Artist: Gorillaz (2D, Murdoc, Noodle, Russel)

Album: Humanz

Genre: Hip-Hop, Alternative Rock, Electronic, R&B,  and Rap

Release Date: April 28, 2017

Our Rating: A

If you don’t already know who Gorillaz are you have probably encountered one of their two biggest hits Feel Good Inc. or Clint Eastwood. The band which is made up of four animated members: 2D, Murdoc, Russell, and Noodle first hit the scene in 2001 with the previously mentioned single Clint Eastwood. The band was formed by Blur’s lead singer Damon Albarn (voice of 2D) and Tank Girl co-creator Jamie Hewlett, animator of the band. They became widely popular with the release of countless catchy songs ranging from genres such as Hip-Hop to Alternative Rock, to Electronic music, Alternative Rap, and many more.

After nearly a seven-year halt the animated band Gorillaz got back on the scene and making up for their last album The Fall which fell short for many fans. Their new long awaited album, Humanz has proven once again what Gorillaz is all about: their ability to mix various genres together to make an elusive masterpiece. While they have always been known for their collaborations and genre-mixing, Humanz out-shines all previous albums in this aspect with a long list of 24 collaborators. Before the album’s release, they teased the crowd with a few singles; the music video to one of these singles Spirit House turned out to be extremely well animated and mind-bending, catching the attention of many fans as it featured the song Saturnz Barz and later got re-released in a 360 camera viewpoint allowing the viewers to have a pseudo-VR experience and explore the animated Spirit House as the song played.

The album is heavily inspired by the events that took place in 2016, mostly the election of the current United States president, Donald Trump. The contemporary beats of the album unravel an underlying message that touches on the social and political issues minorities are facing on a daily basis and includes messages of self-empowerment as well as highlighting how crazy the world has gotten in the past year. The album is extremely diverse in the musical aspect of every song; taking you through an entirely different experience in each respecitve track. While overall it follows a common theme, no individual song is the same. Whether you have a taste for rap or if you lean more towards relaxing tunes, Humanz includes it all.

The Apprentice, is the sixth single released from their album, features Rag’n’Bone Man, RAY BLK, and rapper Zebra Katz. The song directly brings up the issue of racial stereotyping. Although the message is enough to get you contemplating life, the song would probably make you feel more like you are on a relaxing late night drive in the city rather than feel like the weight of society’s issues is crushing you.

While the album proves Gorillaz can adapt to the flow of time, it is far from generic their Humanz tour was recently announced which has many fans excited. They will be coming to Florida this fall performing at the music festival III Points, for their first and only Florida performance. Don’t miss out!