Donald Glover Said He Made ‘Awaken, My Love!’ After Someone Told Him He Couldn’t Make a Hit

In a season five preview of The Shop, Donald Glover said he made 2016 album Awaken, My Love! after being told he “couldn’t make a hit.”

In a new episode of The Show, Donald Glover is giving his truth. Glover chats with Lebron James, J Balvin, Quinta Brunson, Lamar Jackson, Maverick Carter and Paul Rivera about his 2016  Awaken, My Love! album which he said was delivered out of pettiness.

“Did you ever tap into something that you feel is kinda bad to, like…it’s in you to win,” Glover said. “Because I struggle with that. I am naturally, like, petty. Like, extremely petty. Awaken, My Love! was literally because somebody was like, ‘Oh, he can’t make a hit.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, not only will I make a hit, I won’t make a video for it.’

Glover, in fact, didn’t make a video for the album but instead took the album experience to his Joshua Tree PHAROS shows in 2016. In a twist of fate, Awaken, My Love! amassed a hit with “Redbone” which won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2018. The song was also featured in 2017 film Get Out and basically… everywhere.

“It makes you stronger, but I also know it’s dark,” Glover added. “It’s not something that you should be…it’s not something that it should be [what motivates you], ’cause it’s bad.”

The new season of The Shop premieres today, but Glover fans won’t have to wait much longer to catch him on their screens again. The ten-episode third season of his FX series Atlanta will premiere on March 24th. Atlanta will end with its fourth season later this year.