Why Gorillaz’ ‘Humanz’ Is the Most 2017 Album Possible
gorillaz-humanz-album-review
April 27, 2017
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# Why Gorillaz’ ‘Humanz’ Is the Most 2017 Album Possible
## 1. It's diverse.
[Gorillaz \'We Got The Power‘ Live at Printworks London][1]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
In 2017, inclusion and cultural diversity have become super-important
issues in mainstream culture, and Gorillaz reflected that on *Humanz* by
making their most multicultural LP ever. Where else but on a Gorillaz
album would you hear disco heavyweight [Grace Jones][2]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"} and new-school rap favorite
Danny Brown on the same record? The full list of collaborators represent
humanz from all walks of life, many different genders, sexual
orientations, ages, races and parts of the globe, from Black American
rappers to dancehall MCs, queer icons and badass women who have
empowered people across generations.
## 2. It's post-genre.
[Gorillaz - Saturnz Barz (Spirit House) 360][3]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Listening to *Humanz* isn't like listening to other albums. Each song is
like its own mini-album that contains multiple stories, styles and
voices that overlap in a perfectly aligned and very complicated network.
And that's what makes it the perfect metaphor for listening to music on
the internet! In each song, the listener flicks through a bunch of
different genres as if they were skimming through tracks or listening to
an eclectic playlist or Pandora station. A perfect example of this
experience is "Submission (feat. Danny Brown & Kelela)", which is an
8-bit indie disco, an R&B ballad and a freaked-out rap cut all in
one. The song---and *Humanz* as a whole---is not one genre; it's many.
And that feels exactly how music ought to sound right now.
## 3. It's empowering.
[Gorillaz Ascension Live at Printworks London][4]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Many of the tracks on *Humanz* explore dark realities of the world our
species has created. Still, the overall message is about individual
empowerment and being yourself. That's what all the
mysterious interludes on *Humanz* are all about: accepting yourself,
daring to be different and facing the evils in our society. For
instance, "The Non-Conformist Oath" states, "I promise to be different!
I promise to be unique! I promise not to repeat things other people
say!" Throw in seriously strong tracks like "Ascension" and "We Got The
Power", and it's pretty obvious that *Humanz* directly asks all of us to
take a stand against the powers that be, which is more relevant now than
ever before.
## 4. It's woke.
[Hallelujah Money (feat. Benjamin Clementine) - Gorillaz][5]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
The [first song we heard from *Humanz*][6]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"} was "Hallelujah Money (feat. Benjamin
Clementine)", and it appeared the day before the American election.
Gorillaz mastermind [Murdoc][7]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener
noreferrer"} explained that "In these dark times, we all need someone to
look up to. Me. That's why I'm giving you this new Gorillaz song, a
lightning bolt of truth in a black night." That extremely Murdoc message
also fits for the whole album, which gets pretty dark at times. Just
look at the spaced-out nihilism of ["Saturnz Barz"][8]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"} or the absurdity of "Sex Murder Party (feat.
Jamie Principle & Zebra Katz)". The refrain on "Sex Murder
Party"---"Dissolve the keys in the seas of your priorities"---doesn't
shy away from the fact that we are all living in what feels like a
particularly crazy and scary era.
## 5. It incorporates trap beats.
[Gorillaz - Saturnz Barz - Live At Printworks London][9]{:
target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Even Kendrick Lamar---whose last album was an 80-minute jazz concept
piece---traded live bass for Mike WiLL Made-It's signature hi-hats and
booming 808s on his new single "HUMBLE.". From the delirious skitter of
album opener "Ascension (feat. Vince Staples)" to the narcotic lull of
smash single "Saturnz Barz (feat. Popcaan)", *Humanz* is laced with the
crisp sizzle of trap beats, and that's one reason why it feels so fresh
today.
## 6. It brings the past into the present.
[Gorillaz - Andromeda (Official Audio)][10]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Listen closely to the tracks on *Humanz*, and you'll hear echoes of the
past. "Strobelite (feat. Peven Everett)" is like listening to Funkadelic
for the first time. "Carnival (feat. Anthony Hamilton)" shows what it
would be like if Run DMC made beats for R&B singers. "Andromeda
(feat. D.R.A.M.)" is literally named after an '80s UK soul club. "We Got
The Power (feat. Jehnny Beth)" makes contemporary riot grrrl-style
punk-y '80s new wave. Throw these into the mix with the aforementioned
trap beats and futurist hip-hop bombast of "Let Me Out (feat. Mavis
Staples & Pusha T)", and the effect is actually not a trip through
time, but a flattening of it into one single moment in which all events
are experienced at once. Grace Jones, an artist whose heyday was the
'70s and '80s, fits in perfectly on this record, and that just proves
our point. There's no need for nostalgia anymore. Just take the best
bits and go!
## 7. It sends a powerful political message.
[Gorillaz Let Me Out Live at Printworks London][11]{: target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Gospel plays a huge role in *Humanz*, and that's not an accident. It's
part of *Humanz*'s commentary on the renewed vigor in conversations
about race and equality. The vast majority of the album's collaborators
were pulled from the many corners of the African diaspora, and that
sends a powerful message. This is an album that celebrates blackness
like Kendrick Lamar's *DAMN*. and *To Pimp A Butterfly *have in recent
years. Gospel, hip-hop, soul, funk, house---these are mediums that
convey a message that Gorillaz stands against the world's racial
injustice.
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM5N_Z256-Q
[2]: http://www.electronicbeats.net/artist/grace-jones/
[3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVaBvyzuypw
[4]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-mdgz8rkxY
[5]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDUrpPvU1_4
[6]: http://www.electronicbeats.net/the-feed/listen-new-single-gorillaz/
[7]: http://www.electronicbeats.net/artist/murdoc-gorillaz/
[8]: http://www.electronicbeats.net/the-feed/gorillaz-break-youtube-records-debut-saturnz-barz/
[9]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNspD9f9jkc
[10]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W44NWYwa1g
[11]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWONaaV5LUY
---
id: 17e424a4-3864-47a8-b3e8-b998cbad63d5
blueprint: article
title: 'Why Gorillaz’ ‘Humanz’ Is the Most 2017 Album Possible'
date: 2017-04-27T12:17:32+02:00
wp_id: '132883'
slug: gorillaz-humanz-album-review
teaser_image: legacy/gorillaz-humanz-album-review/humanz.jpeg
contents:
-
type: text
text: '<h2>1. It’s diverse.</h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM5N_Z256-Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gorillaz ''We Got The Power‘ Live at Printworks London</a></p><p>In 2017, inclusion and cultural diversity have become super-important issues in mainstream culture, and Gorillaz reflected that on <em>Humanz</em> by making their most multicultural LP ever. Where else but on a Gorillaz album would you hear disco heavyweight <a href="http://www.electronicbeats.net/artist/grace-jones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grace Jones</a> and new-school rap favorite Danny Brown on the same record? The full list of collaborators represent humanz from all walks of life, many different genders, sexual orientations, ages, races and parts of the globe, from Black American rappers to dancehall MCs, queer icons and badass women who have empowered people across generations.</p><h2>2. It’s post-genre.</h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVaBvyzuypw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gorillaz - Saturnz Barz (Spirit House) 360</a></p><p>Listening to <em>Humanz</em> isn’t like listening to other albums. Each song is like its own mini-album that contains multiple stories, styles and voices that overlap in a perfectly aligned and very complicated network. And that’s what makes it the perfect metaphor for listening to music on the internet! In each song, the listener flicks through a bunch of different genres as if they were skimming through tracks or listening to an eclectic playlist or Pandora station. A perfect example of this experience is “Submission (feat. Danny Brown & Kelela)”, which is an 8-bit indie disco, an R&B ballad and a freaked-out rap cut all in one. The song—and <em>Humanz</em> as a whole—is not one genre; it’s many. And that feels exactly how music ought to sound right now.</p><h2>3. It’s empowering.</h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-mdgz8rkxY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gorillaz Ascension Live at Printworks London</a></p><p>Many of the tracks on <em>Humanz</em> explore dark realities of the world our species has created. Still, the overall message is about individual empowerment and being yourself. That’s what all the mysterious interludes on <em>Humanz</em> are all about: accepting yourself, daring to be different and facing the evils in our society. For instance, “The Non-Conformist Oath” states, “I promise to be different! I promise to be unique! I promise not to repeat things other people say!” Throw in seriously strong tracks like “Ascension” and “We Got The Power”, and it’s pretty obvious that <em>Humanz</em> directly asks all of us to take a stand against the powers that be, which is more relevant now than ever before.</p><h2>4. It’s woke.</h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDUrpPvU1_4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hallelujah Money (feat. Benjamin Clementine) - Gorillaz</a></p><p>The <a href="http://www.electronicbeats.net/the-feed/listen-new-single-gorillaz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first song we heard from <em>Humanz</em></a> was “Hallelujah Money (feat. Benjamin Clementine)”, and it appeared the day before the American election. Gorillaz mastermind <a href="http://www.electronicbeats.net/artist/murdoc-gorillaz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Murdoc</a> explained that “In these dark times, we all need someone to look up to. Me. That’s why I’m giving you this new Gorillaz song, a lightning bolt of truth in a black night.” That extremely Murdoc message also fits for the whole album, which gets pretty dark at times. Just look at the spaced-out nihilism of <a href="http://www.electronicbeats.net/the-feed/gorillaz-break-youtube-records-debut-saturnz-barz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">“Saturnz Barz”</a> or the absurdity of “Sex Murder Party (feat. Jamie Principle & Zebra Katz)”. The refrain on “Sex Murder Party”—”Dissolve the keys in the seas of your priorities”—doesn’t shy away from the fact that we are all living in what feels like a particularly crazy and scary era.</p><h2>5. It incorporates trap beats.</h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNspD9f9jkc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gorillaz - Saturnz Barz - Live At Printworks London</a></p><p>Even Kendrick Lamar—whose last album was an 80-minute jazz concept piece—traded live bass for Mike WiLL Made-It’s signature hi-hats and booming 808s on his new single “HUMBLE.”. From the delirious skitter of album opener “Ascension (feat. Vince Staples)” to the narcotic lull of smash single “Saturnz Barz (feat. Popcaan)”, <em>Humanz</em> is laced with the crisp sizzle of trap beats, and that’s one reason why it feels so fresh today.</p><h2>6. It brings the past into the present.</h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W44NWYwa1g" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gorillaz - Andromeda (Official Audio)</a></p><p>Listen closely to the tracks on <em>Humanz</em>, and you’ll hear echoes of the past. “Strobelite (feat. Peven Everett)” is like listening to Funkadelic for the first time. “Carnival (feat. Anthony Hamilton)” shows what it would be like if Run DMC made beats for R&B singers. “Andromeda (feat. D.R.A.M.)” is literally named after an ’80s UK soul club. “We Got The Power (feat. Jehnny Beth)” makes contemporary riot grrrl-style punk-y ’80s new wave. Throw these into the mix with the aforementioned trap beats and futurist hip-hop bombast of “Let Me Out (feat. Mavis Staples & Pusha T)”, and the effect is actually not a trip through time, but a flattening of it into one single moment in which all events are experienced at once. Grace Jones, an artist whose heyday was the ’70s and ’80s, fits in perfectly on this record, and that just proves our point. There’s no need for nostalgia anymore. Just take the best bits and go!</p><h2>7. It sends a powerful political message.</h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWONaaV5LUY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gorillaz Let Me Out Live at Printworks London</a></p><p>Gospel plays a huge role in <em>Humanz</em>, and that’s not an accident. It’s part of <em>Humanz</em>‘s commentary on the renewed vigor in conversations about race and equality. The vast majority of the album’s collaborators were pulled from the many corners of the African diaspora, and that sends a powerful message. This is an album that celebrates blackness like Kendrick Lamar’s <em>DAMN</em>. and <em>To Pimp A Butterfly </em>have in recent years. Gospel, hip-hop, soul, funk, house—these are mediums that convey a message that Gorillaz stands against the world’s racial injustice.</p>'
---
Chunk #1 (Position: 0)
# Why Gorillaz’ ‘Humanz’ Is the Most 2017 Album Possible
Chunk #2 (Position: 1)
# Why Gorillaz’ ‘Humanz’ Is the Most 2017 Album Possible . ## 1. It's diverse. [Gorillaz \'We Got The Power‘ Live at Printworks London][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"} In 2017, inclusion and cultural diversity have become super-important issues in mainstream culture, and Gorill...
Chunk #3 (Position: 2)
Where else but on a Gorillaz album would you hear disco heavyweight [Grace Jones][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"} and new-school rap favorite Danny Brown on the same record. The full list of collaborators represent humanz from all walks of life, many different genders, sexual...
Chunk #4 (Position: 3)
The song---and *Humanz* as a whole---is not one genre; it's many. And that feels exactly how music ought to sound right now. ## 3. It's empowering. [Gorillaz Ascension Live at Printworks London][4]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"} Many of the tracks on *Humanz* explore dark realitie...
Chunk #5 (Position: 4)
I promise to be unique. I promise not to repeat things other people say!" Throw in seriously strong tracks like "Ascension" and "We Got The Power", and it's pretty obvious that *Humanz* directly asks all of us to take a stand against the powers that be, which is more relevant now than ever b...
Chunk #6 (Position: 5)
Jamie Principle & Zebra Katz)". The refrain on "Sex Murder Party"---"Dissolve the keys in the seas of your priorities"---doesn't shy away from the fact that we are all living in what feels like a particularly crazy and scary era. ## 5. It incorporates trap beats. [Gorillaz - Saturnz Barz - L...
Chunk #7 (Position: 6)
Vince Staples)" to the narcotic lull of smash single "Saturnz Barz (feat. Popcaan)", *Humanz* is laced with the crisp sizzle of trap beats, and that's one reason why it feels so fresh today. ## 6. It brings the past into the present. [Gorillaz - Andromeda (Official Audio)][10]{: target="_blank" ...
Chunk #8 (Position: 7)
There's no need for nostalgia anymore. Just take the best bits and go. ## 7. It sends a powerful political message. [Gorillaz Let Me Out Live at Printworks London][11]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"} Gospel plays a huge role in *Humanz*, and that's not an accident. It's part of *Hu...