In bittersweet news, the unfathomably talented Donald Glover has announced a new album for release later this year… but it’ll be his last one ever as Childish Gambino.
Variety reported this morning that Glover’s agency/label Wolf + Rothstein have partnered with RCA Records for a new recording and label deal, with new music expected out this year.
“It was a necessary change of pace,” said Glover about the move, with RCA chairman and CEO Peter Edge saying: “Donald is undoubtably one of the most talented, multi-faceted, young entertainers of this era. We are excited to join forces with him and Wolf + Rothstein to usher in the next phase of Childish Gambino’s musical career.”
The Lion King / Atlanta / Han Solo star announced he was retiring Childish Gambino – his musical moniker he famously got from the Wu-Tang Clan Name Generator – mid last year.
“I’ll see you for the last Gambino album,” he told the crowd at the Governor’s Ball Music Festival in New York, later explaining to HuffPost: “There’s nothing worse than like a third sequel, like a third movie, and we’re like, ‘again?’.”
He added: “You know, I like it when something’s good and when it comes back there’s a reason to come back, there’s a reason to do that. Like I feel like there’s gotta be a reason to do things and I always had a reason to be punk. Being punk just always felt really good to me and we always looked at ‘Atlanta’ as a punk show and I feel like the direction I would go with Childish Gambino wouldn’t be punk anymore. As much as ‘Redbone’ is a punk song because it’s a gospel song that’s on the radio, I’m like there’s only so far you can go before you just are the radio.”
His last album, Awaken, My Love!, was a new direction for Gambino, and it wasn’t all that well-received by fans desperate to hear more of his old stuff. (FWIW, in this writer’s opinion, Awaken had some absolutely killer tracks, but it was a slight disappointment after Because The Internet.)
We’ll keep you updated on any news re: the new (and final) Childish Gambino album. Meanwhile, he’s performing at the 2018 Grammy Awards, so there’s that to look forward to.
