Childish Gambino: Atavista (2LP) [WOLF+ROTHSTEIN/RCA]

Why you'll love it

This 2LP set comes in an embossed gatefold jacket with a booklet of credits. Atavista is Donald Glover's finished take on 3.15.20, keeping Ariana Grande, 21 Savage, Kadhja Bonet and Ink and adding Young Nudy and Summer Walker.

This edition

• 2LP set
• Embossed gatefold jacket
• Credits booklet included

About the album

Most artists put an album out and move on. Donald Glover put his out, lived with it for four years, and decided it wasn't done. 3.15.20 first streamed on March 15, 2020, at the start of the pandemic and soon after the death of his father, and Glover never stopped thinking of it as unfinished. In May 2024 he took it down from streaming services and, five days later, replaced it with Atavista.

Some of these songs have been around a while. Fans who bought tickets to the 2018 This Is America Tour got an early demo of "Algorhythm," and "Human Sacrifice" first turned up in a Google Pixel ad during the 61st Grammy Awards. "Time" with Ariana Grande floats on a gentle, hopeful groove, "Psilocybae (Millennial Love)" and "Sweet Thang" lean into slinky funk and soul, "Little Foot Big Foot" brings in Young Nudy, and "Final Church" closes on a note of quiet grace.

Glover first hinted at retiring the Gambino name back in 2017, which makes this a long and carefully considered goodbye. He went back to finish the job, which is more than we can say for the shelving in our back room.

Also at Kops: more Childish Gambino on vinyl · browse Hip Hop / R&B

Tracklist

Listen

On RCA (cat# 19802-81914-1), the 2024 album.