When Is the New Gorillaz album out? Speculations in 2016

Fans of Gorillaz who has been anticipating the virtual band’s fifth studio album ever since news that it was coming in 2016 will be excited by recent words from frontman Damon Albarn.

“I’m loving it and it’s getting there,” the Blur frontman and eclectic musician said during a recent interview with BBC Radio 6 Music. The singer says the highly anticipated album “should be ready fairly soon.”

The news that Gorillaz was making a new album came in September last year, but its progress has been stalled by Damon Albarn's various commitments. However, the album's recording process has remained fairly steady. Rumour has it that some of the collaborators include French musician Jean Michel-Jarre, rapper Vic Mensa, songwriter Liam Bailey, and producer Twilite Tone.

Chicago rapper Vic Mensa is known to be part of the collaboration too as photo of him in a studio was posted by producer Remi Kabaka. Mensa was also included in the studio with the animated band.

But despite Albarn’s hopeful 2016 agenda, his Gorillaz partner Jamie Hewlett has told fans that a 2017 release is more realistic, because the album is, “really fucking special,” and, “can’t be rushed.” The pair met when they were roommates in London in the 1990s amidst the heydays of Britpop where Damon was at his peak with Blur.

The new album will also be more catchy and uplifting, says Damon Albarn. "I'm determined that my next record will be very upbeat, and I will try to set myself the benchmark of 125 bpm and nothing underneath that."exclaimed the frontman.

Jamie Hewlett also talked about the band's new visual approach with Rolling Stone. "It's going to change – I can't tell you how. But of course it's going to be different, I can't do what I've already done, that's not interesting to me. In the same way Damon changes with his music and moves forward, I do the same. It's going to be a different look," he said.

Indeed, 2D looks much more larger in size according to pictures posted on Jamie's Instagram feed. The characters also feature new outfits and hairstyles, as seen in some of the newer images. Jamie Hewlett is known for updating his feed with unreleased photos of Gorillaz ahead of the official release of albums.

Gorillaz's last album was The Fall, which was released in early 2010. It's about time that fans of the band should get something new, and it looks like we will hear back from the band anytime soon.

Follow Jamie Hewlett on Instagram HERE.
Read 6 fun facts about Gorillaz HERE 

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New Blur Vinyl released - 2016

Heads up for all Blur fans- a new Blur vinyl is going to be released to celebrate the band's first album Leisure and its 25th anniversary. The band's debut album Leisure was first released in 1991 and contains singles such as "She's So High" and "Bang".

The new vinyl is going to be released on a turquoise vinyl by Parlophone. It will contain a remastered tracklist rendered in Abbey Road, although there any details of bonus content or extra tracks has yet to come. The Britpop band reconvened in 2015 for their first album release in 12 years. Their comeback album 'The Magic Whip' was the first Blur album to feature Coxon since 1999.

‘Leisure’ tracklist: 

Side A 

‘She’s So High’ 
‘Bang’ 
‘Slow Down’ 
‘Repetition’ 
‘Bad Day’ 
‘Sing Side’ 

Side B 

‘There’s No Other Way’ 
‘Fool’ ‘Come Together’ 
‘High Cool’ ‘Birthday’ 
‘Wear Me Down’. 

Damon Albarn Angry over Brexit

In a historic referendum, Britain voted to leave the European Union, leaving a wave of economic uncertainty that has left many musicians and entertainment industry members crestfallen and outraged.

British musicians like Blur's Damon Albarn and British indie pop band Bastille used the stages of Glastonbury Festival as a platform. "Democracy failed us because it was ill-informed," Albarn said Friday morning onstage.

Bastille changed the lyrics of their hit "Pompeii" during a live acoustic set, with frontman Dan Smith singing, "And the pound kept tumbling down on the weekend that we love." The British pound sank to its lowest level in 31 years following the decision.

The "Brexit" vote means that over the next two years, Britain will negotiate its secession plan with the EU, the 28-state economic and political union initiated after World War II and formally established in 1993. Many fear that one of the repercussions of the Brexit will be the secession of Scotland from the U.K. since Scots voted to remain in the EU. British prime minister David Cameron also announced his resignation hours after the vote to leave the EU was determined.

Many members of the music community took to social media to voice dismay over the vote, including Oasis' Noel and Liam Gallagher, Dev Hynes, Disclosure, Ellie Goulding, Johnny Marr, Lily Allen and J.K. Rowling.

Source: Rolling Stones