Why Donald Glover is retiring Childish Gambino, won't make any more music after new album

His next album will be his last

(Getty)

Donald Glover had just turned the corner with his Childish Gambino project through latest album "Awaken, My Love!", but he is now set to leave music behind.

During a performance at Governor's Ball Music Festival in New York on Saturday, he told the crowd: "I’ll see you for the last Gambino album."

It may seem a surprising move, but quitting music is a luxury you can afford if you're also a successful actor and Golden Globe-winning TV showrunner (Glover is appearing in the upcoming young Han Solo movie and created FX's Atlanta).

Explaining the decision, he told HuffPost: “There’s nothing worst than like a third sequel, like a third movie and we’re like, ‘again?’

“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.”

I don't know if that analogy holds up - a third film sequel and a third album are apples and oranges - but it made a little more sense when he went on to discuss his feelings towards his music.

“Like I feel like there’s gotta be a reason to do things and I always had a reason to be punk,” he continued. “Being punk just always felt really good to me and we always looked at ‘Atlanta’ as a punk show and I feel like the direction I would go with Childish Gambino wouldn’t be punk anymore. As much as ‘Redbone’ is a punk song because it’s a gospel song that’s on the radio, I’m like there’s only so far you can go before you just are the radio.”