Ludwig Göransson says he’s still processing Donald Glover’s decision to retire Childish Gambino.
In a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, the composer reflected on the end of the Gambino era and collaborating with his longtime friend and creative partner.
When asked how he felt about Glover’s decision to retire the moniker around the 47-minute mark in the video above, Göransson admitted, “Yeah, it’s been a huge part of my life.”
He discussed being part of the journey, which involved touring, performing, putting together songs, and the family/friends they made along the way.
“We are a family … I’m not sure actually I [can] still kind of wrap my head around it,” Göransson continued. “But it wasn’t sad in a way. I wasn’t sad … because I know that it’s not like he’s gonna stop making music.”
Both of them chuckled when Lowe clarified, “Yeah, I know he’s not dead,” before acknowledging how fans tend to become attached to artistic identities.
The conversation ties to Glover’s own words from a July 2024 interview with Lowe, where he explained his reasons for ending the Childish Gambino era with the album Bando Stone and The New World, which also serves as the soundtrack for his upcoming film.
“The album has a lot of sincerity,” Glover said at the time. “Like, man, I’m 40, I got three kids … I’m not trying to be for anybody anymore, it’s too much work. I have to pick [up] the kids, I have to make chia seed pudding so they have something to eat in the morning.”
He elaborated, “Sincerity is very undervalued, I understand that. But also, music is undervalued and I feel like it’s got to start somewhere. I’m not saying, like, ‘Oh, you have to make people value it.’ It’s an open market, but you gotta make valuable things, you know? … And I feel like this is very valuable stuff. I can’t even make music like this anymore. Do you know how hard it was to make this?”
Ludwig Göransson and Donald Glover go way back They were introduced nearly a decade ago while Glover was starring in the hit comedy series Community, which Göransson was composing for.
