Just over two years ago, the arrival of their last record has the English virtual band Gorillaz confirmed that a new album will arrive in 2025.
Word about the upcoming LP was shared by frontman Damon Albarn in a beginning interview with the French publication Les inrockuptiblesWhere the productive artist also touched the premiere of his new opera, The Magic Flute II: La Malédictionalong with his plans for the rest of the year.
“I finish a new Gorillaz album,” Albarn explained. “An Opera and a new Gorillaz album seems like enough for 2025! Unless someone accuses me of taking my foot off the gas!”
Albarn’s Gorillaz partner Jamie Hewlett allegedly confirmed the news, with an Instagram account focused on the band that shared a DM from the musician where he said, “Yes, the new album is coming out this year.” The same post also noted that Albarn confirmed to a French podcast where the record would be completed in “6 weeks more.”
The current influx of French press from Albarn should not come as a surprise, especially considering that his new opera premiered on Paris’ Théâtre du Lido on Thursday (March 27) and will run until Sunday (March 30). Production is a pretty ambitious, with The Magic Flute II: La Malédiction serves as the successor to Mozart’s Opera from 1791, The magic flute.
“The idea that I am writing an opera and that it should be a continuation of The magic flute It sounds ridiculous, it was and is, not only did I struggled with the genius of Mozart, but I also had to struggle with !! “Albarn said in a statement. The answer came from a surprising source, but a no less brilliant, Kraftwerk.”
Gorillaz last released a new album in 2023 with Cracker Island serving as their eighth record. It peaked at No. 3 on Billboard 200 and was nominated for best alternative musical album at 2024 Grammys.
Albarn has been busy since the release of the latest Gorillaz record, with blurred release The ballad of Darren -The first album of eight years-in July 2023. It peaked at No. 94 on Billboard 200 (their lowest diagram release since 1995) and hit No. 5 on the top alternative album diagram and would be their seventh consecutive release to the top in the UK.
Meanwhile, neither Gorillaz nor Blur have not returned to the stage for any time when the former did not appear live since the 2023 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, and the latter appeared since the 2024 edition of the same event.