Donald Glover on Childish Gambino’s Retirement: “He’ll Be Back”

It has been a couple of years since Childish Gambino, the rap alter ego of actor-comedian Donald Glover, released new music. Rumors have long been circulated surrounding the moniker’s retirement, but in a recent interview, Glover confidently affirmed, “He’ll be back.”

In a red carpet conversation with Laverne Cox at this year’s Golden Globes ceremony, the two talked about his nomination that night for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV series, his hit show, Atlanta, and new music on the horizon.

“Can we expect more music,” Cox asked the star. “I hear there may be more music. I heard you retired Childish Gambino. What’s going on with the music? The children want some music.”

“I’m making music right now,” he said in response. “I love it. I’m in the studio, I’ve been bringing people in, like secret people, like working on little things.

“But I’m just making it for fun right now,” he continued. “But soon, something will happen I promise. Something will happen.”

Cox then asked if he would be releasing the music as Childish Gambino, recalling she had heard of the retirement rumors. “No, no, no, that was out in the ethos,” Glover said. “You don’t have to worry about that. He’ll be back.”

Watch their conversation below.

Childish Gambino’s last album, 3.15.20, arrived in 2020, and was the follow-up to his 2016 release, Awaken, My Love! It was after that release that the star first began to hint at retiring the Gambino name.

Before exiting the stage after his performance at the Governor’s Ball, the artist hinted that the end was near. “I’ll see you for the last Gambino album,” he stated to the crowd. Shortly after, he clarified his statement to The Huffington Post.

“There’s nothing worst than like a third sequel, like a third movie and we’re like, ‘again?’” he told the publication. “You know, I like it when something’s good and when it comes back there’s a reason to come back, there’s a reason to do that.” The past few years have seen him either back up or backtrack his statement.

Most recently, Glover appeared onstage as Childish Gambino alongside pop star Bille Eilish during a string of hometown shows at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum. The pair performed his hit “Redbone.”

(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)