The New World as the Final Departure

After years of relative silence from the music scene, Donald Glover – known musically as Childish Gambino – has released new material and embarked on a farewell tour.

In May, Glover announced his “New World Tour,” which will hit North America, Europe and Oceania over the next nine months.

The plans came alongside the re-release of his 2020 album “Atavista,” previously known as “3.15.20.”

Glover spent the rest of the summer releasing his latest album, Bando Stone and the New World, premiering visuals from an accompanying film and embarking on a tour in August to support the record.

The multimedia event took place on September 1 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Before the music began playing in the arena, two circular stages were set up, equipped with optical fibers to allow for quick communication between the two sides.

While these details were a great indicator of what was to come, they did not foreshadow anything ahead of Glover’s support act, WILLOW.

In May, WILLOW released her fifth solo studio album, Empathogen, which features heavy use of jazz elements such as odd-quarter time and syncopated riffs, most notably on songs like “I Know That Face” and “Symptom of Life.”

While this style hasn’t exactly earned her the TikTok fame that has catapulted her to pop-rock staples like “Wait A Minute!” and “transparents oul,” WILLOW’s newfound flourishes fit a more natural setting for her voice and stage presence.

During her performances, WILLOW exuded strength of spirit and charm, accompanying the band that built her musical landscapes layer by layer.

The show was far from starting until a robot with a sine wave mouth appeared on the B stage.

But alas, it was just Glover and not a guest appearance by Daft Punk.

“H3@RT$ W3RE M3@NT T0 F7¥” opened the show and led various strobe lighting effects in successive rhythms.

This theme continued through much of the first act. The brightest light in the arena was Glover’s gospel vocals.

This was most evident in songs like “In the Night”, “Steps Beach” and “Feels Like Summer”.

After playing most of the songs from Bando Stone and the New World, Glover addressed the audience.

“Are there any real fans in Nashville?” Glover asked after every half-track he performed, as if there was someone in the crowd more excited about “Yoshinoya” than “Me and Your Mama” or “Heartbeat.”

When the audience was given a surprise song choice, they chose “III. Telegraph Ave. (Oakland by Lloyd)” over “Dadvocate,” the deep Bando Stone cut that Glover had performed a week earlier in Brooklyn alongside Shaboozey.

The “Awaken, My Love” option would have been much more radical.

While the million-dollar light show is captivating, the whole thing feels out of focus when focused on an album that the artist failed to place in its full context.

Bando Stone and the New World does not yet have a release date, leaving fans to pick up bits and pieces of content wherever Glover leaves them.

The multi-scene OLED arena isn’t a bad idea to watch, even if the deeper world behind that soundtrack still remains unknown to the general public.

What realistic similarities could there be between the dystopian, island-dwelling Glover in the movie trailer and the fiber-optic spacesuit-wearing Glover we see on the arena screens?

So yes, Nashville has true Childish Gambino fans. The turnout for Sunday’s show proves that fans are ready to see their artist one last time, regardless of the outcome.

This article was written by Ria Skyer