That new Gorillaz album you’ve been hanging out for is finally official. Ironically dubbed Humanz, the punk toon group’s first album in six years will fall from its tree next bloody month, on Friday, 28th April.
The animated outfit announced the news on Instagram overnight, with head honcho Damon Albarn appearing on BBC Radio 1 soon after to unload not one, not two, not three, but FOUR new tracks into our unsuspecting ear holes. Check out the full tracklist below, alongside streams of the four new tunes.
Speaking with BBC Radio 1, Albarn revealed that he and co-conspirator Jamie Hewlett teamed up with a galactic mixed bag of musical stars for the “party, club record” — which he adds has a “weird darkness” about it — including Grace Jones, Mavis Staples, Danny Brown, De La Soul, Pusha T, Kali Uchis, Kelela, Vince Staples, Savages’ Jehnny Beth, D.R.A.M., Popcaan, Jamie Principle, Kilo Kish, Anthony Hamilton, Peven Everett and Zebra Katz.
“Simply put, we’re in transition, we’re turning into something else,” Albarn says of the record’s narrative (via Consequence Of Sound).
“The album kind of came from this dark fantasy. Just imagine, the weirdest, most unpredictable thing that changes everything in the world. How would you feel on that night? Would you go and get drunk? Would you stay at home? Just watch TV? Would you talk to people?”
He adds that it took on an entirely new shape following Donald Trump’s shock win in the 2016 US Presidential election.
“I suppose we were imagining the idea of Donald Trump. It’s not about Donald Trump at all,” he explains. “But it was imagining that in a way. That was our dark fantasy, and unfortunately that became our reality.”
It comes after a bunch of fresh Gorillaz tracks leaked online courtesy of some savvy Redditors.
The standard issue of Humanz is packing 14 tracks — including the previously released ‘Hallelujah Money’ featuring Benjamin Clementine — with the deluxe edition featuring five bonus cuts.
Meanwhile, the band will perform live for the first time in almost seven years at a secret concert in London, with plans to reportedly perform the album in full, after announcing their very own festival.
‘Humanz’ Tracklist:
01. Ascension (feat. Vince Staples)
02. Strobelite (feat. Peven Everett)
03. Saturnz Barz (feat. Popcaan)
04. Momentz (feat. De La Soul)
05. Submission (feat. Danny Brown & Kelela)
06. Charger (feat. Grace Jones)
07. Andromeda (feat. D.R.A.M.)
08. Busted and Blue
09. 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. Noel Gallagher and Jehnny Beth)
Deluxe edition bonus tracks:
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 Voshana
18. Ticker Tape (feat. Carly Simon & Kali Uchis)
19. Circle Of Friendz (feat. Brandon Markell Holmes)
