Gorillaz

Gorillaz formed in 1998 as a collaboration between Damon Albarn (musician, Blur frontman) and Jamie Hewlett (artist, Tank Girl co-creator). The concept: a virtual band with four animated members — 2-D (vocals), Murdoc Niccals (bass), Noodle (guitar), and Russel Hobbs (drums). The cartoons did the interviews.

The cartoons starred in the videos. Damon Albarn wrote and performed the music behind the scenes with an army of collaborators.

The self-titled debut (2001) was the proof of concept. Clint Eastwood featured Del the Funky Homosapien rapping over a dub beat with Damon's melancholic vocals on the chorus. Tomorrow Comes Today was trip-hop perfection.

It sold 7 million copies and won them a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band.

Demon Days (2005) was the masterpiece. Feel Good Inc won a Grammy. DARE became a UK number one.

Every Dare to Be Stupid and Dirty Harry were everywhere. The album was darker, more cinematic, more ambitious — and it sold 8 million copies. Since then, every album has been a new experiment.

Plastic Beach was environmental synth-pop. Humanz was a post- apocalyptic party. Cracker Island was AI-anxiety funk.

The collaborator list reads like a music industry phone book: De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Bobby Womack, Elton John, Tame Impala, Robert Smith, Thundercat, Beck.

The self-titled debut (March 2001) established the formula. Clint Eastwood is the signature song — a melodica riff, a dub rhythm, Del the Funky Homosapien rapping about the undead, and Damon Albarn singing "I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad." 19-2000 was the pop single — "the world is spinning too fast, I'm buying lead Nike shoes.

" Tomorrow Comes Today was the moody closer. 7 million copies, Guinness World Record.

Demon Days (May 2005) is one of the best albums of the 2000s. Feel Good Inc opens with that laugh, that bass riff, De La Soul trading verses about a pleasure prison. DARE was the UK number one — Shaun Ryder from the Happy Mondays singing a hook so catchy it became inescapable.

Dirty Harry featured the San Fernando Valley Youth Chorus and Bootie Brown. El Manana was the heartbreaker. Every Planet We Reach Is Dead is the overlooked masterpiece.

Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head is narrated by Dennis Hopper. 8 million copies.

Plastic Beach (March 2010) was the environmental album — recorded on a fictional island made of ocean garbage. On Melancholy Hill is one of the most beautiful songs Damon Albarn has ever written. Stylo featured Bobby Womack and Mos Def.

Superfast Jellyfish was De La Soul again. Empire Ants featured Little Dragon. The Fall (December 2010) was recorded entirely on iPad during a US tour — lo-fi, ambient, experimental.

Humanz (April 2017) was the post-Trump party album — dark, danceable, with features from Vince Staples, Pusha T, Grace Jones, Mavis Staples, and Popcaan. The Now Now (June 2018) was Damon alone — introspective, synth-heavy, fewer guests. Song Machine (October 2020) featured one collaboration per track — Robert Smith, Elton John, Slowthai, Schoolboy Q.

Cracker Island (February 2023) had Tame Impala, Thundercat, Stevie Nicks, and Beck.

Gorillaz proved that the concept of a "band" is just a concept. Four cartoon characters sold more records than most real bands ever will. The virtual band format meant they could collaborate with anyone, play any genre, and reinvent themselves with every album — because the characters aged and evolved in the animation, not in real life.

Damon Albarn used Gorillaz to do things Blur never could. Hip-hop features. Dub production.

Electronic experiments. Orchestral arrangements. Every album is a different genre mashup — trip-hop, synth-pop, grime, afrobeat, new wave, funk.

The collaborator list across eight albums includes over 100 different artists from every genre imaginable.

Feel Good Inc alone justifies the entire project. That bass riff. That laugh.

De La Soul's verse. The windmill chorus. It won a Grammy, sold millions, and introduced an entire generation to the idea that animated musicians could make better music than real ones.

Jamie Hewlett's visual art made the band iconic. Damon Albarn's music made it last.