Childish Gambino Returns With Lead Single, “Lithonia,” From Last Album
Childish Gambino has officially kicked off the beginning of his end — well, the end for this particular stage name, that is. On Tuesday (July 2), the Atlanta musician released “Lithonia,” the lead single for his upcoming album Bando Stone and The New World.
The offering, which also doubles as a soundtrack for a movie of the same name, looks to be a unique experience. If “Lithonia” is any indication, fans can expect the unexpected, adding an element of intrigue to Gambino’s final upcoming musical release.
“Lithonia” reunites Gambino with his frequent collaborator producer Ludwig Göransson alongside Max Martin and Michael Uzowuru for a pop punk-inspired number with a roaring guitar and cinematic keys. In the first verse, the singer name-drops a man named Cody LeRae, who is speculated to be the main character in Bando Stone, and Lithonia, a city in Georgia that has the zip code 30058, which could be a reference to his popular song, “3005.”
Gambino pleads with Lithonia throughout the song to reason with him because “these are your children [and] I am your son.” Several of the song’s choruses also add a layer of angst and emotional rife as Cody LeRae seems to be swearing off love and empathy throughout the song.
“Lithonia” was previously leaked by AudioMack on, to which Gambino took to TikTok Live on Wednesday (June 26) to address the mishap, saying, “That’s another reason why y’all don’t get good sh*t. For what? We don’t—it’s not valuable enough. And I know who did it. AudioMack. No soup for you, y’all not getting the album now.”
Along with the new track, Gambino has finally announced that Bando Stone and The New World will be released on July 19. Not much is currently known about the project other than the fact that it will be Gambino’s last project under that stage name.
Listen to Childish Gambino’s new track, “Lithonia,” above.