Donald Glover has spoken about why he has decided to retire his artist moniker, Childish Gambino. Ahead of the release of his upcoming album Bando Stone & the New World which is set to be dropping this week, Glover explained in a recent New York Times interview just why he is ditching the name.
While there have been many speculations from fans as to why he would do so, the artist gave quite a direct explanation. Simply put, Glover stated that “It really was just like, ‘Oh, it’s done.’ It’s not not fulfilling. And I just felt like I didn’t need to build in this way anymore.” In the interview, Glover also shared the inspiration behind Bando Stone & the New World. He explains that it was born from a “feature film idea he had years ago, about a musician recording his masterpiece on a remote island when a global calamity strikes.” On telling a story about the potential end of the world, he said, I thought there was a really great journey in somebody making music and not knowing what the purpose of it was.” I feel like everybody goes through that, not just artists. That feeling of like, ‘What is any of this for?’”
Glover is all for creating projects with a purpose. On what matters and drives him most, he said, “I think grace is undervalued in the world. When I put my son on my shoulders, I feel deep joy. That’s real. No one on their deathbed is going to look back and say, ‘Thank God I avoided being cringe.’”
Bando Stone & the New World arrives on July 19.
