It’s been over seven years since Murdoc, 2-D, Russel, and Noodle took up residence in Plastic Beach. Now, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett (the real life brains behind the digital band Gorillaz) have returned with Humanz, an expansive new album that seeks to challenge not only their own sound, but also the political climate.
When Damon Albarn branched out from Blur with Gorillaz, songs like “Clint Eastwood” became a global sensation. As a native Spanish speaker, I learned to speak Gorillaz before I could speak English. The early 2000s shaped my young millennial brain through 2-D’s sardonic lyrics and Hewlett’s haunting art.
I wasn’t the only one.
Always embodying social commentary, Gorillaz music has returned just in time for the coming of age of those they helped educate. Today, young voters across the globe are disheartened by divisive politics, the prolonging of senseless wars, and the realization that raising awareness doesn’t even begin to soothe most situations.
Is it really the end of the world? According to Murdoc, 2-D, Russel, and Noodle, it might be. But does that mean it’s game over? Let’s dive into Humanz and see what we find.
Knock, knock
Ben Mendelsohn answers the door to the Spirit House announcing, “I switched my robot off / and I know more / but I retain less.” With this Humanz adage, Gorillaz establishes a correlation between absorption and saturation, inviting us to proceed with caution into Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s new world.
Vince Staples’ familiar “Ascension” sets the scene. We’ve arrived at the End of the World party, where a constant need for disassociation clashes with the reality that our problems can no longer be coat-checked at the door. Staples wants to let his “people go crazy,” but is quick to sneak in verses like “where you can live your dreams long as you don’t look like me.” 2-D’s vocals are dreamlike and synthesized, reasoning that “in these times of sedition” he’s “just a lover.”
Welcome to the party
Although the party is off to a rocky start, Humanz faithfully represents our need to continue dancing our troubles away. Dancefloor anthem “Strobelite” follows, encouraging us to find new strength in the flashing lights. Peven Everett doesn’t shy away from probing questions either, but the beat successfully mantles any initial anxiety.
The illusion is sustained with “Saturnz Barz,” and De La Soul’s Gorillaz comeback “Momentz.” Is this party a little angry? For sure. But boy, is it exhilarating. Popcaan struggles with being taken for granted, 2-D abstractly reflects on life’s rougher edges, and De La Soul tries to remind us that good times like these are what make life worth living. Yet, “Momentz” is served with a distortional tune, reminiscent of a machine running out of battery.
“Interlude: The Non-Conformist Oath” brings back Mendelsohn, making us swear to be unique and independent, just to turn his back and tell us to stop repeating everything he says. Kelela and Danny Brown are the next headliners at this party, reclaiming the dance floor with “Submission.” Kelela laments being unable to “change their fate,” and Danny Brown admits “there’d be no heart on his X-ray.” The seventh track is the last attempt at holding on to illusions, but by the end of the song, the reign of “humans” ends, with Grace Jones announcing the ghost has arrived in “Charger.”
By far one of the best songs in the album, “Charger” calls the audience into “Humanz” ignition. The real party is about to start, but first we must get ready. Mostly led by 2-D, “Charger” gets us on our marks, ready to arrive at the best musical transition of all time: “Interlude: Elevator Going Up.” Only five seconds long, Ben Mendelsohn takes us to the Spirit House’s second level, where Gorillaz and D.R.A.M. await us with single “Andromeda.”
Level 2
Again, 2-D states he’s just a lover, a theme he’s been repeating at every turn. His sentimentality peaks in “Busted and Blue,” a track that, in full self-awareness, removes us from the dance floor and introduces us to a soliloquy. No party can save us, we’ve been busted, and our bluffs have been called. Slow and ethereal, Gorillaz ponders where everything comes from and our new way of understanding the world through the internet’s “echo-chambers.” In the end, 2-D concludes he is a satellite that can’t guide himself back to the light.
Our narrator returns with “Interlude: Talk Radio,” warning us that things are about to get messy. The Gorillaz’ lead singer has busted the door wide open for sinister thinking. Mendelsohn assures us that we “don’t have to take this any further,” unless, of course, we want to.
The reward for those who kept on listening is Anthony Hamilton’s “Carnival,” which invites us to look around and see our world with new eyes. Life was like a carnival before we woke up, and now we’ve gone and done it. Our inner humanz awake to the beat of “Let Me Out,” where Mavis Staples warns us that we must eradicate our old selves “a little” if we want to live. 2-D urges us not to tire, to wear Pusha T’s lament like armor. From there, we transcend to the Spirit House’s penthouse level.
“Something was going to happen tonight”
We fade into “Sex Murder Party” were Jamie Principle and Zebra Katz dance with destruction. Kali Uchis’ duet with 2-D brings us “She’s My Collar,” one of my favorites from the album. The duo presents a narrative of dissociative co-dependence, a dynamic of toxic cornerstones. The track asks of its listeners, what is your collar? What keeps you sane in times of chaos?
Again we find ourselves in Ben Mendelsohn’s presence. This time, he lets us know that the elephant in the room has been taken care of. It is now blowing confetti from its trunk, becoming one with the party. Benjamin Clementine takes the opportunity to lull us with “Hallelujah Money.” With this slower, softer melody, Clementine plays the Devil’s advocate, rationalizing the need for walls, the emergence of fear, the hunger for power. 2-D is heard in the background reminding us, “how will we know? / when the morning comes / we are still human.”
Gorillaz waves us goodbye with the single “We Got the Power” alongside Jehnny Beth. The send-off is energizing and moving, reinstating our sense of worth with the assertion that “we got the power to be loving each other no matter what happens.” In fact, Albarn sedimented this notion during the first live performance of “We Got the Power,” sharing the stage with lifetime rival Noel Gallagher from Oasis.
Deluxe version
The deluxe version of Humanz includes five extra tracks introduced by “Interlude: New World,” and all five are as good as the official lineup. The first, “The Apprentice,” was released as a single shortly before Humanz went live, and it is definitely deserving of joining the likes of “Saturnz Barz” and “Andromeda.” Rag’n’Bone, Zebra Katz & RAY BLK bring a hip hop vibe to what is probably the most relaxing song on the album.
“Ticker Tape,” featuring Carly Simon and Kali Uchis, is one of the most Gorillaz-sounding tracks, bound to transport you back to Plastic Beach. Finally, “Out Of Body” is worth mentioning, taking the cake for the most experimental and stylized Humanz endeavor. The Kilo Kish, Zebra Katz, and Imani Vonshà-infused track is an incantation, a blatant call to the afterlife. I can see how this track was too witchy and too different to fit into the original line-up, but I’m glad it was included out-of-narrative.
Unlike the social commentary found in songs like “Clint Eastwood,” Gorillaz doesn’t offer an escape with lines like “remember that it’s all in your head.” Humanz doesn’t care for subtleties. If their lyrics enrage you, then so be it.
One of the album’s biggest achievements is the band’s ability to bring in so many different voices and merging them into one cohesive narrative. As far as the music goes, every track on this album is a win. Each track successfully dives into genres like soul, r&b, synth rock, and hip hop. Yet, it is in songs like “Saturnz Barz” and “Out of Body” that Albarn’s genius is at its peak.
All in all, Humanz is both a worthy social commentary and a musical masterpiece. The music doesn’t exist solely for the sake of commentary and the commentary doesn’t exist solely to make the music more profound. This album was produced with care, and it shows.
I’m glad Gorillaz was my second language, and that Albarn continues to produce the kind of socially-conscious music that makes me want to dissect every single beat and lyric. Grade: A
Gabrielle van Welie is a fangirl with a lot of feelings. She runs The Nerd League with some of her nerd friends, and is known for ranting about feminism in Stranger Things, breaking down Riverdale personality types, and ranking Westworld characters. Her brain is 50% A Series of Unfortunate Events, 25% Pokémon, and 25% Gorillaz.
