Gorillaz Announce New Album ‘The Mountain’ Ft. Idles, Johnny Marr & More

The Gorillaz have revealed their ninth album, The Mountain, and have set a release date for March 20 2026. The group have also shared the new song ‘The Happy Dictator’ featuring Sparks.

Gorillaz frontman and co-founder Damon Albarn has officially announced the groups next album, The Mountain. The band’s follow-up to 2023’s Cracker Island is set to be released on March 20 via Kong and will feature 15 new tracks from the band.

The Mountain was produced by Gorillaz, James Ford, Remi Kabaka Jr. and Samuel Egglenton. Argentine producer Bizarrap also contributed to select tracks on the album.

You can listen to the new track ‘The Happy Dictator’ featuring Sparks below.

The upcoming LP was recorded primarily at Albarn’s Studio 13 in London, in addition to locations in Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan, and Varanasi, India; Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; Damascus, Syria; Los Angeles; Miami and New York.

Complimenting this globe-trotting list of locations, The Mountain features guests performing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba.

The Gorillaz have built a career out of their collaborations, introducing lesser-known artists to the mainstream or pushing the artistic boundaries of more notorious figures, allowing them to experiment with new sounds.

The Mountain seems to be no different, and will feature collaborations with Idles, Kara Jackson, Yasiin Bey, Johnny Marr of The Smiths, Black Thought of The Roots, Anoushka Shankar, and Omar Souleyman. The album will also include the number of deceased figures, including Bobby Womack, Dave “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, actor Dennis Hopper, the Fall’s Mark E. Smith, Detroit rapper Proof, and Tony Allen.

Albarn previously debuted The Mountain during the final four gigs at London’s Copper Box Arena earlier this month. Fans attending weren’t allowed access to their mobile phone, so footage of the songs isn’t available. Which, honestly, I can’t imagine the strain of hearing a fantastic song by the Gorillaz and having to wait another seven months to hear it again on the album. So, maybe ignorance is bliss as of now. 

You can check out the full star-studded track list below.

1. The Mountain [ft. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali
   Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash]
2. The Moon Cave [ft. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda
   and Black Thought]
3. The Happy Dictator [ft. Sparks]
4. The Hardest Thing [ft. Tony Allen]
5. Orange County [ft. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar]
6. The God of Lying [ft. Idles]
7. The Empty Dream Machine [ft. Black Thought, Johnny Marr and Anoushka
   Shankar]
8. The Manifesto [ft. Trueno and Proof]
9. The Plastic Guru [ft. Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar]
10. Delirium [ft. Mark E. Smith]
11. Damascus [ft. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey]
12. The Shadowy Light [ft. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali
    Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash]
13. Casablanca [ft. Paul Simonon and Johny Marr]
14. The Sweet Prince [ft. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar]
15. The Sad God [ft. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna and Anoushka Shankar]