Donald Glover Will Retire After Next Childish Gambino Album

Though it’s been quite the busy year for Donald Glover, being high in demand isn’t anything the artist isn’t used to. From creating the hit series Atlanta, to releasing his third LP Awaken, My Love! under his moniker Childish Gambino, to securing the role of Simba in the upcoming production of The Lion King, Donald Glover continues to be one of the most omnipresent artists of the decade. But according to recent reports, it looks like Glover has decided to retire one of his identities.

Last year, Glover revealed that he intends for his next Childish Gambino album to be his last. But earlier this month, Glover signed a new record deal between RCA and his management company Wolf + Rothstein, according to a report in Variety. This news alerted fans to believing that Glover wasn’t quite ready for retirement as he’d previously suggested.

After securing his first Grammy award at this year’s ceremony for Best R&B Performance (“Redbone”)—and delivering an incredible performance of the song “Terrified” with his Lion King co-star J.D. McCrary—Donald Glover met with the media to discuss his upcoming projects. It was there that Glover reiterated his plans to retire after this next Childish Gambino album—which is already in the works and should be out in 2018.

Though he threw fans off by his new, public record deal, Glover felt the need to assert his initial statements of concluding the saga of Childish Gambino. “I stand by that,” Donald told the press, while showing off his new Grammy award. “I’m really appreciative of this. I’m making another project right now, but I like endings, I think they’re important to progress.”

Today, Donald Glover is re-issuing his first Childish Gambino EP, promptly titled EP. Most fans recall this EP for containing one of his first hit singles, “Freaks and Geeks”. The reissue is out via Glover’s creative agency Wolf + Rothstein. We’re hoping that Donald Glover keeps releasing his old Childish Gambino LPs leading up to the release of his upcoming, and final project. And let’s all keep our fingers crossed for a real, full fledged, Childish Gambino farewell tour.