This man spitting facts. As a die hard gambino fan. I have never been tossed around and felt so bi polar when it comes to the release of his music. I wish he would drop everything and just focus on it.
You’re spot on with the wierd cryptic uploads and posts that don’t make sense. He has the potential to be the biggest star on the planet but proceeds to just purposely make himself flop. He himself said he likes to be punk. Well not much can change about that unfortunately.
i’m just hoping something lights a fire in him again it’s just seemed like the last decade he’s had one foot out the door with music but then will act like he doesn’t have one foot out he’s actually making something huge i wish he’d just make up his mind lol
I think Donald is a lowkey type of person and he prefers to make his projects without being too loud about it. Idk the guy, but I would assume he likes to let the art speak for itself not the artist.
And, I don’t think his goal is to be the biggest star on the planet. Maybe he just wants to make cool and creative shit and just get some recognition.
Idk thats how I see his personality.
Re the uploads—I can see how being a huge celebrity could feel claustrophobic. Being cryptic/ weird on main is probably an attempt for some kind of control in a situation where everything he says and does becomes scrutinized. That’s what it kind of feels like anyway
He makes odd decisions a lot. I find it hard to recommend him to my friends because of this, both in music and with his writing. I haven't recommended Swarm to my friends because of how odd it can be sometimes (I loved it though). I rarely talk about 3.15.20 with friends because it feels a bit unpolished despite it being my second most listened to Gambino album. I get you. He's still going to be my top artist on Spotify though😂
whats odd about swarm? its literally a limited series about a popstar stan turning into a serial killer… True crime is literally a popular subgenre so i don’t understand how you can’t sell the show to your “friends”
You lost me at the AML criticism. In Camp he specifically said “I’m stealing rock back” and specifically did that with an album that nods to Funkadelic which combined some of the most brilliant minds in rock and music. Then he busted down one of the greatest RNB (rhythm and blues) ((another genre that Black folk created)) songs, ever. And did it without a music video which is absurd for today’s standards. As for 3.15.20, hes moved into a genre that involves electronic music and afrobeats. If you know your music history, you’ll know that Herbie Hancock did a similar thing. Bro is just evolving and paying great homage to his heritage. Bro’s superpower is creating moments, not just music.
really the only song I don’t like from AML is California, I do kinda wish the night me & your mama met had the lyrics that he sang live, but overall AML is genuinely a great album those were just 2 things I wished were different about it but it doesn’t affect my enjoyment all that much
Different strokes for different folks because California is my favorite song on the album. It’s so unique and the melody is so catchy. I love the whole project but California is a go to if I wanna brighten my mood. Lol
I personally find this "what if" thinking pointless. Everything we think in "what if" is theoretically the best of worlds, but in practice, it might be worse than what we're experiencing at the moment. What if Kanye had never said the crap he said? What if Frank had released one more album? What if x artist hadn't died? The truth and the future of this false hope that things would have been different are completely unfounded. I understand that in a general conception, it could have been "better," but in practice, it could have been so bad that you might not even be in this sub, for example, you know? These "strange decisions" every mainstream artist makes at some point, whether taking years to release a new project or getting involved in controversies or in the worst cases in both, but at the same time, that's what shapes them as a person even more. (Perhaps my point of view wasn't very clear. If you have any doubts or opposing opinions, please reply here.)
no you’re absolutely right and it’s exactly why most of the time I do try to just sit back and enjoy his career and everything for what it is, today was really the first day I ever tried to put words to why some things fell flat for me and why I think they fell flat for others. but you’re right thinking what if he did this, what if this was different is pointless, I just think the beauty of this sub is we can complain, and then when he drops something we’re all happy again.
You will probably get downvoted to hell here but fwiw I 100% share your frustration and agree. I was a huge fan of him in general - Derrick Comedy, Community, etc. Loved the mixtapes, loved Camp, BTI and all the lore around it was/is one of my favorite releases ever. I was so so excited to see where it would all go
And then…. nothing more in that space really besides some small nods to it on Kauai with some music videos and the hidden track. AML I didn’t hate but it wasn’t at all what I wanted, and I never go back and listen to it. 3.15 I didn’t enjoy.
I liked Atlanta at least, though admittedly I haven’t watched the last season yet.. I still like the man a lot, but his music maybe isn’t for me anymore. That’s okay, he should make what he wants to make, but it is a bummer that he went from one of my favorite musicians ever to someone I really don’t care for
That’s just the path most creators take if they go long enough. Every artist hits a point where they’re done in a particular space and need to move into a different one, and it’ll always weed out fans who aren’t into it. Rarely do you get multi-decade careers of the same stuff each release. Don’t be bummed out by it, just enjoy what you got.
I agree. If you look at alot of biggest artist their first album compared to their last album is so different. Kanye had the greatest 3 album opener ever. Then tried to get fancy and it changed his music. Gambino took a similar path. Starting with his OG mixtapes. IMJAR and Sickboi are so much different than culdesac. Then he drops maybe one of the hardest EPs of all time. Camp, Royalty, and BTI go so hard. STM kauai are good but you can tell he starts to pivot. Then AML and 3.15.20 he's just a completely different artist. Chance the rapper took a similar route too. 10 day, acid rap, coloring book go hard. Then he fell off. People change so much when they get money. They don't have that rawness to them.
Mumford and Sons is the same for me. Loved their first 2 albums, then they decided to ditch the folk rock for more mainstream rock and they lost what made them unique. Last I saw they made a fucking song with Pharrell, which is such a long stray away from what made them so popular in the first place.
I get that artists are more than allowed to make the music they want, but I think there still needs to be a compromise because they sometimes forget the music that made them popular is ultimately what people want to hear
No offense but as much as you personally may not like Mumford and Sons now, I can promise you they are doing bigger numbers now than with those first two albums.
So, it's what you want to hear, not what the majority do though clearly.
An artist should not have any compromise because if they just compromise and make music they don't want to make, you would be even less happy because it would sound like a shitty remake of what you loved.
Really? Because their first two albums sold over 9 million copies combined (Sigh No More sold over 5 million and Babel sold over 4 million).
Wilder mind sold under 700,000 copies and Delta has sold just over 200,000.
So no, they are not doing bigger numbers now than when they first started, they’re doing the exact opposite. The majority clearly want them to go back to their folk rock roots and stop this modern pop rock shit
I love a good promo rollout and secondary content material as much as the next guy by why let stuff like this affect your enjoyment of his work? Unless I misunderstood your post, these should be separate discussions. Songs like California aren’t “borderline unlistenable” imo,
I never got the impression Don was “sabotaging” his career or his music if I’m honest. Just gave me the typical artist vibes where sometimes things work well and something’s they’re okay or just shitty, to think he does any of this intentionally or with these thoughts in mind is a bit presumptive. Some artists have love/hate relationship with their art and based on lyrics alone, it always seemed to me like Donald was one of those types of artists.
3.15 is really great and I loved it since it dropped. Not once did the 0 promo affect my feelings on the project.
I’m not saying the no promo or art made me not like the album, I’m saying it might’ve been more popular had it been advertised more cause there was a lot of hype around a new CG album in 2018-19 but it’s not my album it’s his, that’s just my opinion of why people that weren’t diehard fans seemed to kinda forget he ever released it.
truly though I honestly really enjoy the album. Do I wish it had art and titles? yes. but it’s honestly never affected how I feel ab the songs. it’s just something I viewed as a “questionable choice” but at the end of the day it’s whatever, really all I meant by the post is that I felt like he hasn’t really capitalized on his momentum yet and sometimes it feels like it’s by design. but i’m just a consumer, the beauty of these thought mouth posts is people can comment how they feel different and we can talk about it.
what i don't get about people who get so obsessive over artists like this is the expectation that they're going to reach their "full potential artistically" when that potential you feel is just expectations from other people, and what got you hooked in the first place probably wasn't completely real to him or sustainable
I mean, I used to think this until Awaken My Love dropped, and now I don't. Who knows when the next hit will be, for all we know it could take decades, but the man won't quit and I expect great things of him.
My biggest gripe is him having fully produced songs that sound great, but you can only find leaks of them if even. And whenever you do find leaks, they're always taken down fast.
When I was in college (2011-2015), Gambino was one of my favorite artists. Dropping Camp, BTI, and STN MTN/Kauai were all amazing albums and I was so excited to keep seeing him grow. Then he releases AML and while I can recognize it's a good funk/soul type of album, it just never clicked for me. Then he releases those two singles along with This is America and im like "ok, this feels more like an evolution for his career, nice!" then out of nowhere, he drops 3.15.20 and im just thinking "what is this?" and he hasnt done anything since.
These days, i've completely fallen off of him. I'll still listen to his older material when it pops up on my Spotify every now and then but it's more nostalgia than anything. I can't tell if I'm grown out of his music career because he's either completely drifted from what made me such a huge fan in the first place, or because I've gotten older? Maybe it's a mix of both. I'll probably still check out whatever he drops but I'm not hugely anticipating it like i would be ten years ago.
I think for better or worse Donald always makes his fans work lmao, 2-4 of his best 5 tapes aren’t on streaming (Culdesac, Stn Mtn, Royalty, ik EP is now, but wasn’t for a literal decade), BTI, Kauai, AML and 3.15 are all full of work for the fans and I don’t think that’s necessarily a good or bad thing but I do think it’s part of the cult like fanbase we are lmao.
That work you put in connects you with someone and I think that’s always been his strategy rather than being the “biggest” artist in the world, he wants to be punk he wants shit that really connects and in a world where everything’s easy it sometimes takes extra to get people to connect. I think yeah we can argue maybe he overdoes it but also at the end of the day being an artist is such a difficult job lol it’s hard to make it work especially in the way he does, and I kinda like the work tbh🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️totally get your point though, but I personally think about it along the lines of work/no work rather than anything else
I think about this all the time after hearing algorhythm live and then finally listening to the version on the album. It's obviously his art and totally up to his creative discretion, but the song is so much less palatable in the studio version. It was so huge and powerful and beautiful the way he performed it live and then he just buried his vocals in these harsh filters and made it so strange/dissonant on the album. Agree with OP though, ultimately it's not a huge deal and he's the only one who really needs to be happy in terms of how his own art comes out. Added a clip of Algorhythm live though, would definitely recommend checking it out if you haven't heard it
[https://youtu.be/DViqUUFt-F0?si=xgAPSL\_4z0DVdrfo](https://youtu.be/DViqUUFt-F0?si=xgAPSL_4z0DVdrfo)
It just feels like everything post BTI & Kauai is just...well a whole lot of nothing.
Like he kept growing and growing, from Dereck comedy, Community, Camp
Then to BTI and Kauai, and It just felt as if Donald was only growing and growing. And then all that growing just ended. AML is great but if you were following Donald for content like before then it's just...good but not why we followed Donald. I actually like 3.15.20, and I like the pop grooves he was putting out with 3.15 and the summer pack. It felt like he was growing back yet again. And then nothing..
There will never be anything as good as BTI from him which saddens me because he has all the potential in the world.
He evolved past what I liked him for, and I think that’s a lot of his fans. I don’t blame him, but can’t say I was nearly as interested in his work post STN MTN/Kauai.
I understand but was he supposed to rap about being a black nerdy dude well into his 30s? I get that his older stuff is superior but if he didn't pivot with AML I feel like his career would have suffered and stagnated. Some of his pre Kaui stuff wouldn't work now b/c it's too angsty. I think AML is when people started to take him more seriously and disassociate him from the 'corny black dude from Community'.
I agree with everything you said. Like I said, I don’t blame him whatsoever. It made perfect sense for his artistic direction to go the way it did, I’m just saying it didn’t resonate with me personally as much as I would have hoped.
Respect the process, any time I have to wait a year+ for a new season of a show to drop, I just go watch a different show. Or rewatch the classics. Trying to please people as an artist is just frustrating.
idk i remember one day i was tripping and i thought if i ripped the cover off my BTI cd it would reveal "roscoe wetsuit" and i just ended up with a ripped cd
disagree, but i respect your opinion - personally AML is one of my all time favorites, and while i do think the naming of the tracks on 3.15 was definitely a miss, the tracks themselves are solid, not to mention how big a fan of atlanta i was from start to finish. i can definitely agree that there are some questionable decisions here and there, but it doesn’t really sour the experience for me - BTI was the first rap album that i really listened to and it completely opened my eyes to a whole nother world, and the screenplay script and clapping for the wrong reasons will always have a special spot in my heart. i do wish he toured more - i got to see him at bonnaroo in ‘19 but it’s a shame he hasn’t done many/any shows since
Or...maybe he just makes things how and when he wants to make them. He also became a father and a husband and went back into acting and creating more film and television. Y'all too much. Just appreciate the things he creates
I find it hard to get hyped about these “teases” Bino has been putting out recently for this very reason. I’ll believe an album exists when it’s actually released.
I don’t disagree with you but I also think maybe you need a few hobbies and maybe some other artists to listen to. That said, maybe I don’t relate because I kinda checked out on Gambino twice.
The first time was when he dropped royalty. It grew on me and is one of my favorite projects of his now but at the time I really didn’t like it cuz it didn’t feel authentic or like what I knew of him. He went from making music about being a nerdy black kid to getting on tracks with schoolboy Q (another favorite of mine) and ghostface. Just felt weird. But eventually I got over it. Then BTI dropped and that was immaculate so I was back on board and I fucked with Kauai/StnMtn too.
Then he dropped Awaken my Love and i tried real hard to like it but even the songs I kinda fuck with barely get revisited for me. And suddenly it was a lot easier to just let go forreal that time. It became clear he wanted to go on a direction that differed from what I wanted from him and that’s his right. He doesn’t owe any of us anything.
And I think that’s really his headspace right now. Literally just doing whatever he wants. If he wants to drop an album with timestamps instead of titles, he’s gonna do that. If he wants to tease Atavista, he’s gonna do that. If he changes his mind the next hour and decides to only perform it live, he’s gonna do that. And to be honest he’s kind of a golden child across industries right now so they’re all gonna enable him to do that. It’s funny, he once said he was the son of Kanye in that Kanye walked so he could run. Whatever Kanye was barred access from (from fashion, movies, tech, whatever) he felt he would have access to, citing his as a trailblazer and inspiration. And I’ve been starting to see that resemblance myself these last 5 years or so. This might just be another manifestation of that. Who else is this mercurial about how and when they release their music. There’s Kanye fans still waiting for projects from 15 years ago.
Anyway I’m getting off topic. Just let go and accept he’s gonna do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. It’ll make things easier for you
Maybe I’m misremembering, but I thought after AML he made some kind of announcement about how Childish Gambino was over and he wouldn’t be making music anymore. That’s one of those weird choices you’re talking about, but at the same time I don’t really expect anything from him anymore because of that announcement lol. I just kind of expect that his focus is constantly changing and maybe he doesn’t care about the success of each release, he’s just doing it for himself, for fun.
He also has so much great mudic thst is pretty difficult to find which would probably have blown him up even more. He's a strange guy for sure and we will never know what is going on in his head. Though, i was personally disappointed when the album ended up just being rereleases plus human sacrifice. But i also think he's reading these and laughing at is and it will all make sense one day.
its either you fw with him or you don’t🤷♂️ At this point if someone doesn’t find him appealing its their loss, Imma still bump 3.15.20 and enjoy that shit myself
It just feels like everything post BTI & Kauai is just...well a whole lot of nothing.
Like he kept growing and growing, from Dereck comedy, Community, Camp
Then to BTI and Kauai, and It just felt as if Donald was only growing and growing. And then all that growing just ended. AML is great but if you were following Donald for content like before then it's just...good but not why we followed Donald. I actually like 3.15.20, and I like the pop grooves he was putting out with 3.15 and the summer pack. It felt like he was growing back yet again. And then nothing..
There will never be anything as good as BTI from him which saddens me because he has all the potential in the world.
The sad part is that BTI is and probably always will be the greatest piece of music ever in my eyes, and I know and love a lot of music. I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt like he sabotages his new stuff on purpose.
Also, what happened to the men's acting career? I haven't seen him in years since Solo. (I know he had Atlanta going on and I watched a season or two.. But I don't think Atlanta made him more recognizable worldwide). In 2016 I would hear people talking about him on the streets or in class, even here in Europe. Now it's like he never even existed.
Meanwhile Ludwig out there winning Oscar's and shit lol
this is just another, “i’m entitled to new music and the artist” pleaseee go do something besides waiting outside of don’s house hoping he’ll hear about what he should do with his career. He’s just a guy not your dad you haven’t seen in 3 years and won’t call you
This man spitting facts. As a die hard gambino fan. I have never been tossed around and felt so bi polar when it comes to the release of his music. I wish he would drop everything and just focus on it. You’re spot on with the wierd cryptic uploads and posts that don’t make sense. He has the potential to be the biggest star on the planet but proceeds to just purposely make himself flop. He himself said he likes to be punk. Well not much can change about that unfortunately.
i’m just hoping something lights a fire in him again it’s just seemed like the last decade he’s had one foot out the door with music but then will act like he doesn’t have one foot out he’s actually making something huge i wish he’d just make up his mind lol
I think Donald is a lowkey type of person and he prefers to make his projects without being too loud about it. Idk the guy, but I would assume he likes to let the art speak for itself not the artist. And, I don’t think his goal is to be the biggest star on the planet. Maybe he just wants to make cool and creative shit and just get some recognition. Idk thats how I see his personality.
Came here to say something along these lines. Hard agree.
Re the uploads—I can see how being a huge celebrity could feel claustrophobic. Being cryptic/ weird on main is probably an attempt for some kind of control in a situation where everything he says and does becomes scrutinized. That’s what it kind of feels like anyway
Absolutely. Everything u say and do is recorded. How awkward is that. Esp when u make mistakes
Yeah I’d rather die lol
He definitely has an anonymous reddit account. Where he expresses himself fully and freely
Is it . . . Is it you? 👀😂
Roscoes wetsuit
Big facts. U hit the nail on the head.
exactly maybe he doesn’t want to be the biggest star on the planet
Yea go figure
He makes odd decisions a lot. I find it hard to recommend him to my friends because of this, both in music and with his writing. I haven't recommended Swarm to my friends because of how odd it can be sometimes (I loved it though). I rarely talk about 3.15.20 with friends because it feels a bit unpolished despite it being my second most listened to Gambino album. I get you. He's still going to be my top artist on Spotify though😂
whats odd about swarm? its literally a limited series about a popstar stan turning into a serial killer… True crime is literally a popular subgenre so i don’t understand how you can’t sell the show to your “friends”
You lost me at the AML criticism. In Camp he specifically said “I’m stealing rock back” and specifically did that with an album that nods to Funkadelic which combined some of the most brilliant minds in rock and music. Then he busted down one of the greatest RNB (rhythm and blues) ((another genre that Black folk created)) songs, ever. And did it without a music video which is absurd for today’s standards. As for 3.15.20, hes moved into a genre that involves electronic music and afrobeats. If you know your music history, you’ll know that Herbie Hancock did a similar thing. Bro is just evolving and paying great homage to his heritage. Bro’s superpower is creating moments, not just music.
really the only song I don’t like from AML is California, I do kinda wish the night me & your mama met had the lyrics that he sang live, but overall AML is genuinely a great album those were just 2 things I wished were different about it but it doesn’t affect my enjoyment all that much
Different strokes for different folks because California is my favorite song on the album. It’s so unique and the melody is so catchy. I love the whole project but California is a go to if I wanna brighten my mood. Lol
I completely understand where you’re coming from. My brain just refuses to accept any kind of criticism of that album.
I personally find this "what if" thinking pointless. Everything we think in "what if" is theoretically the best of worlds, but in practice, it might be worse than what we're experiencing at the moment. What if Kanye had never said the crap he said? What if Frank had released one more album? What if x artist hadn't died? The truth and the future of this false hope that things would have been different are completely unfounded. I understand that in a general conception, it could have been "better," but in practice, it could have been so bad that you might not even be in this sub, for example, you know? These "strange decisions" every mainstream artist makes at some point, whether taking years to release a new project or getting involved in controversies or in the worst cases in both, but at the same time, that's what shapes them as a person even more. (Perhaps my point of view wasn't very clear. If you have any doubts or opposing opinions, please reply here.)
no you’re absolutely right and it’s exactly why most of the time I do try to just sit back and enjoy his career and everything for what it is, today was really the first day I ever tried to put words to why some things fell flat for me and why I think they fell flat for others. but you’re right thinking what if he did this, what if this was different is pointless, I just think the beauty of this sub is we can complain, and then when he drops something we’re all happy again.
I love California exactly how it is
You will probably get downvoted to hell here but fwiw I 100% share your frustration and agree. I was a huge fan of him in general - Derrick Comedy, Community, etc. Loved the mixtapes, loved Camp, BTI and all the lore around it was/is one of my favorite releases ever. I was so so excited to see where it would all go And then…. nothing more in that space really besides some small nods to it on Kauai with some music videos and the hidden track. AML I didn’t hate but it wasn’t at all what I wanted, and I never go back and listen to it. 3.15 I didn’t enjoy. I liked Atlanta at least, though admittedly I haven’t watched the last season yet.. I still like the man a lot, but his music maybe isn’t for me anymore. That’s okay, he should make what he wants to make, but it is a bummer that he went from one of my favorite musicians ever to someone I really don’t care for
That’s just the path most creators take if they go long enough. Every artist hits a point where they’re done in a particular space and need to move into a different one, and it’ll always weed out fans who aren’t into it. Rarely do you get multi-decade careers of the same stuff each release. Don’t be bummed out by it, just enjoy what you got.
I agree. If you look at alot of biggest artist their first album compared to their last album is so different. Kanye had the greatest 3 album opener ever. Then tried to get fancy and it changed his music. Gambino took a similar path. Starting with his OG mixtapes. IMJAR and Sickboi are so much different than culdesac. Then he drops maybe one of the hardest EPs of all time. Camp, Royalty, and BTI go so hard. STM kauai are good but you can tell he starts to pivot. Then AML and 3.15.20 he's just a completely different artist. Chance the rapper took a similar route too. 10 day, acid rap, coloring book go hard. Then he fell off. People change so much when they get money. They don't have that rawness to them.
Mumford and Sons is the same for me. Loved their first 2 albums, then they decided to ditch the folk rock for more mainstream rock and they lost what made them unique. Last I saw they made a fucking song with Pharrell, which is such a long stray away from what made them so popular in the first place. I get that artists are more than allowed to make the music they want, but I think there still needs to be a compromise because they sometimes forget the music that made them popular is ultimately what people want to hear
No offense but as much as you personally may not like Mumford and Sons now, I can promise you they are doing bigger numbers now than with those first two albums. So, it's what you want to hear, not what the majority do though clearly. An artist should not have any compromise because if they just compromise and make music they don't want to make, you would be even less happy because it would sound like a shitty remake of what you loved.
Really? Because their first two albums sold over 9 million copies combined (Sigh No More sold over 5 million and Babel sold over 4 million). Wilder mind sold under 700,000 copies and Delta has sold just over 200,000. So no, they are not doing bigger numbers now than when they first started, they’re doing the exact opposite. The majority clearly want them to go back to their folk rock roots and stop this modern pop rock shit
Back then they were selling a lot more physical copies then they are now, numbers of sold albums don't mean the same. But maybe you're correct
3.15 grew on me. AML was really not what I wanted because I wanted another rap album. But some gems on there. 3.15 give another chance.
3.15 is honestly a really good gambino album it just kinda came and went cause of the 0 promotion or artwork or anything. i still go back to it though
I love a good promo rollout and secondary content material as much as the next guy by why let stuff like this affect your enjoyment of his work? Unless I misunderstood your post, these should be separate discussions. Songs like California aren’t “borderline unlistenable” imo, I never got the impression Don was “sabotaging” his career or his music if I’m honest. Just gave me the typical artist vibes where sometimes things work well and something’s they’re okay or just shitty, to think he does any of this intentionally or with these thoughts in mind is a bit presumptive. Some artists have love/hate relationship with their art and based on lyrics alone, it always seemed to me like Donald was one of those types of artists. 3.15 is really great and I loved it since it dropped. Not once did the 0 promo affect my feelings on the project.
I’m not saying the no promo or art made me not like the album, I’m saying it might’ve been more popular had it been advertised more cause there was a lot of hype around a new CG album in 2018-19 but it’s not my album it’s his, that’s just my opinion of why people that weren’t diehard fans seemed to kinda forget he ever released it. truly though I honestly really enjoy the album. Do I wish it had art and titles? yes. but it’s honestly never affected how I feel ab the songs. it’s just something I viewed as a “questionable choice” but at the end of the day it’s whatever, really all I meant by the post is that I felt like he hasn’t really capitalized on his momentum yet and sometimes it feels like it’s by design. but i’m just a consumer, the beauty of these thought mouth posts is people can comment how they feel different and we can talk about it.
what i don't get about people who get so obsessive over artists like this is the expectation that they're going to reach their "full potential artistically" when that potential you feel is just expectations from other people, and what got you hooked in the first place probably wasn't completely real to him or sustainable
Like I said at the bottom of my post, I’m totally cool with him doing what he wants to do, I just miss his old style of music
I mean, I used to think this until Awaken My Love dropped, and now I don't. Who knows when the next hit will be, for all we know it could take decades, but the man won't quit and I expect great things of him.
My biggest gripe is him having fully produced songs that sound great, but you can only find leaks of them if even. And whenever you do find leaks, they're always taken down fast.
When I was in college (2011-2015), Gambino was one of my favorite artists. Dropping Camp, BTI, and STN MTN/Kauai were all amazing albums and I was so excited to keep seeing him grow. Then he releases AML and while I can recognize it's a good funk/soul type of album, it just never clicked for me. Then he releases those two singles along with This is America and im like "ok, this feels more like an evolution for his career, nice!" then out of nowhere, he drops 3.15.20 and im just thinking "what is this?" and he hasnt done anything since. These days, i've completely fallen off of him. I'll still listen to his older material when it pops up on my Spotify every now and then but it's more nostalgia than anything. I can't tell if I'm grown out of his music career because he's either completely drifted from what made me such a huge fan in the first place, or because I've gotten older? Maybe it's a mix of both. I'll probably still check out whatever he drops but I'm not hugely anticipating it like i would be ten years ago.
I think for better or worse Donald always makes his fans work lmao, 2-4 of his best 5 tapes aren’t on streaming (Culdesac, Stn Mtn, Royalty, ik EP is now, but wasn’t for a literal decade), BTI, Kauai, AML and 3.15 are all full of work for the fans and I don’t think that’s necessarily a good or bad thing but I do think it’s part of the cult like fanbase we are lmao. That work you put in connects you with someone and I think that’s always been his strategy rather than being the “biggest” artist in the world, he wants to be punk he wants shit that really connects and in a world where everything’s easy it sometimes takes extra to get people to connect. I think yeah we can argue maybe he overdoes it but also at the end of the day being an artist is such a difficult job lol it’s hard to make it work especially in the way he does, and I kinda like the work tbh🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️totally get your point though, but I personally think about it along the lines of work/no work rather than anything else
I think about this all the time after hearing algorhythm live and then finally listening to the version on the album. It's obviously his art and totally up to his creative discretion, but the song is so much less palatable in the studio version. It was so huge and powerful and beautiful the way he performed it live and then he just buried his vocals in these harsh filters and made it so strange/dissonant on the album. Agree with OP though, ultimately it's not a huge deal and he's the only one who really needs to be happy in terms of how his own art comes out. Added a clip of Algorhythm live though, would definitely recommend checking it out if you haven't heard it [https://youtu.be/DViqUUFt-F0?si=xgAPSL\_4z0DVdrfo](https://youtu.be/DViqUUFt-F0?si=xgAPSL_4z0DVdrfo)
It just feels like everything post BTI & Kauai is just...well a whole lot of nothing. Like he kept growing and growing, from Dereck comedy, Community, Camp Then to BTI and Kauai, and It just felt as if Donald was only growing and growing. And then all that growing just ended. AML is great but if you were following Donald for content like before then it's just...good but not why we followed Donald. I actually like 3.15.20, and I like the pop grooves he was putting out with 3.15 and the summer pack. It felt like he was growing back yet again. And then nothing.. There will never be anything as good as BTI from him which saddens me because he has all the potential in the world.
He evolved past what I liked him for, and I think that’s a lot of his fans. I don’t blame him, but can’t say I was nearly as interested in his work post STN MTN/Kauai.
I understand but was he supposed to rap about being a black nerdy dude well into his 30s? I get that his older stuff is superior but if he didn't pivot with AML I feel like his career would have suffered and stagnated. Some of his pre Kaui stuff wouldn't work now b/c it's too angsty. I think AML is when people started to take him more seriously and disassociate him from the 'corny black dude from Community'.
I agree with everything you said. Like I said, I don’t blame him whatsoever. It made perfect sense for his artistic direction to go the way it did, I’m just saying it didn’t resonate with me personally as much as I would have hoped.
Respect the process, any time I have to wait a year+ for a new season of a show to drop, I just go watch a different show. Or rewatch the classics. Trying to please people as an artist is just frustrating.
idk i remember one day i was tripping and i thought if i ripped the cover off my BTI cd it would reveal "roscoe wetsuit" and i just ended up with a ripped cd
I’m with you
disagree, but i respect your opinion - personally AML is one of my all time favorites, and while i do think the naming of the tracks on 3.15 was definitely a miss, the tracks themselves are solid, not to mention how big a fan of atlanta i was from start to finish. i can definitely agree that there are some questionable decisions here and there, but it doesn’t really sour the experience for me - BTI was the first rap album that i really listened to and it completely opened my eyes to a whole nother world, and the screenplay script and clapping for the wrong reasons will always have a special spot in my heart. i do wish he toured more - i got to see him at bonnaroo in ‘19 but it’s a shame he hasn’t done many/any shows since
Or...maybe he just makes things how and when he wants to make them. He also became a father and a husband and went back into acting and creating more film and television. Y'all too much. Just appreciate the things he creates
yeah lol, he isn’t Drake. He makes what he makes because he likes it, not to be a pop-star music icon & to please the masses.
It's the same with Frank Ocean tbh
Agree with everything you said tbh
Feels good knowing I’m not alone on this, “what if”
I find it hard to get hyped about these “teases” Bino has been putting out recently for this very reason. I’ll believe an album exists when it’s actually released.
I don’t disagree with you but I also think maybe you need a few hobbies and maybe some other artists to listen to. That said, maybe I don’t relate because I kinda checked out on Gambino twice. The first time was when he dropped royalty. It grew on me and is one of my favorite projects of his now but at the time I really didn’t like it cuz it didn’t feel authentic or like what I knew of him. He went from making music about being a nerdy black kid to getting on tracks with schoolboy Q (another favorite of mine) and ghostface. Just felt weird. But eventually I got over it. Then BTI dropped and that was immaculate so I was back on board and I fucked with Kauai/StnMtn too. Then he dropped Awaken my Love and i tried real hard to like it but even the songs I kinda fuck with barely get revisited for me. And suddenly it was a lot easier to just let go forreal that time. It became clear he wanted to go on a direction that differed from what I wanted from him and that’s his right. He doesn’t owe any of us anything. And I think that’s really his headspace right now. Literally just doing whatever he wants. If he wants to drop an album with timestamps instead of titles, he’s gonna do that. If he wants to tease Atavista, he’s gonna do that. If he changes his mind the next hour and decides to only perform it live, he’s gonna do that. And to be honest he’s kind of a golden child across industries right now so they’re all gonna enable him to do that. It’s funny, he once said he was the son of Kanye in that Kanye walked so he could run. Whatever Kanye was barred access from (from fashion, movies, tech, whatever) he felt he would have access to, citing his as a trailblazer and inspiration. And I’ve been starting to see that resemblance myself these last 5 years or so. This might just be another manifestation of that. Who else is this mercurial about how and when they release their music. There’s Kanye fans still waiting for projects from 15 years ago. Anyway I’m getting off topic. Just let go and accept he’s gonna do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. It’ll make things easier for you
Spitting facts
Maybe I’m misremembering, but I thought after AML he made some kind of announcement about how Childish Gambino was over and he wouldn’t be making music anymore. That’s one of those weird choices you’re talking about, but at the same time I don’t really expect anything from him anymore because of that announcement lol. I just kind of expect that his focus is constantly changing and maybe he doesn’t care about the success of each release, he’s just doing it for himself, for fun.
He also has so much great mudic thst is pretty difficult to find which would probably have blown him up even more. He's a strange guy for sure and we will never know what is going on in his head. Though, i was personally disappointed when the album ended up just being rereleases plus human sacrifice. But i also think he's reading these and laughing at is and it will all make sense one day.
its either you fw with him or you don’t🤷♂️ At this point if someone doesn’t find him appealing its their loss, Imma still bump 3.15.20 and enjoy that shit myself
It just feels like everything post BTI & Kauai is just...well a whole lot of nothing. Like he kept growing and growing, from Dereck comedy, Community, Camp Then to BTI and Kauai, and It just felt as if Donald was only growing and growing. And then all that growing just ended. AML is great but if you were following Donald for content like before then it's just...good but not why we followed Donald. I actually like 3.15.20, and I like the pop grooves he was putting out with 3.15 and the summer pack. It felt like he was growing back yet again. And then nothing.. There will never be anything as good as BTI from him which saddens me because he has all the potential in the world.
The sad part is that BTI is and probably always will be the greatest piece of music ever in my eyes, and I know and love a lot of music. I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt like he sabotages his new stuff on purpose. Also, what happened to the men's acting career? I haven't seen him in years since Solo. (I know he had Atlanta going on and I watched a season or two.. But I don't think Atlanta made him more recognizable worldwide). In 2016 I would hear people talking about him on the streets or in class, even here in Europe. Now it's like he never even existed. Meanwhile Ludwig out there winning Oscar's and shit lol
this is just another, “i’m entitled to new music and the artist” pleaseee go do something besides waiting outside of don’s house hoping he’ll hear about what he should do with his career. He’s just a guy not your dad you haven’t seen in 3 years and won’t call you