the track is a slow-burning, sensual groove with minimalist funk and a woozy undercurrent that perfectly matches the visuals. Gambino’s verse walks us through the confusion of a trip: his date spikes his drink with psilocybin, texts start blowing up his phone, and he starts spiraling in the best/worst way. Lines like “Why your cat lookin’ at me sideways?” turn his anxiety into comedy, while the name-drops (Toni Braxton, SZA, bell hooks) ground the chaos in culture and romance.
Then comes 21 Savage, who shifts the tone with his signature deadpan charm—rapping about Harvard side-chicks, ICE harassment, Popeyes, and Popeye the sailor. Somehow, it all blends together into this woozy collage of millennial love, drug-induced introspection, and existential comedy.
The track closes with vocals from Kadhja Bonet and Ink, swirling into a dreamy, echo-filled haze—like the moment your trip starts slipping away and reality returns, just a little… different.
Behind the Scenes
DJ Dahi, who produced the song alongside Gambino, described it as “funky, odd, but feels good,” and honestly? That’s exactly what the music video delivers too. It’s both disorienting and delightful—a vivid snapshot of modern relationships, altered states, and the bizarre poetry of being too in your head.
Whether you’ve been a fan since Because the Internet or you’re just here for Casey Frey dancing in a psychedelic robe, “Psilocybae (Millennial Love)” is absolutely worth the trip.