Line #90 Music/Humanz


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/68cc62bba60e26418fe8fce1a27721101000x1000x1.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''You are now tuned into the tomb of Jehova...'']]
3
4	''Humanz'' is the fifth studio album by Music/{{Gorillaz}}, released in 2017 through Creator/ParlophoneRecords (in conjunction with Creator/WarnerBrosRecords in the US).
5
6	The album was the central release in Phase 4 of the group's history, and the group's first album following a many-year hiatus in the wake of Phase 3 (which revolved around their extremely ambitious previous album ''Music/PlasticBeach''). The album was approached as [[RevisitingTheRoots a return to conceptual basics]] for the group while also allowing them to catch up on the modern sensibilities that they had missed during the interim. The original {{high concept}} was that of a loose "emotional response to politics," writing of a dark future where UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump won the 2016 US presidential election (this was before he actually ''did'' win). The album also features a very prolific list of collaborators and guest features, including Music/BenjaminClementine, Popcaan, Vince Staples, Creator/GraceJones, Pusha T, Jehnny Beth, and more.
7
8	The album performed well and marked the band's fourth top-ten album in the US, but its reception was distinctly mixed compared to the widespread acclaim of previous projects. The most common criticisms were related to the album's loose structure as well as the overabundance of features, with the consensus among critics and longtime fans being that Gorillaz the band (especially the voice of 2D) were being vastly overshadowed by their collaborators. This criticism would greatly inform the trajectory of future Gorillaz projects; their next album, ''Music/TheNowNow'', was vastly more 2D-centric, and the eventual ''Song Machine'' series would consist of more evenly-handed collaborations.
9
10	Preceded by ''The Fall''. Followed by ''Music/TheNowNow''.
11	----
12
13	!!Tracklist:
14
15	# "Intro: I Switched My Robot Off" (0:23)
16	# "Ascension" (2:36)
17	# "Strobelite" (4:32)
18	# "Saturnz Barz" (3:01)
19	# "Momentz" (3:16)
20	# "Interlude: The Non-Conformist Oath" (0:21)
21	# "Submission" (3:21)
22	# "Charger" (3:33)
23	# "Interlude: Elevator Going Up" (0:04)
24	# "Andromeda" (3:17)
25	# "Busted and Blue" (4:37)
26	# "Interlude: Talk Radio" (0:19)
27	# "Carnival" (2:15)
28	# "Let Me Out" (2:55)
29	# "Interlude: Penthouse" (0:11)
30	# "Sex Murder Party" (4:19)
31	# "She's My Collar" (3:29)
32	# "Interlude: The Elephant" (0:11)
33	# "Hallelujah Money" (4:23)
34	# "We Got the Power" (2:17)
35	----
36
37	!!Bonus Tracks (Deluxe Edition):
38
39	# "Interlude: New World" (1:23)
40	# "The Apprentice" (3:55)
41	# "Halfway to the Halfway House" (3:57)
42	# "Out of Body" (3:44)
43	# "Ticker Tape" (4:28)
44	# "Circle of Friendz" (2:09)
45	----
46
47	!!Bonus Tracks [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition (Super Deluxe Edition)]]
48
49	# "Long Beach" (3:17)
50	# "Columbians" (3:50)
51	# "Duetz" (2:39)
52	# "Midnite Float" (3:52)
53	# "Grilling with His Face" (2:09)
54	# "Charger" (Pauline Black Special) (2:51)
55	# "Andromeda" (D.R.A.M. Special) (3:58)
56	# "Busted and Blue" (Faia Younan Special) (3:36)
57	# "Carnival" (2-D Special) (3:43)
58	# "Five Whales in a Dream" (2:36)
59	# "Garage Palace" (2:31)
60	# [[TranslatedCoverVersion "She's My Collar"]] (Kali Uchis Spanish Special) (2:47)
61	# "Phoenix on the Hill" (3:20)
62	# "Tranzformer" (2:36)
63	----
64
65	!!Tropezlite:
66	* AlternateAlbumCover: Five different versions of the album cover exist; four depict each member of the band individually, while the fifth features the full quartet.
67	* BeneathTheMask: The lyrics of "She's My Collar" imply that this is the case with the song's protagonist, who although he loves [[TheMistress the girl he's with in secret,]] he refuses to drop his public persona around her, out of fear that the act of being truly vulnerable around another person will lead to bitter consequences.
68	* CallBack: Done with "Out of Body" to "Busted and Blue."
69	-->''Everybody says I'm busted and blue\
70	I feel better when I don't need that\
71	Everybody gonna funk the night\
72	It's so big, big, big''
73	* DenOfIniquity: Implied in the song "She's My Collar."
74	-->''I take her down to somewhere drab and naughty\
75	I clear my system, I don't need no other\
76	This is my persona, secret lover''
77	* DissonantSerenity: Though the album as a whole is great at being cheerily and exceedingly unnerving throughout, "Sleeping Powder" and "Out of Body" stand out, with one being a depiction of 2-D's drug addiction set to a music video of him cheerily dancing throughout and the other as a dance party turned summoning circle, with the featured artist's voice remaining calm and happy even as things turn... weird.
78	-->''Pipe down, pipe down, pipe down, pipe down\
79	We're here tonight for a [[DeadlyEuphemism very special offering]]\
80	An offering of our spirits this evening in unison (unison)\
81	But first, a word of instruction!''
82	* DownerBeginning: "Ascension" [[EstablishingSeriesMoment kicks off the album and its apocalyptic themes right away]], establishing that [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the world is past the point of no return and annihilation is imminent]], with all there left to is to [[WhileRomeBurns party like there truly is no tomorrow.]]
83	-->''You are now tuned into [[CrapsackWorld the tomb of Jehova]]\
84	Play my tunes loud enough to shake the room, what's the hold up?\
85	[[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Heard the world is ending soon]] I assumed that they told ya\
86	They tryna dinosaur us, so [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence now it's time to go up]]''
87	* HellIsThatNoise: The opening song "Ascension" boasts an absolutely startling modulated scream before its final chorus.
88	* {{Irony}}: "We Got The Power", a song about ThePowerOfLove, has backing vocals by [[Music/{{Oasis}} Noel Gallagher]] - infamous for having an extremely bitter feud with Albarn back in the 90s.
89	* IWantSong: "Saturnz Barz."
90	* LoveHurts: As per Gorillaz tradition.
91	* MusicalSquares: The full band version of the album cover makes use of this, featuring 3D-modeled portraits of the band members.
92	* RevisitingTheRoots: Being their first album after a lengthy hiatus, this album was effectively Gorillaz catching up on what they had missed, in turn revisiting their much earlier albums. The tracklist is more of an assorted mixtape a la [[Music/GorillazAlbum their debut self-titled album]], while it borrows a dark aesthetic and politically-driven tone reminiscent of ''Music/DemonDaysAlbum''.
93	* SerialHomewrecker: The protagonist of "Saturnz Barz" is implied to have become one of these out of loneliness and a lack of true connection with those around him, having resorted to dysfunctional relationships in order to get the companionship he craves.
94	-->''I'm at the stakin' bar, I got debts, I'm a debaser\
95	Saturnz about to make love and I'm just a heartbreaker\
96	And I won't get a take in 'cause I'm out when I'm stakin'\
97	And the rings I am breakin' are makin' you a personal day\
98	With the holograms beside me, I'll dance alone tonight\
99	In a mirrored world, are you beside me\
100	All my life?''
101	* ShoutOut: The MusicalSquares album cover is a noticeable homage to Music/TheBeatles’ ''Music/LetItBe'', featuring four square portraits of the individual band members against a black backdrop. This also [[Music/DemonDaysAlbum isn't the first time]] that the group has referenced ''Let It Be'' for one of their covers, making it an internal ShoutOut as well.
102	** Each member's pose and appearance is an additional shout-out to a famous musician: 2D is Music/{{Beck\|Musician}}, Noodle is Music/{{Bjork}}, Russel is Music/TheNotoriousBIG and Murdoc is Music/KeithRichards.
103	* SignificantAnagram: The license plate for their car in the music video for "Saturnz Barz" is "BASS TZAR RUN". May seem like usual Gorillaz word salad, but it's actually an anagram of the title, spelled with only one 'z' (either Saturnz Bars or Saturns Barz).
104	* SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers: This seems to be the main message of "Strobelite," that even when life doesn't go the way you want it, that you'll be able to overcome the hardships and achieve a way of living that makes you happy.
105	* SpecialGuest: An absolute bevy of collaborators appear on the album, with every non-interlude track having at least one guest vocalist. Even the instrumental tracks feature a few guest players, with guitar parts by Damon Albarn's Music/{{Blur}} bandmate Graham Coxon and synth parts by both Music/FelaKuti associate Cheick Tidiane Seck and French SynthPop pioneer Music/JeanMichelJarre.
106	* TextlessAlbumCover: Unlike their previous [=LPs=], ''Humanz'' does not feature the album's title and the band's name.
107	* VillainSong: "Hallelujah Money."
108	-->''It is love, that is the root of all evil\
109	But not our tree\
110	And thank you, my friend, for trusting me\
111	[[SinisterMinister Hallelujah]]''
112	* WhileRomeBurns: The broad overarching concept of ''Humanz'' is depicting a party as [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the world begins succumbing to the apocalypse]]. [[https://www.thefader.com/2017/04/10/damon-albarn-gorillaz-pain-joy-and-urgency Damon Albarn went on saying]] that above all else, the album's core tenants are "pain, joy, and urgency", hence why a vast bulk of the songs happen to be incredibly lively and danceable, [[LyricalDissonance but also very thematically stark and political]], referencing a world about to self-destruct from corruption and either [[DespairEventHorizon despairing in it]], or [[TheAntiNihilist attempting to grow from it while it lasts]].
113	* XtremeKoolLetterz: Utilized on both the album's title and multiple songs within, most notably "Saturnz Barz," "Momentz," and "Circle of Friendz."
114	** The Super Deluxe edition also gives us "Duetz", "Midnite Float" and "Tranzformer".

Context Music / Humanz