Childish Gambino is currently out on the road in support of his fifth and final studio album – Bando Stone And The New World, as well as the Atavista (2024) reissue.
And on Saturday, the rapper and singer brought The New World Tour to Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, along with Willow Smith, who served as the opener.
While Gambino (born Donald McKinley Glover Jr.), 40, has let it be known he’s putting his Gambino moniker to rest, he still has a bit more time to perform for the fans before wrapping this part of his up.
‘It really was just like, “Oh, it’s done.’ It’s not fulfilling,’ Glover admitted to Billboard. “And I just felt like I didn’t need to build in this way anymore.’
The tour includes 33 stops across North America, that beginning in Oklahoma City on August 11 and ends in Chicago on October 3.
Willow Smith hit the stage at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday as the opening performer for Childish Gambino, who slated to retire the Gambino moniker soon
On the heels of her recent new studio album Empathogen (2024), Willow has made some radical changes to her music, incorporating more of a jazzy, dreamy version of her own R&B with some nuanced vocals.
Some might compare this version of the musician to Anne Clarke, better known to her fans as St. Vincent.
Willow, 23, hit the big stage looking very stylish and mature in a brown, sleeveless dress that hugged her fab figure, while
The daughter of longtime Hollywood leading man Will Smith and actress Jada Pinkett Smith
Smith, 23, accessorized with an array of necklaces, while having her raven locks styled in a high up off her face with a part in the middle.
Showing signs of wanting to diversify her sound and style, Empathogen serves as a departure of sorts for her following her last output, Coping Mechanism (2022), which was more of a hard rock, punk and emo blend.
Upon learning she would be hitting the road, Willow revealed it was an honor to share the same stage.
‘Childish Gambino is one of the most prolific visionaries of this generation. It’s an honor to be with him in any shape or form,’ Smith told Variety in July.
Gambino has been very open and honest about why he’s ready to drop the Childish Gambino name and go with just Donald Glover Jr.
‘It really was just like, “Oh, it’s done,”‘ the rapper told The New York Times. ‘It’s not fulfilling. And I just felt like I didn’t need to build in this way anymore.’
So once he wraps up all the promotion and touring for Bando Stone And The New World and the Atavista (2024) reissue, the Edwards, California native will put the moniker to bed.
After offering a hard rock, punk, and emo genre-bending style for Coping Mechanism (2022), Willow changed things up with a more jazzy and dreamy sound for Empathogen (2024)
While serving as the opener in Detroit, the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith oozed stylish elegance in a brown sleeveless dress and her hair teased up and out
Empathogen marks Willow’s sixth studio album since 2015
Childish Gambino kicked off the The New World Tour on October 11, and its slated to go through October 3 in North America with Willow as the opener
Gambino has been open about his plan to get rid of his Gambino moniker and only go by his given birth name of Donald Glover Jr.
Willow will be replaced by Amaarae when The New World Tour heads to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand from October 31 through February 11, 2025
‘I’m not 25 anymore, standing in front of a boulder like, “This has to move,”‘ the former 30 Rock writer said. ‘You give what you can, but there’s beauty everywhere in every moment. You don’t have to build it. You don’t have to search for it.’
Glover Jr. first announced that he was ready to get rid of his alter ego back in April.
Willow will be serving as the opening during the entire North American dates through until October 3.
Amaarae will then take over the opening slot when The New World Tour makes its way to Europe, Australia and New Zealand for shows from October 31 through February 11, 2025.
