Camp (album)

On September 6, 2011, Glover signed with Glassnote. The founder Daniel Glass says "There's a tremendous sense of rock'n'roll about him, an irreverence and an authenticity, He fits in with our roster because he's alternative. He liked our approach, which is very touring-intensive. Secondly, it's about how progressive he's been online: inclusive of his fans and very liberal with giving away music. He knows his audience."[1]

In late October, he announced that the album would be released on November 15.[2]

The album was made available for pre-order on iTunes on November 1, 2011. On the same day, the music video for "Bonfire" was released through Gambino's website and YouTube.[3] The album was made available in its entirety for streaming on NPR on November 6, 2011.[4]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	6.7/10[11]
Metacritic	69/100[12]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[13]
The A.V. Club	C+[14]
The Guardian	[15]
The Independent	[16]
Mojo	[17]
MSN Music (Expert Witness)	A−[18]
Pitchfork	1.6/10[19]
Q	[20]
Rolling Stone	[21]
Spin	6/10[22]

Camp was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on 27 reviews.[12] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[11]

Barry Nicolson of NME dubbed it "the hip-hop album of the year" and commended Gambino's "focus on being [...] witty, heartfelt, honest and occasionally uproarious."[23] Steve Lepore of PopMatters found the album to be "undoubtedly one of the best records of any genre to come out in 2011" and characterized it as "a juxtaposition of mostly depressing, self-loathing rap mixed with some of the most enjoyable post-Graduation music."[24] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, Robert Christgau complimented its "choral and orchestral movie music" and stated, "it's less surefire than Culdesac. But it's more satisfying emotionally, because the autobiography reaches deep".[18] Mojo stated, "The identity-crisis themed Camp trumps through whip-smart intelligence, comic brio and bristling malign intent."[17] AllMusic editor David Jeffries commended Gambino for "taking indie hip-hop to new levels" and called the album "remarkable".[13] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club was more critical, stating "Camp is heavy with themes of racial expectations and cultural ostracism—big ideas that aren't always done justice by Glover's cartoonishly exaggerated, one-liner-laden flow."[14]

Mosi Reeves of Spin found the album to be "a bit of a mess. It veers wildly from poignant emotions to maudlin histrionics, often in the same song."[22] Pitchfork's Ian Cohen stated, "While Glover's exaggerated, cartoonish flow and overblown pop-rap production would be enough to make Camp one of the most uniquely unlikable rap records of this year (and most others), what's worse is how he uses heavy topics like race, masculinity, relationships, street cred, and 'real hip-hop' as props to construct a false outsider persona."[19] Claire Suddath of Time criticized Gambino for "bragging about all of the girls he's banged" too often, but complimented his "catchy, danceable sound very much akin to that of Kanye West" and stated, "Ultimately, Camp is a skillful album created by a conflicted man ... But if Camp doesn't have a motif maybe that's because [he] doesn't have one either. He acts, he writes, he still does stand-up, and yes, he also raps. Some people can't be put into a box that easily."[25]

In an interview with Interview, Childish Gambino reflected about the album and the reception:

"I like parts of that album and I learned so much. Mostly that concept doesn't outshine content. But when they're in equilibrium, it's extremely potent. I don't think I was clear on that album, and the songs weren't catchy enough for me. Made it feel like novelty. Because I wouldn't bop any of the songs in the car now. Maybe a couple of the hooks."[26]

Camp debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200, selling 52,000 copies in the first week.[27] As of November 2013, the album has sold 242,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.[28]

All tracks were written and produced by Donald Glover and Ludwig Göransson.