Donald Glover explains why he's retiring Childish Gambino: "I don't need to build in this way anymore"

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Donald Glover explained his decision to retire the Childish Gambino persona.

"It really was just like, 'Oh, it's done.' It's not fulfilling. And I just felt like I didn't need to build in this way anymore," he said. The rapper, actor, comedian, and writer cited personal changes, including the death of his father and the birth of his children, as factors influencing his desire to focus on family, acting, and his production company, Gilga.

Glover also mentioned industry factors contributing to his decision, including the "continued decline of album consumption" and "disruptions in the touring business". He expressed a shift in his artistic goals, moving away from chart success. "Success to me is, honestly, being able to put out a wide-scale album that I would listen to," he explained. "For this album, I really wanted to be able to play big rooms and have big, anthemic songs that fill those rooms, so that people feel a sense of togetherness."

'Bando Stone & The New World' will be the final release under his Childish Gambino moniker. Set for release on July 19, the album will also serve as the official soundtrack for an upcoming film of the same name.

In the lead-up to 'Bando Stone & The New World', Glover has released two singles: 'In The Night', featuring Jorja Smith and Amaarae, and 'Lithonia'. This follows the May release of 'Atavista', a reworked and expanded version of his 2020 album '3.15.20'.