Biography

Fictional band members 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs (from left to right).

Gorillaz is a virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn of the Britpop band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, the co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl. The band consists of four fictional animated band members: 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, and Noodle, whose fictional universe is presented in music videos, interviews, and short cartoons. In reality, Albarn is the only permanent musical contributor, with Gorrillaz' music often featuring collaborations with a wide range of artists. In 2016, Remi Kabaka Jr. became the producer of the band after several years of providing the voice of Russel Hobbs and became the third official member of the band. The band's genre could be considered alternative rock, being reminiscent of 80's dance music and containing strong influences from hip-hop, dub ,electro, and pop.

In 2001, the band released their debut album Gorillaz, which featured dub, Latin, and punk influences. This album went triple platinum in the UK and double Platinum in Europe, with sales driven by the success of the album's lead single "Clint Eastwood". Their second studio album, Demon Days was released in 2005, going six times platinum in the UK and double platinum in the US and spawning the upbeat lead single "Feel Good Inc.". The following 2010 album Plastic Beach explored political and environmentalist themes, with a more electropop approach. While on the road touring their Plastic Beach album, Gorillaz recorded their fourth album The Fall, which was released in December 2010. The band's fifth album Humanz was released after a seven-year hiatus in 2017, and their sixth album The Now Now was released in 2018 and featured a more stripped-down production with a greater musical focus on Albarn. The band's latest project Song Machine was a music-based web series with episodes that consisted of standalone singles and accompanying music videos featuring different guests each episode, resulting in the release of their seventh album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez in 2020.

The band has presented itself live in a variety of different ways throughout its history, such as hiding the live band from the audience's view in the early years of the project, projecting animated band members on stage via computer graphics, and traditional live touring featuring a fully visible live band. They have collabroated with distinguished names in the music industry, including Elton John, Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, Little Simz, and Kali Uchis. They have sold over 24 million records worldwide, won a Grammy Award, two MTV Video Music Awards, and are cited by Guinness World Records as the world's "Most Successful Virtual Band".