Atavista is the reissue of American rapper Childish Gambino's fourth studio album, 3.15.20, described by Gambino as a "finished version".[1][2] The album was released on May 13, 2024, five days after 3.15.20 was removed from streaming platforms. The album maintains the same guest appearances from the unfinished version (Ariana Grande, Kadhja Bonet, 21 Savage and Ink), while incorporating new guest appearances from Young Nudy and Summer Walker.
In 2017, Donald Glover, during a live performance, revealed he planned to retire the stage name Childish Gambino, telling the Governors Ball Music Festival audience, "I'll see you for the last Gambino album."[3] After some disputes with Glassnote, Glover signed with RCA Records in January 2018. In July 2018, Glover released the Summer Pack extended play containing the songs "Summertime Magic" and "Feels Like Summer", the former of which was labeled to be the lead single from Glover's forthcoming fourth studio album.[4] Later that year, Glover performed live dates on the This Is America Tour and announced at the debut show in Atlanta that the tour would be his last.[5] Individuals who purchased tickets to the tour received exclusive unfinished demos of the songs "Algorhythm" and "All Night" before the tour dates.[6] Along his tour, he played "Algorhythm" and "All Night" (the latter was only played in Atlanta), and he also premiered new songs, then believed to be from his upcoming studio album, including a different version of "Atavista" and "Human Sacrifice".[7] A Google Pixel 3 advertisement also debuted during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards featuring Donald Glover and using the previously teased song "Human Sacrifice".[8]
Glover's fourth studio album, 3.15.20, was originally streamed to the public on March 15, 2020, before releasing a week later on streaming services.[9][10] The album was released amid the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as following the death of Glover's father. It received acclaim from critics, but Glover reflected on its unfinished nature and how it had impacted its reception and legacy.[11]
Promotion and release
On March 15, 2024, four years after the album's initial release, Glover teased a re-release of the album with the title Atavista, showing an updated tracklist that included alterations in tracks and sequencing.[12] A month later, during a radio broadcast by his production company GILGA, Glover revealed that 3.15.20 was rushed out to streaming services because of personal issues and the start of the pandemic, and he plans to re-release the project as a "finished" album under its original title Atavista.[13][14] Glover also revealed that following Atavista, a tentpole film from GILGA titled Bando Stone & the New World would release with its soundtrack acting as the final album under the moniker of Childish Gambino.[15][16]
On May 8, 3.15.20 was removed from select streaming services leading up to the release of Atavista less than a week later. Atavista released as a surprise drop on May 13, alongside a music video for "Little Foot Big Foot" directed by Hiro Murai.[17][18] That same night, Glover also confirmed via X that a new album, Bando Stone & the New World, would arrive in the summer.[19] The tracks "0.00", "32.22", and "42.26", which appeared on 3.15.20 were not included on the album.[20] The first of those developed into the track "We Are God" included on Bando Stone.
A world tour from Childish Gambino, titled The New World Tour, will commence in 2024 in support of both albums.[21] A standard vinyl of Atavista will release in August 2024, with a special edition "video vinyl" coming later in the year. The latter, featuring exclusive videos for each song on the album was only available for purchase for 90 minutes on Glover's online store before no longer being sold.[22][23]
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