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Damon Albarn Says Gorillaz Album Was Influenced By A ‘Dark Fantasy’ Like A Donald Trump Presidency

blame it on Patrick Glynn March 24, 2017
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Thursday saw the explosive return of Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz with four new singles featuring Vince Staples, D.R.A.M., Popcaan and others. The Gorillaz also announce their new album, Humanz, would arrive April 28.

The lead-up to the return — including visual storytelling of the Gorillaz’s four members and a new single, “Hallelujah Money” — was hefty and creative, so Albarn sat down with BBC Radio 1, who premiered two of the singles yesterday, about the band’s return.

“We’re in transition. We’re turning into something else,” Albarn began. “The album kind of came from this dark fantasy of… I suppose it came into my head at the beginning of last year, which was like, just imagine the weirdest, unpredictable thing happening that changes everything about the world. How will you feel on that night? Will you go an get drunk? Will you just stay at home? Will you just watch TV? Will you talk to people?”

He went on to discuss how the idea of Donald Trump partially influenced the album. “It’s not about Donald Trump at all,” Albarn said, “but it was imagining [him becoming president] happening. That was our dark fantasy, and unfortunately it became reality.”

Albarn also discussed the process of picking features and the extra bonus content that will rollout once the album finally drops.

Watch the interview below.