In what may be the weirdest news you’ll hear all year, Childish Gambino is planning to release a virtual reality version of his upcoming album, Awaken, My Love! In pre-orders that recently went live on his website, a couple of packages became available: you can snag the album with an exclusive poster, just the album itself, or the super mysterious “virtual reality limited edition vinyl.” If you opt for that one, it’ll set you back $59.99 (price, apparently, is subject to change), and you won’t be getting it until 2017.
While intriguing, what makes the vinyl here a tough buy is the fact that nobody knows what the heck actually makes it virtual reality. If we can guess the content, it probably has something to do with Gambino’s “Pharos” festival, where the artist performed the record live back in September.
With all the video taken there, perhaps some of it will be integrated somehow while listening to the album. Though the whole virtual reality thing might sound like a gimmick here, just remember that dance-rock band Innerpartysystem once released playable vinyl that was completely made out of chocolate, so … anything can happen.
Whether Childish Gambino is changing up the game with his festivals, his television shows, or virtual reality vinyl, the funk-inspired music that he’s been releasing surely sticks out the most. We don’t have long now until the full album drops, either, as Awaken, My Love! comes out on December 2nd.