Gorillaz

Gorillaz is an English virtual alternative rock band formed in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. The group is primarily made up of four fictional members: 2-D (vocals, keyboards, melodica; vocals provided by Albarn), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) and Russel Hobbs (drums). Their universe is presented in media such as music videos, interviews, comic strips and animated short films. Gorillaz's music has featured collaborations from a wide range of guest musicians and artists, with Albarn remaining the only permanent musical contributor.

With Gorillaz, Albarn stepped away from the distinctive britpop sound of his band Blur and explored a variety of musical styles including hip-hop, electronic music and world music. The band's self-titled debut album in 2001, which features influences of trip hop, punk rock, dub and Latin music, went triple platinum in the UK and double platinum in Europe, driven by the success of the lead single, "Clint Eastwood". Their second studio album, Demon Days (2005), achieved six platinum discs in the UK, double platinum in the United States and spawned the hit lead single "Feel Good Inc.", alongside other popular singles such as "Dare", "Dirty Harry" and "El Mañana". The band's third album, Plastic Beach (2010), featured environmentalist themes, synth-pop elements and an expanded roster of guest artists. Their fourth album, The Fall, was recorded on the road (primarily on Damon Albarn's iPad) during the Escape to Plastic Beach Tour and was released on 25 December 2010.

In 2015, after more than ten years providing the voice of Russel, Remi Kabaka Jr. became a permanent percussionist and music producer for the band. Their fifth album, Humanz (2017), was the group's first in seven years and included a wide variety of guest artists, whilst its follow-up, The Now Now (2018), focused musically on Albarn. In 2020, Gorillaz launched the Song Machine project, a musical web series featuring episodes made up of standalone singles and accompanying music videos with various guests, culminating in their seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez (2020). The band's eighth studio album, Cracker Island (2023), received generally positive reviews as a refinement of their usual style. The band's ninth studio album, The Mountain (2026), was musically and thematically inspired by India and was acclaimed by critics, being considered by several reviewers to be their most solid work in years.

Throughout their history, Gorillaz have performed live in various ways, such as concealing the touring band from the audience's view in the project's early years, projecting the animated band members onto the stage using computer graphics and, since 2010, performing traditional live tours with a fully visible live band. They have won a Grammy Award, two MTV Video Music Awards, an NME Award and four MTV Europe Music Awards. They have also received 11 Brit Award nominations and won Best British Group at the 2018 Brit Awards.