TL;DR: Artists should stop repackaging albums and definitely don't delete them

In the past 24 hours, Donald Glover has released a reimagined version of 3.15.20. His fourth studio album released during the midst of the pandemic garnered widespread attention. The lack of normal song titles, a plain white album cover, hidden features, and a much more experimental version of his style made it a cult classic within his fanbase.

However, he decided to reconsider that album in a new format, with an actual title (Atavista), labeled songs, plus new features, transitions, and a mix that can be a little jarring to what people were accustomed to upon the initial release.



Yet, with this new version of his pandemic album, it’s left us to question artistic integrity and if artists should be repackaging their original work years later.

Don’t get me wrong, revisiting an album/song and trying to reimagine it in a better way probably hits artists all the time. But the moment you share that body of work with the world, it’s no longer attached to the artist and the producers, engineers, A&R, etc. who made it a reality. It lives within the world just like every other creation and those creations don’t just vanish into thin air.



Artists have been updating their albums and releasing future bodies of work for quite some time now. But removing the original version and putting it in a place with an “updated” work just seems wrong. 



Sure, the idea has come to fruition in a different light and the work of art better reflects the artist’s original intention. However, removing the original and saying this was what the final version was supposed to be all along defeats the purpose of an album’s initial release. An album is a reflection of a musician’s mindset and general viewpoint in life at the time. Removing it years later to put in a better version makes the art and integrity of the artist look somewhat murky. Imagine if Ye’s MBDTF was removed today with a better version (certain songs missing, transitions changing, features missing, and maybe a different intro and outro). Now, any future Ye fan would have a hard time seeing his original ideas and why people clamored to it for years. 



In a way, it comes off as if the artist shouldn’t have released it in the first place. Why release something you aren’t originally proud of, regardless of the reception? The feedback should help you better re-imagine your next body of work or whatever you’re trying to produce in life.



Nonetheless, the original version of Atavista is out there on YouTube, Soundcloud, or other places. I’m sure many will revisit it if they desired it a lot. But artists need to be wary of repackaging music years later just because they seee things differently. Deleting any sort of art can lead us into a slippery slope of rewriting history.

Also down for feedback on my writing style.

Just decided to write this in like 10 minutes, so I could've messed up some grammar/spelling

SUM THIS S*** UP .

TL;DR is at the top

I will say I am annoyed with how many older albums are only slapped onto streaming as a digitalized version, or only the remaster, or adding extra songs/live songs, or even combining 2 albums into one

at least give me the original version too for f***s sake

was just thinking about this today

TLOP was a first step in a frustrating direction for music fans in this context. I completely agree that Bino f***ed up by deleting the original version after years of it being live, especially with no warning. At least Cole let us know that 7 Minute Drill was coming down.

IMO, if there’s a substantial difference, go ahead and release it in addition rather than replacing. Feel weird about adding a song as a deluxe track or something? Idk, just wait til it’s finished to release it in the first place lmao. It just feels s***ty to know that a track you love could be gone tomorrow based on the whims of the artist, label, etc.

I like the new one better than the last

100% agree. A deluxe is fine and normal, but don't delete what you originally put out into the world

Major artists just treat music like a product than actual art. They gonna update, repackag, and sell it like it’s an iPhone

I mean same, but for example I found myself wondering about the differences between tracks and the track list and I wish I could’ve just pulled the original back up in its separated form even if the result would probably be me just choosing the newer tracks in the end.

I think it's fine to re-iterate on an original innovation like the iPhone, but don't delete the previous steps that got you to where you are.

Atavista would've been fine if he didn't delete 3.15.20. That's my real problem at the end of the day

Jesus f***in Christ ONE album gets rebranded and suddenly it's "Rebranding albums needs to stop"

The album you're talking about in particular actually had a legitimate reason to be rebranded/re-released, and it's because people didn't even listen to it or were complaining about the s*** having no track-titles. And realistically, it wasn't even finished when it was released.

If the pandemic didn't happen we would've gotten the album how it was originally intentioned, Glover announced the only reason why 3.15.20 was released the way it was is simply because he thought we were all bouta die and he figured "It's better to just put something out than to die with nothing".

nah fr who has done this s*** before lol

Deleting old version of an album is f***ed up too.
Someone f***ed up the mix on a new remaster of the stooges search and destroy

I didn't listen to this album but yeah old s*** should still be available in some capacity

Probably just Kanye? At least on a major artist level. Maybe Taylor Swift, but she did that specifically to finesse her label, which I think was very smart for her to do, and I don't think anybody complained about that. I think most people praised her for it because it was a direct f*** you to the industry and found a loophole.

Every other example I can think of are albums that were like 15-20 years old and I don't think anniversary editions of albums should even count as "rebranding an album".

I mean, Taylor's situation is different and the original versions are still there.

Anniversary editions aren't rebranding it. They usually come up with better mixing/mastering and release demos.

The album didn't really change, right?

Even so, just don't delete the original concept off of streaming services. And why put it out if you weren't ready (regardless of the pandemic)? It's not like someone leaked the whole album months in advance.

The "rebrand" added two new songs, two new features to songs, updated mixes, re-recorded vocals, removed two songs that weren't planned to be on the album to begin with. On top of all that, it's actually getting supported with music videos and a tour.

This album isn't really a "rebrand", moreso it is the album that was supposed to be given to us initially but was scrapped due to a global pandemic that put a hold on just about everything planned for it for almost two years.

And why put it out if you weren't ready

Again, the nigga thought we were all going to die

dope thoughts. not sure i fully agree with you but i see where ur coming from. i feel like what he did is pretty unique for better or for worse

i dont really see it as a trend but maybe im just unaware of more cases like this

lol it’s his music he can do whatever he wants with it and I hate bro lol

not reading this because artists can do whatever thee f*** they want with the blessing of their record label

maybe rebrand is the wrong word. "repackaging" is slightly better?

anyway, i get it and maybe why he released it in 2020 (i don't buy the we're all going to die tbh. probably wanted to capitalize on how we were all inside during that time).

i'm just not in the camp of releasing something, deleting it, and replacing it with an idealized version.

nothing wrong with what he did, but i don't want to see this as a trend.

i respect your thoughts nonetheless man 🤝

Yeah I fully agree, even if you as the artist don’t like the album anymore there are still people that will connect with the original work. I do think in the context of an album getting updated after a recent release is not bad. But this being a full four years later is a little wild.