Donald Glover explains his decision to give up using the stage moniker Childish Gambino
Donald Glover is prepared to use just one name.
After more than ten years of music, the 40-year-old gave an explanation for why he is renouncing his stage name, Childish Gambino.
Following the release of his sixth album, Bando Stone & the New World, on Friday, Donald will abandon the moniker.
«Oh, it’s done,» the rapper said, according to The New York Times. It isn’t satisfying. I simply had the impression that I was done building in this manner.
Donald Glover III, who is married to Michelle White and has three boys, Legend, Drake, and Donald Glover, III, discussed how becoming a parent affected his choice.
Standing in front of a boulder and thinking, «This has to move,» the former 30 Rock writer stated, «I’m not 25 anymore.» «You give what you can, but every moment is filled with beauty.» It’s not required that you create it. You don’t need to look for it.
«I feel deep joy when I put my son on my shoulders,» Donald continued. That is accurate. Nobody will look back on their deathbed and say, «Thank God I didn’t cry.»
The musician gained notoriety with six albums and five Grammy Awards, but his idea of success has evolved with time.
«To be honest, what I consider success is releasing a record that is accessible to a large audience,» Donald told the publication.
I really wanted to be able to play large venues and have loud, anthem-filled songs that fill them with energy for this album [Bando], so that people feel like they’re all together.
The Mr. & Mrs. Smith actor went on, «That kind of real estate is way more valuable to me [than chart metrics] if people listen to this album and it becomes a part of their identity, if they look back a year later and are reminded of how much they listened to it and what that felt like in the summer of ’24.»
The record was produced concurrently with a film that Donald directed about a musician who is «recording his masterpiece on a remote island when a global calamity strikes.»
«It seemed like a really amazing experience for someone to be creating music without understanding why they were doing it,» he said. I believe that is a common experience for everyone, not just artists. The question «What is any of this for?» comes to mind.
In April of last year, Donald first said that he was prepared to let go of his alter identity.
«It was originally supposed to be called «Atavista,» the project I released under the name «3.15.20,» which no one has ever heard of and about which I was even unaware,» he stated at the time. However, we released it immediately; I didn’t mix or master it; I just released it.
I was suffering through a lot and believed that because of the pandemic, everyone would perish. We’re releasing «Atavista,» which we completed and put out. However, there’s a Childish Gambino record that comes after that—the last one.
Donald announced the track list for the next album on Instagram on Wednesday. He wrote, «New Childish Gambino on Friday.» Which song on Bando Stone & the New World’s tracklist are you most looking forward to hearing?
Ahead of his next album, Donald has been nominated for an Emmy for his performance in Mr. Mrs. Smith.
The plot of the Prime Video series centers on John and Jane Smith (Maya Erskine), who work as covert spies for an unidentified company.
The comedian and the Plus One actress discussed their co-starring role in the action program in January.
And why did Donald decide to take on this project?
He reminisced on Today, «I saw it in the pandemic and my brother said it was a good date movie, it’s boys verse girls.» After the pandemic, we probably wanted to discuss why people are getting married in the first place these days. Like there are currently a ton of different options.
‘I don’t think we figured it out,’ Donald continued. I tied the knot! It’s entertaining to make fun of others and not always stand in for yourself.
Maya shared with host Hoda Kotb that she received a call regarding the television series and that «he was FaceTiming me.» We had around three or four FaceTime sessions. It was a tease from him. He was discussing the project, but I wasn’t sure if I was involved. If only he wanted to tell me about it.
If it was his desire. Then he brought up Mrs. Smith, and I realized I was included in it. Whoah.
The celebrities acknowledged how much they borrowed from their personal lives to create their personas, even though Maya is married to Michael Angarano in real life.
Donald said, «There are a lot of little sections in it where I was like, «This is what me and my wife do,» and you were like, «Yeah this is what me and my husband do.» They both spoke as much as they could.
The 37-year-old stated, «So any of those things made their way into it.»
Donald also believed that all of his previous «no’s» had prepared him for this position.
It seems like people these days are scared to make mistakes. Because of the internet, there are many more methods for people to see mistakes, making them tougher to make now, he said. «Yeah, you’re supposed to fail,» I say to myself.
It’s amusing because, following our Golden Globe and other success in Atlanta, the producer said to me, «You’re going to get really good when you fail,» and I responded, «I have failed.» But that is not seen by everyone.»
