On July 2, Donald Glover, known by his stage name, Childish Gambino, dropped “Lithonia.” The track is the first to be released off of his upcoming album, Bando Stone & The New World. Fans can expect the full album on July 19.
Earlier this year in April, the R&B-inspired funk artist claimed that Bando Stone & The New World would be the final album by Gambino. Shortly after this news, Gambino announced “The New World Tour,” which will stretch from Aug. 2024 to Feb. 2025 in North America, Europe, and Australia.
“Lithonia” Offers First Look Into Childish Gambino’s Final Album
“Lithonia” begins with a pipe organ, quickly increasing in volume. Rather than starting with a verse, Gambino quickly jumps into his first chorus. “Cody LaRae,” Gambino howls. “He had a break.” The name Cody LaRae repeats throughout the song, and according to Genius, the lyrics could be alluding to a possible character in Bando Stone & The New World.
Gambino is known for playing around with various genres, from hip-hop to psychedelic funk, but “Lithonia” feels like a trailer into something totally new. The tune is rock-ish, but its structure and riffs also evoke pop-punk. As the track continues from the post-chorus into its first verse, listeners can look forward to several dramatic drops, matched with heavy synthy guitars.
Other lines like “Let me outta here,” “I’ve been gone so long,” and “This is the moment,” imply that while Gambino may have been off the grid for years, his last album will be nothing short of a grand finale. The track concludes with guitar paired with Gambino soft singing, leaving listeners satisfied, yet simultaneously itching for more.
Personally, I find “Lithonia” to be somewhat reminiscent of the rock elements found in Gambino’s 2016 “Me and Your Mama,” not to mention both tracks flaunt the artist’s wide range.
Childish Gambino’s Atavista Marks First Album In Four Years
In May, Gambino released Atavista, his first album in four years. Only one month before Atavista became available on streaming platforms, Gambino also surprised fans as a guest performer during Tyler, the Creator’s headlining set at Coachella 2024 Weekend One. A full summary of Tyler’s performance and guests can be found on Billboard.
Atavista sounds nearly identical to Gambino’s 2020 album, 3.15.20. In fact, Atavista has taken 3.15.20‘s place on all streaming platforms. According to the artist, when 3.15.20 was released, it was not fully finished. Gambino released the unmixed and unmastered project with fear of how the COVID-19 pandemic would impact the future. Consequently, 3.15.20 used timestamps in place of song titles, choppy mixing, and a blank album cover.
Three tracks from 3.15.20 are missing in Atavista: “We Are,” “Warlords,” and the leading single, “Feels Like Summer.” In addition, lengthy transitions between tracks in 3.15.20 have since been condensed. The most noticeable change can be found in “39.28,” now titled, “Why Go To The Party.” While the original track is three minutes long, it has been shortened into an interlude on Atavista, running only 41 seconds long.
While Atavista is the remastered version of 3.15.20, it also provides a new tracks and new vocals. “Atavista” and “Human Sacrifice” were not previously available on streaming platforms; likewise, the voices of Summer Walker and Young Nudy could not be heard on 3.15.20.
Ultimately, “Lithonia” sounds strikingly different from not only Atavista, but much of Gambino’s current discography. I look forward to hearing Gambino’s final work in full later this summer.
