After previously teasing that he was planning to retire his Childish Gambino persona, Donald Glover is putting the brakes on, saying, “I still really love making music.”
The actor was previously the subject of a New York Times article titled, “Why Donald Glover Is Saying Goodbye to Childish Gambino.” This, understandably, bummed out fans who would hate a future with no more Gambino songs. Now, however, he’s kind of changing his tune.
While attending the Super Mario Bros. Galaxy movie premiere in Japan, an Entertainment Tonight journalist playfully confronted Glover. “The streets aren’t very happy with you, with the news that you said Childish Gambino is done,” she said jokingly. The reporter also said that she’d heard that Glover’s frequent collaborator, Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson, was surprised that Childish Gambino would be no more.
In response, Glover laughed and assured her, “I still really love making music. I don’t think that’s ever gonna go away.” He added, “I love making it, you know, even if that’s for myself…. I have plenty of songs that are just for me.”
Glover then quipped that he’s not “hoarding” any secret music. “I like telling stories,” he concluded, “so if I can make something that I’m like, ‘Oh, people should hear this.’ I definitely will put it out.”
Donald Glover previously said it was no longer ‘fulfilling’ to make music
As Childish Gambino, Glover rose to great heights in the music industry, achieving success across five albums and through extensive touring. He’s won five Grammy Awards, four of them for his 2018 song “This is America“. Glover’s most recent album was 2024’s Bando Stone & the New World, which coincided with his last tour, The New World Tour.
It’s completely reasonable for people to surmise that Childish Gambino is retiring. Specifically because Glover basically said exactly that, in so many words, during his 2024 New York Times interview. “It really was just like, ‘Oh, it’s done.’ It’s not fulfilling,” he told the outlet about his feelings toward making music. “And I just felt like I didn’t need to build in this way anymore.”
Glover then explained that he was at peace with his decision and the way of life he chose to prioritize. “I think grace is undervalued in the world,” he said. “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.’”
The post Donald Glover Is Maybe Not Retiring Childish Gambino After All: ‘I Still Really Love Making Music’ appeared first on VICE.
