Gorillaz released new music very recently. As a kid, I was obsessed with Gorillaz and was quite upset when they went on hiatus while I was in high school. Since then, I still listen to their hits when I’m feeling nostalgic. For those who have not listened to Gorillaz, they are a band formed in the '90s by pure coincidence. Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, co-founders of the other amazing band Blur, were interviewed by Jamie Hewlett, a comic book artist. That fateful interview led to the friendship that created Gorillaz by Albarn and Hewlett after a night of watching MTV, when the idea to create an animated band sprung about. Their genre is very broad and very experimental, with hints of reggae, electronica, hip-hop, and alternative rock. Gorillaz is an interesting and fun band to listen to when you have no idea what you want to listen to.
Since their 1998 creation, they have released four studio albums: self-titled "Gorillaz" (2001) "Demon Days" (2005), "Plastic Beach" (2010), and "The Fall" (2011). They have also released many remixes and special edition songs that didn’t appear on the studio albums. Every single album is experimental and different from each other in various ways. Many of their songs are accompanied by amazing music videos, with unique art styles and personalities for each of the animated band members.
As mentioned, Gorillaz was on hiatus for a while and the creators kept teasing the fifth album for years, as many musical artists do. Since 2014, Albarn hinted at working on the fifth album and planned to release new music in 2016. Then 2016 rolled around, and no songs were released. However, in 2016, interactive stories were released of the animated band members to show what they were doing since the band went on hiatus.
The hiatus of Gorillaz was caused by a falling out between Hewlett and Albarn, which was revealed in 2012 and they decided a reconciliation to work on the fifth studio album was very unlikely. However, now we are in the year 2017 with four new songs and a music video from their new album "Humanz" and I cried. In January, “Hallelujah Money” was released. In March, “Andromeda,” “Ascension,” “We’ve Got the Power,” and “Saturnz Barz” were all released. Along with these officially released, the tracklist was leaked online showing numerous collaborators such as De La Soul, Grace Jones, Pusha T, and more. The full-length album is set to be released on April 28, 2017.
Albarn went on record to say he wanted this album to be positive, upbeat, and fun. With the creative minds that brought us the last four studio albums, which were all immensely unique and fun to listen to, I am absolutely ecstatic for an album with songs jam-packed with fun sounds.
The year is 2017 and technology has advanced immensely. I can’t even imagine what their live shows are going to be like if and when they go on tour for the next album, what with their animated band members and the amazing graphic technology there is now. In addition to the five songs released this year, they also released the music video for “Saturnz Barz” which is embedded below. The music video is featured with 360° video experience, which is both interactive and an awesome way to show off their new music. I strongly urge everyone to become as excited as I am because their music and purpose are unlike any other bands I’ve listened to before.
