On September 11, 2025, Gorillaz, the world’s most prominent virtual band, unveiled details of their upcoming album The Mountain, set for release on March 20, 2026. The announcement was accompanied by the debut of the album’s lead single, “The Happy Dictator,” a collaboration with the veteran art-pop duo Sparks. The news immediately generated excitement among fans and music critics alike, cementing Gorillaz’s reputation for innovative cross-genre experimentation and multimedia storytelling.
The new album arrives three years after the band’s last full-length release, Cracker Island, which saw Gorillaz collaborating with a variety of artists while refining their blend of electronic, hip-hop, and alternative rock. With The Mountain, the band has expanded its scope both musically and geographically. Recording sessions took place across the globe between 2024 and mid-2025, with the group working in London and Devon in the United Kingdom, multiple cities in India including Mumbai and Varanasi, as well as locations in Turkmenistan, Syria, and the United States. This ambitious production process has infused the record with diverse cultural influences and languages, including English, Arabic, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba.
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The tracklist of The Mountain reflects Gorillaz’s penchant for collaboration and experimentation. Alongside Sparks, the band has enlisted an eclectic lineup of contributors: Idles, Kara Jackson, Yasiin Bey, Johnny Marr, Black Thought, Anoushka Shankar, and Omar Souleyman, among others. The album also includes posthumous appearances by artists who have previously worked with Gorillaz, such as Bobby Womack and Tony Allen, as well as contributions from Dave “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, Mark E. Smith, Proof, and Dennis Hopper. The presence of these late collaborators provides a sense of continuity and homage to the band’s history, while at the same time reinforcing Gorillaz’s ethos of bridging the past and present through their music.
“The Happy Dictator” sets the tone for the project, both thematically and sonically. Featuring Sparks, the track has been described as a synth-pop number with a theatrical flair, combining playful melodies with underlying satire. Damon Albarn, Gorillaz’s co-creator and primary musical force, has explained that the song was partly inspired by his travels in Turkmenistan and his encounters with the legacy of Saparmurat Niyazov, the authoritarian leader once known as “Türkmenbaşy.” Albarn has characterized the track as both sinister and catchy, a song designed to be hummed along with while carrying a deeper commentary about power and control. This duality mirrors the long-standing Gorillaz tradition of layering pop sensibilities over politically charged or socially aware messages.
The announcement of The Mountain followed a summer of celebrations and experimentation for Gorillaz, who marked their 25th anniversary with a unique residency in London titled “House of Kong.” The exhibition was part art installation, part live concert series, and part immersive fan experience. The band performed their first three albums in full, alongside a “mystery set” where new material was introduced. During the finale, Sparks and Johnny Marr joined Gorillaz on stage, offering audiences an early preview of the collaborations featured on the upcoming album. The “House of Kong” event underscored the band’s ability to blur the boundaries between music, visual art, and performance in ways few acts can rival.
In addition to the album release, Gorillaz are preparing for a major live return with a UK and Ireland tour slated for 2026. The tour will include both arena and stadium shows, with a particularly significant performance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London—the band’s first-ever stadium concert. The decision to take Gorillaz into stadium venues reflects the enduring popularity and cultural impact of the project, which continues to attract multi-generational audiences drawn to both its music and its unique animated mythology.
The Mountain appears poised to be one of Gorillaz’s most ambitious works to date, bringing together a tapestry of sounds, cultures, and voices. Over their 25-year career, the band has repeatedly reinvented itself while maintaining its core identity as a hybrid of music and multimedia storytelling. This new project continues that evolution, offering fans a record that is not only globally inspired but also deeply rooted in the band’s tradition of collaboration and creative experimentation.
As anticipation builds toward its March 2026 release, The Mountain looks set to reaffirm Gorillaz’s position as one of the most forward-thinking acts in contemporary music. Between the satirical punch of “The Happy Dictator,” the global range of guest artists, and the promise of immersive live shows, Gorillaz are once again redefining what it means to be a band in the 21st century.
