Having been MIA for a while, the Gorillaz are ultimately making a comeback in 2017. Gorillaz are a British virtual band created by Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn, in which the band consists of four animated members: 2D, Noodle, Russel, and Murdoc. Their career has soared over the course of almost 20 years that they have been around. On April 28 of this year, they will finally be releasing an album after a six year hiatus.

The last album that was released was one called The Fall. However, it was not as well-known as one of their previous albums called Demon Days (2005) which featured their hit single “Feel Good Inc.” Gorillaz have been around since 1998, but after about 19 years, they are back with a groundbreaking album called Humanz and have already impressed many listeners with four newly released tracks. Each of the four tracks feature guest stars and the songs are called “Acension” which features Vince Staples, “Saturnz Barz” which features Popcaan, “We Got the Power” featuring Jehnny Beth, and “Andromeda” featuring D.R.A.M. In addition, the tracklist has already been leaked and people are raving over the many other artists which are featured on there such as Pusha T, Mavis Staples, Kali Uchis, Benjamin Clementine, De La Soul (who was previously featured in “Feel Good Inc.”), Peven Everett, and much more. Macy Schrieber (10) describes the new album’s sound as “old styles mixed with different, yet experimental beats.” She also adds, “I am ecstatic that they have finally come back with some exceptional tracks.”

Besides the fact that the Gorillaz are releasing a fresh album, they have accomplished many over the years. Given the fact that their last album was some time ago, fans had expected that they were done for and would never come back. They were all wrong. For one, Gorillaz have influenced many with the way that they input a variety of genres and connect worlds into their songs and albums. They do not just focus on one specific genre, but rather they explore the diverse aspects of others. Consequently, they are out to send a message that it’s okay to explore other genres than to stick to one. They are the voice of a generation that deserves to be heard.

Since the start, Gorillaz have also shown immense signs of creativity in their whole project as a band, like in music videos and storyboards. Most their songs has an important message and usually, each music video would eventually connect with another which told a story involving the band members themselves. All in all, the music videos are well put together and are systematically organized which adds more entertainment for the fans. Their recent release of the four new tracks came with a 360 virtual reality music video for “Saturnz Barz (Spirit House)” and this video was noted to “break a YouTube record” as they “racked up over 3 million views in 48 hours” (Fader).

Overall, they make excellent and engaging music that can easily lure people in to listen. Yet, they also have creative ideas behind the music itself. In conclusion, there are hopes that their innovative album Humanz will prove just that Gorillaz have not lost their divine talent after a hiatus.