Here's What We Know About The New Gorillaz Album, Humanz.
The Gorillaz have risen up from their digital world to give us earthly creatures something to groove to and that's exactly what happened.
It's their first album since the 2011, The Fall.
It came as a surprise to a lot of fans because we all thought that they were done. Especially because Damon Albarn doubted the future of the Gorillaz until last year when he stated that they were working on new music.
The new album has several guests including in it, along with a short film.
The album itself is supposed to symbolize the dark new world we are about to embark in.
They created the song entitled, Hallelujah Money on the eve of Trumps inauguration. It was planned that way since the album was done before the end of 2016. Though the album itself really isn't political it was made during a time when the world was on the edge of their seats with the fact that Trump could become president.
Here is what Albarn had to say about it on BBC Radio 1:
“It’s humanz with a Z, which, simply put, [means] we’re in transition. We’re turning into something else. The album came from this dark fantasy that came into my head the beginning of last year, which was imagining the weirdest, unpredictable thing happening that changes everything about the world. How will you feel on that night? How will you go out – will you get drunk, will you stay at home, watch TV, talk to people? I suppose we were imagining Donald Trump. The album’s not about Trump at all, but it was imagining that happening, in a way, that was our dark fantasy. And unfortunately it became reality. It’s a party record, a club record. But it’s got this weird darkness about it.”
The Gorillaz are digital so they tend to need to have collaborators in their albums. They went about and beyond with this album with 24.
Here is the artist list:
Vince Staples, Peven Everett, Popcaan, De La Soul, Danny Brown, Kelela, Grace Jones, D.R.A.M., Anthony Hamilton, Mavis Staples, Pusha T, Jamie Principle, Zebra Katz, Kali Uchis, Benjamin Clementine, Savages’ Jehnny Beth, Rag’n’ Bone Man, RAY BLK, Kilo Kish, Imani Vonsh, Carly Simon, and Brandon Markell Holmes.
Albarn's method for choosing certain artist has to do with the emotion he's trying to get behind every message in his songs. He also likes to have them connect to his dark side of his artistry. Then and only then will he Collab with an artist.
The album has almost as many songs as it does collaborated artist. 14 on the standard album. 19 on the deluxe album, which is a must buy. When you include the interludes and skits it has 26 songs.
Here's the track list:
1. Ascension feat. Vince Staples
2. Strobelite feat. Peven Everett
3. Saturnz Barz feat. Popcaan
4. Momentz feat. De La Soul
5. Submission feat. Danny Brown & Kelela
6. Charger feat. Grace Jones
7. Andromeda feat. D.R.A.M.
8. Busted and Blue
9. Carnival feat. Anthony Hamilton
10. Let Me Out feat. Mavis Staples & Pusha T
11. Sex Murder Party feat. Jamie Principle & Zebra Katz
12. She’s My Collar feat. Kali Uchis
13. Hallelujah Money feat. Benjamin Clementine
14. We Got The Power feat. Jehnny Beth
Bonus material on deluxe version:
15. The Apprentice feat. Rag’n’ Bone Man, Zebra Katz & RAY BLK
16. Halfway to the Halfway House feat. Peven Everett
17. Out of Body feat. Kilo Kish, Zebra Katz & Imani Vonshà
18. Ticker Tape feat. Carly Simon & Kali Uchis
19. Circle of Friendz feat. Brandon Markell Holme
The short film they created is called, Saturnz Barz(Spirit House).
It starts with the group chilling in a haunted house and talking about pizza. Then they are taken through a worm hole into outer space where the band tends to feel normal.
The film includes three songs- Ascension, Saturnz Barz, and Andromeda.
The Gorillaz say that a tour is very probable. They have their own festival on June 10th called Demon Dayz. They we also be headlining in San Francisco at the Outside Lands Festival this year. They've already performed the album in its entirety at a secret sold out show in London and included all the collaborated artists in it. The ones that couldn't show up they added them into it digitally or as I call it The Gorillaz Way.
All in all this album is great. It's dark and beautiful.