Donald Glover Announces New Childish Gambino Album Amid Rumors He Refuses To Pay Model

Donald Glover has new music on the way but no response to claims of low-balling the Black model who appeared on his 2016 album cover.

Donald Glover has new Childish Gambino music on the way, but no response to claims of low-balling the Black model who appeared on his 2016 album cover.

TMZ caught up with Glover outside the Greenwich Hotel in New York on Thursday, Dec. 28, where he teased that “another album” was on the way “soon.” It’s great news for Childish Gambino fans who haven’t received any new tunes from the musician since his 2020 release 3.15.20.

In 2023, Gambino collaborated with KIRBY on an EP as part of his psycho-thriller Swarm with Janine Nabers. The multi-faceted entertainer has been busy with his onscreen appearances and production work and hasn’t released as much new music.

But his Grammy-winning album Awaken, My Love! recently became a topic of discussion over reports surrounding the model who appears on the cover. Identified as Giannina Otero, according to UpRoxx, an alleged Facebook post from Otero claims that she never received the residuals she was promised for appearing on the album cover.

“We received low pay but were promised residuals but never received anything… The only person who received residuals was a white woman who created the headpiece even though she was not on set to work on this (but she also deserves it),” she allegedly wrote.

“After years of lies and silence then finding out statute of limitation complications… it’s been an exhausting, emotional, and overall sad thing to deal with.”

Childish Gambino accused of not compensating team that worked on cover for his album "Awaken, My Love!" Model Giannina Antonette Oteto says Gambino has been dodging contact for years and the statute of limitations has now expired. pic.twitter.com/kqTnItWF32
— 👑Divided We Fall👑❤🖤💚 (@YtH8r) December 27, 2023

Many have been questioning the validity of the claims and Glover’s recent spotting might’ve been the perfect opportunity to ask him about it. But with all the paparazzi that were hounding him, it seemed impossible to address. At least we know there’s new music on the way.