New Gorillaz music to premiere on BBC radio tomorrow

Image: BBC1

We’re one step closer to one of the most anticipated releases of the year, as BBC Radio 1 announced that new music from Gorillaz will premiere tomorrow (or rather, around 6.30am Saturday, Sydney time).

? World exclusive first play! New music from @Gorillaz tomorrow evening 7:30pm GMT @Mistajam’s #HottestRecord ??https://t.co/MiddFlHkJr pic.twitter.com/S2GYnWIBJ2

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) March 22, 2017

The Damon Albarn-led project has been fuelling rumours for years now, as fans await the follow-up to the last Gorillaz album, 2011’s The Fall. One single was released at the beginning of 2017, and a mammoth tracklisting leaked this week seemed to confirm that the new set is on its way.

NME’s dogged tracking of leaks and rumours suggests a release date sometime between next week and June, when Gorillaz are due to perform at their own Demon Dayz Festival at the top of a yet-to-be-announced lineup.

There’s no word as to when the song due to be played tomorrow – which is also Albarn’s 49th birthday – will become available on streaming services and digital stores. First single Hallelujah Money, featuring Benjamin Clementine, has a grim atmosphere and an unabashed political slant (it was released on the day Donald Trump was sworn in as US President), and is almost certainly too weird for the top 40, but there’s no telling whether the other tracks will lend themselves more to charting success.

The leaked track names and feature list offers some possibilities: big-name guests include icons Grace Jones and Mavis Staples, frequent collaborators De La Soul, current UK chart favourite Rag’n’Bone Man, and major names in hip hop like Vince Staples, D.R.A.M, Kelela, Pusha T and Danny Brown.

But fame alone won’t necessarily make for a hit – Albarn’s dark vision often sees his featured vocalists put to work in unexpected ways. In short, only time will tell.