It’s 1997, in the late-night hours of London, two young blokes are sharing a flat and staring at their tv, watching the MTV logo shine brightly from the screen. Seeing the same material over and over, the two, one being the lead singer of a popular brit-pop band with hits all throughout the 90s, and the other, a well-established comic book artist, both felt that MTV was bland and it needed something new, something that would stand out amongst the rubbish. So, Damon Albarn, the voice of Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, the artist of Tank Girl, both combined their creative prowess to create one of the biggest and greatest Virtual Acts in the history of music: Gorillaz.
Gorillaz from the start has never been just a two-man project, however. Ever since its beginnings with their self-titled Gorillaz release, Damon and Jamie have always collaborated with others to bring their band’s signature sound to life. Gorillaz was co-produced by Dan the Automator and also featured collaborations with Del the Funky Homosapien on tracks like Clint Eastwood, and Rock the House, and Miho Hatori, the singing voice of one of the characters: Noodle, was featured on tracks 19-2000, and Re-Hash.
What would have to be my personal favorite album of theirs and in my opinion a true masterpiece of collaborations, keeping to a true Gorillaz sound would be the album: Plastic Beach. Featuring numerous collaborators from De La Soul to Bobby Womack, to Lou Reed, formerly of the Velvet Underground, and Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, both formerly of the Clash.
Gorillaz is still releasing new music today, with a brand-new album called: The Mountain coming soon in February of 2026. This album is inspired by the band’s trip to India, and its themes center around the afterlife, featuring posthumous performances from artists they’ve collaborated with in the past. Notably: one of the singles they have released so far: The Manifesto features a previously unreleased verse from the late Proof of D12, who previously had collaborated with Gorillaz back in 2001 for the single: 911
Gorillaz’ music has evolved so much over the years, and it impresses me just how many collaborators they’ve worked with in both the past and future. I cannot wait to hear the other unreleased songs to come with The Mountain and how they incorporate the old with the new.
