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“Waiting to see what the morning brings.”
This article contains information on upcoming content or material that is subject to change. Avoiding speculation or false information is highly recommended.
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“Everything that follows, I'm not responsible for.”
This article features major spoilers for recently-released or soon-to-be released content or material. Caution is advised.
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The Mountain (also stylized in DevanagariW as पर्वत, parvat, 'mountain' in Hindi) is the upcoming ninth studio album by English virtual band Gorillaz. It is set for release on 20 March 2026 via the band's own label, Kong, and will be distributed by The OrchardW, a subsidiary of Sony Music EntertainmentW.
Produced by Damon Albarn, Remi Kabaka Jr., James Ford and Samuel Egglenton, the album includes collaborations with Anoushka Shankar, Jalen Ngonda, Black Thought, IDLES, Johnny Marr, Trueno, Omar Souleyman, Yasiin Bey, Asha Bhosle, Paul Simonon, as well as posthumous appearances by Dennis Hopper, David Jolicoeur of De La Soul, Tony Allen, Proof and Mark E. Smith. The album will feature performances in six languages: English, Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, Yoruba and Russian.[1][2]
Background[]
In an interview ahead of their 2023 Coachella performanceW, Damon Albarn revealed that the new Gorillaz album would take them somewhere they had never been before.[3] In another interview with the Broken Record podcast in July 2023, Damon stated that new Gorillaz will be a 'paradigm shift' and 'very different'.[4] In a December 2023 interview with Les Inrockuptibles, Damon stated that, once he has finished working on his opera The Magic Flute II: La Malédiction, he and Jamie are going to India to begin work on a new album.[5] From May to July 2024, Damon and Jamie were spotted in New Delhi.[6][7]
In March 2025, Damon told Les Inrockuptibles that he was finishing the new Gorillaz album.[8] In a later interview with French radio station Nova, he said that the album would be finished in six weeks' time.[9] Jamie Hewlett later confirmed this in a chat with EverythingGorillaz.[10]
Prior to their trip to India, Albarn and Hewlett had both experienced the loss of close family members. They both described the album as a cohesive, conceptual work that explores ideas of death and the afterlife through the band's fictional characters. Hewlett said that listeners should "listen to the album from beginning to end", adding that they were "trying to bring back that idea of taking time to invest in something, instead of this culture of scrolling".[11]
Release[]
On 21 May, Gorillaz announced the House of Kong exhibition to celebrate their 25th anniversary.[12] They also announced four live shows to close the exhibition: the first three saw the band perform their first three albums in full, while the fourth was billed as a "mystery" show.[13] Talking about the upcoming album, Damon stated that it will be in four languages and that the band won't return until 2026.[14] The 'mystery' show on 3 September turned out to be a live performance of the upcoming Gorillaz album in full, with the band being joined by Anoushka Shankar, Asha Puthli, Black Thought, Sparks, Kara Jackson, Joe Talbot, Johnny Marr, Trueno, Yasiin Bey, Omar Souleyman, Gruff Rhys and Paul Simonon.[15][16]
Following the announcement of Kong Studios' return,[17] the album's artwork, release date and title, The Mountain, were leaked 2 days before its scheduled announcement.[18] The first single from the album, The Happy Dictator, premiered on September 11 on the "New Music Show with Jack SaundersW" on BBC Radio 1W at 6 pm UK time.[19] On September 17, Gorillaz performed Damascus during Brian EnoW's "Together For Palestine" fundraising concert at Wembley ArenaW. On October 8, The Manifesto was released as the second single.[20] On November 6, the band released The God of Lying as the third single.[21]
In an interview with BBC Radio 2W's Jo WhileyW, the band stated that they might bring forward the release date from March to late January, and that it will be preceeded by an eight-minute, completely hand-drawn "short film", which Jamie described as "the story of The Mountain, from beginning to end."[22]
Tracklist[]
| Standard CD, Vinyl, Streaming & Digital Download | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | 'The Mountain' (feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali Bangash, & Ayaan Ali Bangash) | |||||||||
| 2. | 'The Moon Cave' (feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda, & Black Thought) | |||||||||
| 3. | 'The Happy Dictator' (feat. Sparks) | 4:44 | ||||||||
| 4. | 'The Hardest Thing' (feat. Tony Allen) | |||||||||
| 5. | 'Orange County' (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson, & Anoushka Shankar) | |||||||||
| 6. | 'The God of Lying' (feat. IDLES) | 3:09 | ||||||||
| 7. | 'The Empty Dream Machine' (feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr, & Anoushka Shankar) | |||||||||
| 8. | 'The Manifesto' (feat. Trueno & Proof) | 7:19 | ||||||||
| 9. | 'The Plastic Guru' (feat. Johnny Marr & Anoushka Shankar) | |||||||||
| 10. | 'Delirium' (feat. Mark E. Smith) | |||||||||
| 11. | 'Damascus' (feat. Omar Souleyman & Yasiin Bey) | 4:04 | ||||||||
| 12. | 'The Shadowy Light' (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash, & Ayaan Ali Bangash) | |||||||||
| 13. | 'Casablanca' (feat. Paul Simonon & Johnny Marr) | |||||||||
| 14. | 'The Sweet Prince' (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr, & Anoushka Shankar) | |||||||||
| 15. | 'The Sad God' (feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna, & Anoushka Shankar) | |||||||||
Deluxe CD[]
In addition to the standard tracklist, the second disc will feature a selection of tracks performed live at the Copper Box Arena on 3 September.[23]
Release Information[]
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Catalog # | Label | Chart position(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 20 March 2026 | CD | KONG001CD | KONG | N/A |
| CD "Deluxe" + Blu-Ray | KONG001CDX | ||||
| Double Vinyl | KONG001LP | ||||
| Yellow Double Vinyl (Indie Exclusive) | KONG001LPI | ||||
| Red Double Vinyl (Target Exclusive) | 199538718119 | ||||
| Ltd. Orange Double Vinyl + Lenticular Cover (HMV Exclusive) | 199538697469 | ||||
| Double Vinyl "Book Edition" | KONG001LPB | ||||
| 2LP + CD Box Set | KONG001BOX | ||||
| 2D Cassette[note 1] | KONG001CAS2D | ||||
| Murdoc Cassette | KONG001CASM | ||||
| Russel Cassette | KONG001CASR | ||||
| Noodle Cassette | KONG001CASN |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
Poster for Zanjeer
- The Mountain will be the first studio album to be released independently under Gorillaz' own record label, KONG.
- This is also their first album since 2020's Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez to have featured musicians on every single track.
- The album logo is most likely based on the typography on the poster for the 1973 Indian cult classic, ZanjeerW, which is evidenced by its presence in 2-D's Room at Kong Studios.
- For a limited time only, concertgoers who booked tickets to The Mountain Tour shows received the opportunity to pre-order a standard CD album accompanied by a gold-embossed commemorative souvenir ticket for the city in which the concert will take place. This offer was exclusive to the UK.
- A similar offer was made to those who bought tickets for the House of Kong LA exhibition via Gigantic.
References[]
Notes
Sources
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