Somehow, in the midst of the release tour for Solo: A Star Wars Story, preparing the release of his upcoming final album as Childish Gambino, getting ready to go on tour with Rae Sremmurd, and wrapping up the triumphant second season of Atlanta, Donald Glover found time to appear in the Karena Evans-directed video for SZA’s latest CTRL single, “Garden (Say It Like Dat)” — which really just goes to show how special SZA is.
The video finds the duo cuddling on a tropical island as SZA dances on the black sand beach and explores the rainforest solo. The video continues SZA’s aesthetic of hazy, dream-like imagery from her previous videos “Doves In The Wind,” “The Weekend,” “Go Gina,” “Drew Barrymore,” and “Broken Clocks.”
Director Karena Evans, who previously helmed the celebrated videos for Drake’s “God’s Plan” and “Nice For What,” is the perfect pairing with SZA’s introspective and confessional lyrics, using long, slow-motion shots to complement the singer’s emotive gaze and sensuous movements. It’s also a strong look that Donald Glover, one of the most celebrated entertainers of 2018, plays the background here, letting SZA take center stage while he relegates himself to a supporting role, much like his appearance in Jhene Aiko’s “Bed Peace” as Childish Gambino.
