Animated hip-hop group Gorillaz had a very busy year in 2017. The band released their first studio album since 2010, Humanz, and have continued to tour the world in its support. This weekend, the band heavily hinted at another album, which had fans waiting on the edge of their seat for an official announcement. Today, the band officially rolled out the details of their sixth studio effort, entitled The Now Now, which is due out June 29th via Warner Bros. Records. On top of that, they’ll be touring North America.
Produced by Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford—who most recently worked with Arctic Monkeys on Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino—the new Gorillaz album features three special guest contributors: George Benson, Jamie Principle, and Snoop Dogg. The latter two, Jamie Principle and Snoop, appear together on the track, “Hollywood”. Recorded at London’s Studio 13 in February, Gorillaz have shared the album’s art and tracklisting, which you can see below.
Described by Damon Albarn as a “summer record”, The Now Now mostly focuses on his own vocals. “I thought I should make a record where I’m just singing for once,” he explained. “It’s pretty much just me singing, very sort of in the world of 2-D… I feel really good about it. I feel really really good about it.”
Additionally, two songs and a music video have been released. Watch the official music video for “Humility”, featuring George Benson and starring Jack Black. You can also stream “Lake Zurich” from the new release below.
“Humility”
“Lake Zurich”
[Videos: Gorillaz]
In addition to all this, Gorillaz have announced new tour dates, including arenas in Toronto, Montreal, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Chicago, before returning to Los Angeles for another Demon Dayz Festival. Tickets for all the shows go on sale Friday, June 8th, at 10:00 am PST/1:00 pm EST via Ticketmaster. Head to the band’s website for more information.