Donald Glover will be retiring his Childish Gambino moniker this month after half a dozen albums under the name.
Ahead of the release of his sixth album Bando Stone & the New World on Friday (July 19), Glover spoke to the New York Times about the LP and why his rap alter-ego will be no more.
“It really was just like, ’Oh, it’s done,’” he said of the moment he realized he no longer felt connected to the name. “It’s not fulfilling. And I just felt like I didn’t need to build in this way anymore.”
Bando Stone & The New World will serve as Glover’s second album of 2024 following Atavista, the updated version of his 2020 LP 3.15.20, which dropped in May.
Adding to his long-awaited music comeback, the multi-hyphenate is also gearing up to embark on a massive world tour that will take him across the world between August 2024 and February 2025.
He’ll be joined on the road by fellow genre-bending stars Willow Smith and Amaarae.
There will be a film of the same name to accompany the new album as well, available exclusively in IMAX theaters.
Produced by RCA and Gilga, the movie sees Glover playing a fictional famous musician named Bando Stone who must navigate a post-apocalyptic world, despite his only talent being singing.
The creepy yet comedic trailer shows Glover’s character banding together with fellow survivors to make their way to safety, only to encounter giant blood-thirsty creatures, electromagnetic traps and other surreal, potentially extraterrestrial threats.
“What are you when the world ends?” is the sobering question posed to viewers.
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Bando Stone & The New World also stars English actress Jessica Allain, best known for her roles in horror thrillers Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Fear and Thriller.
On the acting side of his career, Donald Glover has said that he won’t be returning for season two of Mr. & Mrs. Smith despite the show being renewed by Amazon Prime.
Glover and his co-star Maya Erskine are not slated to lead the charge in the show’s second season, according to a report from Variety. He will still be credited as a co-creator and executive producer on the series alongside Francesca Sloane, who is set to return as showrunner.
Reps for Glover didn’t return Variety‘s request for comment, and Amazon declined to confirm or deny whether the multi-hyphenate would return to the titular role. However, it is speculated that his musical commitments may have influenced his decision not to return to the show.
