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1!!Albums with their own pages:
2
3[[index]]
4* ''[[YMMV/GorillazAlbum Gorillaz]]''
5* ''YMMV/DemonDaysAlbum''
6* ''YMMV/PlasticBeach''
7* ''YMMV/{{Humanz}}''
8[[/index]]
9
10----
11!!YMMV tropes that apply to the band as a whole:
12* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
13** Is Murdoc truly the completely reprehensible bastard that he claims to be, or is he a sad little man who was never given a chance at a normal life and is incapable of understanding others as a result? Does he actually enjoy being on '' Plastic Beach'' due to it being his "kingdom", or does he secretly miss having anyone to talk to? Did he kidnap 2D out of necessity of producing the album, or did he do it because he was the one person who didn't completely hate him and was thus the only person he could call a friend? Phase 3 manages to provide support for all sides of the argument.
14*** In the "Lost Chord" music video, he seems shaken by the sight of Cyborg Noodle abandoned on Plastic Beach. Was he ashamed he had abandoned her when Noodle came back, or did he even remember she still existed prior to that moment? Was it the shock of seeing someone who looked essentially like the "daughter" he raised in a state of disrepair, or was he just thinking about how Noodle (standing behind him) might react?
15** Is 2D an IdiotSavant, or an intelligent young man whose mind was destroyed by severe head trauma and constant pain killer usage?
16* AlternateSelfShipping: Since her creation in Phase 3, Cyborg Noodle has naturally appeared in fanarts where she's making out with Real Noodle.
17* AnimationAgeGhetto: On the one hand, a minority of well-intentioned parents have brought their children to see their live shows, unaware that this "cartoon" band has several songs about death and violence, and the fictional characters who make them up include oversexed psychopath Murdoc. To say nothing of the violence and sexual content of their videos (Murdoc's [[FanDisservice "bass shagging"]] in "Feel Good Inc." and attempted animal abuse in "19-2000"). On the other hand, the band's inherently gloomy visual style tends to be a good tip off that they aren't child-friendly. More importantly, the concept of the cartoon characters being the actual band has been respected by both music journalists and MTV, who even gave Murdoc his own episode of ''Cribs''.
18* AudienceAlienatingEra: [[BrokenBase While not without its fans in whole or in part]], ''Music/{{Humanz}}'' has become generally regarded by fans and critics alike to be a low point for the band. Their first album after a lengthy hiatus, the general consensus is that Damon Albarn and co lost focus on Gorillaz being not just a band, but its own universe with its own distinguished personality, with the biggest complaint being [[SpotlightStealingSquad the album's overabundance and over-reliance on features]], leading many to call ''Humanz'' more of a compilation of miscellaneous tracks loosely tied by Gorillaz-style production than a proper "Gorillaz album". Fortunately, it appears the group took the criticisms to heart and [[WinBackTheCrowd have been on a path to recovery]] from the lukewarm-to-positively-received ''Music/TheNowNow'' and the even-more positively-received ''Song Machine'' series.
19* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: Definitely one of the band's highlights is the highly complex artwork, courtesy of Jamie Hewlett, and visual-filled animations.
20* BaseBreakingCharacter:
21** Murdoc became one of these during Phase 3. While he was always a character fans were meant to LoveToHate, his increasingly heinous crimes, KarmaHoudini status and [[SpotlightStealingSquad tendency to dominate the vast majority of screen time across the phase]] made a sizable chunk of fans become sick of him. Still, he remains a beloved part of the group with most others.
22** To a lesser extent, Ace. He's loved for the most part, but some find him an unnecessary addition. Then again, it goes hand-in-hand with Murdoc's status as a Base-Breaking Character, since Ace is ''especially'' loved by fans who either feel neutral about Murdoc or outright hate him (or, he's adored by enthusiastic Ace fans from the [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998 original PPG series]] who got into Gorillaz thanks to his incorporation). Then there are those who feel Ace was used better here than in the base-breaking [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016 2016 series]] of [[Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls his home franchise]] (which was airing at the time of ''The Now Now''[='=]s release), where he and the rest of the Gangreen Gang were pretty much shunted to the background in favor of newer villains.
23* BigLippedAlligatorMoment:
24** "Hallelujah Money" randomly ends with a sample of WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants sobbing. [[GeniusBonus It's a soundbite of his reaction to Mr. Krabs saying "You're fired!", which was Donald Trump's catchphrase on]] ''Series/TheApprentice''.
25** At the beginning of the video for "Strobelite," a random [[TakeThat stereotypical Trap musician]] gets punched in the face; while [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments funny]], it really has nothing to do with the rest of the video. Evidently, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Russel was supposed to be the puncher]], but this was cut from the final product.
26** Noodle briefly [[ArtShift transforming]] into an anime-style, then ''{{Franchise/Peanuts}}''-style character in the "PAC-MAN" video.
27** Murdoc saying "It's me!" while [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext wearing a matador costume and holding a guitar]] at the end of the music video for "The Pink Phantom" also counts. Even more so because of [[MoodWhiplash how solemn and emotional the general tone was until that point.]]
28* BrokenBase:
29** One of the last singles from Phase 3, "Doncamatic", which wasn't part of ''Plastic Beach,'' caused one. Half the Website/YouTube comments are lauding it as a spiritual successor to "DARE", and the other half are criticizing it for its lack of Damon Albarn and similarity to current pop. Its release as a single also provoked anger, as it was chosen over [[EnsembleDarkhorse fan favorite "Empire Ants"]]. Then "Doncamatic" had a video made for it, which was considerably less epic and plot-advancing than the canceled "Rhinestone Eyes" video.
30** How central to the band the characters are is also a hot topic of debate, particularly after Phase 3, with many claiming the increased focus on the cartoons early on in the phase is what ultimately led to its unceremonious and abrupt end. At the same time, others have asserted that the ''lack'' of focus on the characters during the release of ''Humanz'' is ultimately what caused it to become the band's worst received album.
31** ''Humanz'' is a very divisive album, generally agreed to be one of the band's weaker showings, but with many disagreements on how good or bad the actual album is on its own. The lack of [[ConceptAlbum a major driving concept]] can be seen as making it less consistent and important to Gorillaz lore, or it lends an appealing "mixtape" feel similar to their earlier albums. The abundance of featuring artists is seen as refreshing and fun, annoyingly overbearing, simply regular business for the band, and everything in between. With there being so many controversial decisions involved in the album, it's safe to assume that more than with previous projects, no two Gorillaz fans share the exact same opinion on it.
32** The increasing sexualization of Noodle in Phases 3 and 4. It's mostly dependent on whether you view the fact that we've known her since she was 10 to cause any {{Fanservice}} involving her to become source of {{Squick}} or not. Some view it as being equivalent to sexualizing a close childhood friend or relative, while others believe that, as she is now an adult, there is nothing wrong with suggesting that she is a sexual being.
33** Was it an interesting idea to temporarily have Murdoc arrested and replaced with a ''[[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Powerpuff Girls]]'' character for ''The Now Now''? Or was it an unnecessary plot point? Keep in mind that we don't know the entire storyline of the album, and it typically boils down to whether someone likes Murdoc or Ace more.
34** 6LACK's verses in "The Pink Phantom" are either thematically relevant with good flow that just contributes to the song's overall surreal feeling, or they're overproduced and hinder/ruin the song. It doesn't help that most, even the people who like 6LACK's verses, agree they are weakest part of the track.
35* CargoShip: The ''Feel Good Inc.'' commentary makes reference to Murdoc's "bass-shagging action".
36* CreepyAwesome: Murdoc is a despicable satanist who may or may not be millions of years old, but he's a real charmer.
37* DiagnosedByTheAudience: Some fans theorize that 2-D might be on the autism spectrum, most likely undiagnosed, citing behaviors such as stimming, as well as music and zombie movies being possible special interests of his.
38* DieForOurShip: Paula, 2D's ex-girlfriend, is absolutely loathed by the fandom -- though this may be intentional since she's not all that pleasant a person, [[HateSink and isn't supposed to be]].
39* DracoInLeatherPants:
40** Quite a few fanfictions either downplay or completely subvert the negative aspects of Murdoc's personality, usually for the sake of shipping.
41** To a much less severe extent, most fanfics significantly downplay 2D's less savory characteristics (such as his fathering of a dozen illegitimate children) and make him a full on NiceGuy. His intelligence is also generally boosted by a few IQ points.
42* EnsembleDarkHorse:
43** Song variety -- "Rhinestone Eyes" and "Empire Ants" are almost universally beloved among fans, and neither were ever official released as singles, though "Rhinestone Eyes" came close.
44** Many of the tracks off of the SelfTitledAlbum -- most notably "Sound Check (Gravity)", "Punk", "Slow Country", and "5/4" -- are quite popular among fans, though rarely played live.
45** "All Alone" is one of the most popular and well-received songs from ''Demon Days'', despite never being a single (though a live version was a B-side for some releases of "Dirty Harry").
46** Cyborg Noodle, due to being a second version of Noodle, who is already a tremendously popular character, tends to get featured in a lot of fan-created content. [[UncertainDoom The notorious uncertainty surrounding her fate]] following ''Plastic Beach'' has oddly increased the amount of fans who want to see her again.
47** Similarly, Paula Cracker, despite being little more than a footnote within the band's history, tends to attract a lot of attention from fans due to being the only female character with a name and design that isn't some kind of derivative of Noodle. In an interesting variation from how this trope normally plays out, though, a sizeable chunk of this attention is negative.
48** Ace, to the point where some consider him an improvement from Murdoc (even if he was only a temporary replacement). It helps that he's from [[Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls a cartoon franchise that many older fans of the band grew up with]].
49** Of all things, a ''location'' at that: Kong Studios, the band's website studio is considered a fan favorite due to it's ''rather detailed lore'' and just overall awesome concept behind it. The studio of Plastic Beach (not the album) was even considered a ReplacementScrappy for fans simply because ''it wasn't Kong''. Of course fans were elated when ''Song Machine'''s single "Désolé" revealed the band had found a new studio and renamed it Kong Studios, hoping Jamie and company decide to make a website like the old days of Kong.
50** Russel's ghost friend Del, despite only appearing in Phase One[[note]][[https://gorillaz.fandom.com/wiki/Del/Gallery?file=DelGorillazArtbook.jpg Though there is concept art of him from Phase 6]][[/note]], has garnered a small fanbase due to his [[OurGhostsAreDifferent unique design]] and backstory.
51* EpicRiff: "Every Planet We Reach Is Dead," the bass riff in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IocxXl-0R90&t=13 "Feel Good Inc."]], "Clint Eastwood", the guitar riff that begins midway through the song "Demon Days", and the violin riff that comes in halfway through the song in "Sound Check (Gravity)".
52* FanficFuel:
53** Due to Phase 3's storyline never getting to cover what happened to the band after Noodle and Russel arrived at Plastic Beach, plenty of fanfic writers have taken it upon themselves to give it an ending.
54** Crossing over with ''Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls'', Ace's time as Murdoc's replacement shows him as a much more stable person compared to his teenage self. Does this mean that the rest of the Gangreen Gang have ''also'' matured in their adulthood? Or are they still trouble-making thugs?
55* FanNickname: It's common to see the ship steward that tries to escort Noodle to safety at the start of the ''On Melancholy Hill'' video get referred to as "Lifebewtz Guy" or even just "Lifebewtz", [[MemeticMutation for obvious reasons]].
56* {{Fanon}}:
57** Cyborg Noodle is never said to have been based on the real Noodle's appearance as a teen at any point, and is in fact shown to be nearly identical to an adult Noodle in the few pictures where they appear together. Despite this, you'd be hard-pressed to find any fanfiction that ''doesn't'' claim this to be true, simply because it avoids dealing with the FridgeLogic of how Murdoc (the Cyborg's creator) would know what Noodle would look like as an adult despite having last seen her as a young teen.
58** Ace being bisexual is a popular thing for fans to include in fan works, but there's nothing in [[Franchise/ThePowerpuffGIrls his home franchise]] to confirm anything of the sort (the only person he ever showed any sort of attraction towards is Sedusa, and even that's questionable among ''PPG'' fans), and he barely interacts with the rest of the band in his time with Gorillaz for us to get an idea about it. It seems to be a rumor/headcanon that caught steam and then fans of both Gorillaz and ''PPG'' ran with it, to the point where it was even mentioned in his page in the Powerpuff Girls Wiki on Fandom.
59* FanPreferredCouple: It's a tie between [[HoYay 2D×Murdoc]] and [[LikeBrotherAndSister 2D×Noodle]] -- Murdoc×Noodle is also popular, but not to the extent of the other two. In the earlier years of Gorillaz, 2D×Noodle was more popular, but 2D×Murdoc has gotten more popular these days, mainly due to their large number of interactions. Noodle×Ace has also gotten a much smaller but still very outspoken following (despite [[WordOfGod Jamie Hewlett]] confirming that they're JustFriends) due to a piece of official artwork depicting them with their arms interlocked and Ace being the only bandmate who averts having any kind of WifeHusbandry undertones with Noodle.
60* FriendlyFandoms:
61** Since they share the same creators, many Gorillaz fans are also ''ComicBook/TankGirl'' and Music/{{Blur}} fans, especially in the case of the former.
62** The temporary incorporation of Ace from ''Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls'' for Phase 5 and ''The Now Now'' has also brought many fans of that franchise into the band, not to mention the praise from older fans due to the fact that ''Gorillaz'' came out around the time that the [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998 original PPG series]] (which many of said older fans grew up with) was at its peak in popularity.
63* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Gorillaz were fairly popular in the US and their native UK through the early to mid 2000s, with a decent number of hits, but eventually waned into a large but not entirely mainstream fandom; that is, except in Japan, where they maintain consistent popularity, to the point where new material is often released there before anywhere else.
64* HarsherInHindsight:
65** ''Demon Days'' includes a collab with Music/{{MFDOOM}} entitled "November Has Come". MF DOOM would end up passing away on October 31, 2020 -- the day before November.
66** The lyric "The sea is radioactive" from "Superfast Jellyfish" became a lot harsher in the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, in which the Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered a partial meltdown, sparking fears that the ''entire sea'' could be irradiated by waste leaking out of it (fortunately this did not come to pass, but it was a ''very'' close call).
67** Octavian's feature on the ''Song Machine'' track "Friday 13th" became harshly ironic after November 2020, where just before its own [[ThirteenIsUnlucky Friday the 13th]], he came under heavy fire thanks to domestic abuse allegations, [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor which were so damning that he was dropped by his record label and management, effectively ending his career]].
68* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Knowing that Phase 3 was intended to end with TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt with all of existence getting sucked away after Plastic Beach, the product of humanity's continued presence on the planet, is removed from its plug, [[LordOfTheOcean Poseidon]] himself appearing to rip the island apart to no ill effects while repeating the mantra "I wanna be free" in the "The Lost Chord" video can feel downright ''cathartic''.
69* HoYay: [[HoYay/{{Gorillaz}} Has its own page]].
70* IronWoobie: Russel, Noodle and 2D have all soldiered through such excruciating trauma throughout their lives that you just want to hug them all. Even Murdoc's backstory is rather tragic.
71* JerkassWoobie: Pre-adolescent Murdoc. He grew out of woobiehood pretty quickly, and by all accounts he was a horrible little boy, but... [[FreudianExcuse poor kid]]. He gets a little bit of it back in the Pirate Radio broadcasts, in which a re-occurring theme is how depressingly lonely he is. Every time it hits him he [[DrowningMySorrows chugs more rum to put it out of his mind]], but since it comes up at least three or four times per broadcast it's clearly not helping much anymore.
72* JustHereForGodzilla: The diverse backgrounds of the two creators result in something of a split among certain fans. Some are in mainly for the characters, more precisely Jamie Hewlett's art. Others are in mainly for the music, more precisely Damon Albarn's singing.
73* MemeticLoser: The fanbase largely views [[Music/HappyMondays Shaun Ryder]] as this, thanks to an [[NeverLiveItDown infamous]] incident where he performed "DARE" while [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1MBF0ErjMOc clearly three sheets to the wind]] (and because of the fact that the song got its title in the first place because [[ThrowItIn Ryder couldn't pronounce the word "there" due to his strong Manchester accent.]])
74* MemeticMutation:
75** This:
76--->'''Person''': What genre is Gorillaz?
77--->'''Me''': [[MathematiciansAnswer Yes.]]
78** "Lifebewtz", as said by a steward who offers to escort the real Noodle in "On Melancholy Hill", has reached this status.
79** It's coming up, it's coming up, it's coming up... IT'S DARE! OOOH![[labelnote:Explanation]]The version of "Dare" heard on Music/DemonDaysAlbum is perfectly fine when it comes to Shaun Ryder's lines, but the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3hzowjjjdc live performances]] are often a complete shambles thanks to Ryder otherwise being a [[TheAlcoholic raging alcoholic]]. It's a miracle they even managed to get him to sound at least somewhat normal in the studio. As such, they've become popular to meme amongst fans, especially the ''Demon Days Live'' one.[[/labelnote]]
80** [[MadnessMantra Overload, overload, overload, comin' up to the overload, overload, overload, comin' up to the--]]
81** From the 12 minute version of "[=DoYaThing=]", Andre's repeated shouts of "I'M THE SHIT!"
82** *Feel Good Inc. laugh*
83*** For a brief period in 2018, "Feel Good Inc" itself became a meme in the same vein as "[[Music/SmashMouth All Star]]" and "[[Series/LazyTown We Are Number One.]]"
84** Animated footage of Murdoc crying in the video for Song Machine single Désolé also became memetic, especially on Twitter.
85** Calling Murdoc "Pickle Man" or "Disgusting Pickle Man".
86** "...in a bag."[[labelnote:Explanation]]The end of the second line of the chorus of 'Clint Eastwood', "I got sunshine in a bag." A RunningGag quickly emerged where these three words would be repeatedly edited into the rest of the song. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icR34AvfR_k See here for an example.]][[/labelnote]]
87** ''Katsu'', Noodle's cat, has become a meme [[https://www.reddit.com/r/gorillaz/comments/5nehyy/damon_plz/ around the Gorillaz Reddit pages.]]
88** [[https://youtu.be/2mL19xFGkIo?t=28s Hi, I'm Murdoc Niccals from Gorillaz.]]
89** It's a common observation that 2D's body is approximately 70% pants.
90** Fans had a field day when, after seven years of waiting, the first thing Murdoc does in the Saturnz Barz video is take a bath in [[{{Squick}} some really suspect conditions]], spending the vast majority of the video butt-naked.
91*** "THE BATH" or "[[FunetikAksent DA BAFF]]."
92*** The song's repeated lyric, "[[FunetikAksent ALL MOI LOIFE]]", has also become memetic.
93*** Jokes about peppermint tea started popping up as a reference to 2D's request for some in the same video.
94*** The floating pizza caused a brief resurgence in [[WebAnimation/JimmyNeutronHappyFamilyHappyHour "THE PIZZA IS AGGRESSIVE"]].
95** 2-D's dancing in this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzJGWAfmBco video]].
96** The Powerpuff Girls reboot sucked, so Ace left to join Music/{{Gorillaz}}.[[labelnote:Explanation]]With the [[UnexpectedCharacter unexpected appearance]] of [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Ace]] as the replacement bassist for Murdoc, jokes about how he left his universe after [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016 his reboot]] sucked so he could perform in another universe's band ran amok.[[/labelnote]]
97*** Similarly, after knowing in an interview about the limitations Cartoon Network put for Hewlett and Albarn to use Ace ("no alcohol or prostitutes!"), lots of jokes about Ace is a "minor", "a good boy", or "the one clean soul of Gorillaz" spread out. (It doesn't help that in canon, characters similar to Ace would often indulge in alcohol and prostitution in other media, by the by...)
98** “Get the cool shoeshine!”[[labelnote:Explanation]] A line repeated by Noodle from "19/2000" which has gotten some attention, with some listeners [[WordSaladLyrics curious as to what she meant]] and others [[TheRedStapler demanding to know where they can get the cool shoeshine.]][[/labelnote]]
99** [[https://twitter.com/fixyourheartsor/status/1430954697003839495 'Flimsy Steve'.]][[labelnote:explanation]]This tweet became an in-joke among the Gorillaz fandom for poking fun at the tendency for MoodWhiplash between guest rappers' verses (which often cover heavy topics) and Damon's more abstract lyrical contributions, with many jokingly treating it as an actual song.[[/labelnote]]
100*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG4SkkE5u2A And now, with music!]] ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNMPNAUN_Vg Another take.]])
101** The Album Cover for Demon Days is a popular template for fanart, often replacing the band members with four different characters from another source. Several examples can be found in [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/gorillaz-demon-days-cover-parodies/photos this Know Your Meme gallery.]]
102* MisaimedMarketing: The 20th anniversary reissue of the band's debut album in 2021 ''really'' didn't sit well with fans [[https://www.nme.com/news/music/gorillaz-celebrate-20-years-of-their-self-titled-debut-album-2908720 due to its bundle advertising NFT art collectibles]]. Fans blasted the support of [=NFTs=] given [[https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/15/22328203/nft-cryptoart-ethereum-blockchain-climate-change the increased awareness of their negative impact on the environment]], especially hypocritical given that the band made [[Music/PlasticBeach an entire album]] centered around and bringing awareness toward ecological destruction (fortunately, the backlash was so potent that the offer was recanted, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/gorillaz/comments/nsb0gf/jamie_has_confirmed_the_nfts_arent_happening/ with Jamie Hewlett confirming]] they would not be pursued).
103* {{Moe}}: Noodle, and arguably 2D.
104* MorePopularSpinoff:
105** In America, where the band's first two albums have outsold Music/{{Blur}}'s ''entire discography.''
106** They're arguably this for Music/Deltron3030 as well. All three members of Deltron appeared on the first album, and Deltron's "Time Keeps on Slipping" is usually referred to as a "proto-Gorillaz" song.
107* NauseaFuel: The first video of the ''Murdoc's Dressing Room'' three-parter shows you more of Murdoc than you ever wanted to see, as does the band's segment on ''MTV Cribs''. Not to mention "Rock the House", "Feel Good Inc.", and "The Eel" G-bite.
108* NoYay: For a few fans, shipping any of the characters together leads to a number of problems: Murdoc seems to be incapable of having a healthy, non-abusive relationship with anyone; Noodle is over a decade younger than even the group's second-youngest member, having joined the band at the age of ''eight'', and was thus essentially raised by the others. even now that she's older, the thought of her in a romantic relationship with another band member still [[{{Squick}} squicks]] some fans out; finally, the characters in the only remaining possible ship, 2D and Russel, barely interact, let alone in a romantic sense. Not to mention 2D's [[IdiotSavant highly-suspect mental capacity...]]
109* ReplacementScrappy: Creator/{{EMI}} lost a lot of the fans' esteem when the originally-intended, storyboarded and plot-advancing music video for "Rhinestone Eyes" was cancelled in favor of "Doncamatic".
110* ShipsThatPassInTheNight: Despite the small size of the cast, the incredibly popular 2D/Noodle pairing has surprisingly little to go off of, as the two have actually interacted the least out of all the band members in videos and interviews, with their [[LikeBrotherAndSister sibling-like]] "zen bond" largely being a case of TakeOurWordForIt. Content released from Phase 4 onward has helped rectify this, with the two being featured together in several pieces of artwork and almost all of the ''Strobelite'' video being devoted to showing them dancing together.
111* ShipToShipCombat: An interesting example. While the shipping communities are generally cordial towards each other, those who consider Noodle getting shipped with either 2D or Murdoc to be a source of {{Squick}} are sometimes ''very'' vocally opposed to anyone who says otherwise. So much so that multiple fan artists and fanfic writers were pressured into removing their 2D/Noodle and Murdoc/Noodle content to avoid further harassment from anti-shippers.
112* SignatureSong: Several in regards to their respective albums.
113** "Clint Eastwood" and "Feel Good Inc." are tied for the band as a whole. The former helped the band gain mainstream attention while the latter is arguably their most recognized song.
114** "Dirty Harry" and "Demon Days" from ''Music/DemonDaysAlbum''. The former blends many of the attributes for which the band are famed, whereas the latter is a signature tune which closes most of Gorillaz's live performances, stating Noodle's philosophy for the band and the world around them. And to a lesser extent, "DARE".
115** "On Melancholy Hill" and "Stylo" from ''Plastic Beach''.
116** "Saturnz Barz" and "Ascension" from ''Humanz''.
117** "Tranz" and "Humility" from ''The Now Now''.
118** "Désolé" from ''Song Machine'', with "PAC-MAN", "Momentary Bliss", and "The Pink Phantom" as contenders.
119** The title track and "New Gold" from ''Cracker Island''.
120** And for non-album singles: "[=DoYaThing=]", "Sleeping Powder" and "Doncamatic".
121* SoBadItsGood: Shaun Ryder's infamous performance of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MBF0ErjMOc&app=desktop "DARE"]] while so totally blasted that half his words are slurred and he can barely remember the lyrics.
122* {{Squick}}:
123** In Murdoc's lair in the ''Plastic Beach'' game, there are several boxes labeled "Edible panties", "Nipple tassels"... fetish fuel, maybe, if not for the ridiculous amount of flies hovering around them...
124*** And considering they're in ''[[DepravedBisexual Murdoc's room]]''... Yeah, probably best ''not'' to think about what those would be used for.
125** In the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HalCyn7z74 "02 Priority Walk"]] video, take note of Cyborg Noodle's incredibly fanservice-y outfit. She's supposed to be a replica of a ''14-year old girl''. Then again, she was made by ''[[DepravedBisexual Murdoc]]''.
126** Noodle is often shipped with either 2D or Murdoc -- even when she was ''eight'' years old. Not quite as squicky by Phase 4 as she is now well into her twenties, but it's still a little [[WifeHusbandry dodgy]].
127* TaintedByThePreview: The demo of ''Stylo'' was not well-received and people assumed it is what the finished version sounds like -- the finished version actually sounds much better.
128* TakeThatScrappy: Considering how divisive "Doncamatic" was at the time of its release, it's hard not to think of [[spoiler: the lingering shot of Daley's long dead skeleton]] in "The Lost Chord" video as anything other than a jab at it.
129* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
130** The Evangelist, who was designed as [[BigBad the Boogieman's]] GoodCounterpart and foil, as well as the only person capable of offering Murdoc a chance at redemption. A fan contest was held to create a design for them, with the winning design getting redrawn by Jamie Hewlett himself, along with promises of the character going on to become a major part of the storyline in the future. Instead, the Evangelist makes a short cameo at the beginning of the second chapter of the adventure game to deliver a package and is otherwise completely forgotten about.
131** The Boogieman himself is an example. The only recurring antagonist the band faces in their videos, as well as a mysterious KnightOfCerebus, he would have made for a compelling character if only Phase 3's TroubledProduction didn't result in the storyline getting CutShort, causing his motives and origins to never get revealed and his conflict with Murdoc receiving no resolution.
132** Cyborg Noodle also applies, for much of the same reasons as the Boogieman. After receiving a substantial amount of build-up, Phase 3's TroubledProduction resulted in her being subjected to an UncertainDoom before being able to really do anything of note.
133** Ace received a considerable amount of fanfare from both the public and the band itself upon the announcement that he'd temporarily be acting as Murdoc's replacement. His time in the group lasted for all of two music videos and a few pieces of artwork before Murdoc returned to reclaim his spot, [[TheVoiceless and licensing contracts prevented him from actually saying anything during that small window]].
134* ToughActToFollow: ''Music/DemonDaysAlbum'' is not only considered an EvenBetterSequel to [[Music/GorillazAlbum their first album]], but one of the best albums of the 2000s. ''Plastic Beach'' also received high acclaim, with many considering it a worthy successor in its own right. With this track record, it's perhaps not too surprising that the next two albums, ''The Fall'' and ''Humanz'', would end up getting [[SoOkayItsAverage a much more lukewarm reception]].
135* UglyCute:
136** Everyone in the band looks vaguely and yet endearingly simian, especially Noodle and 2D (though they aren't considered ugly in-universe). Given the band's name, one could be forgiven for not realizing they ''are'' human at first, especially in Phase 1.
137** The manatee from the "On Melancholy Hill" video.
138* UnexpectedCharacter: Be honest, when Murdoc got sent to jail did ''anyone'' think that his temporary replacement would be a pre-existing character, let alone Ace from WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls?
139* ViewerGenderConfusion: About a quarter of the comments on some Website/YouTube copies of the "DARE" video are people asking if Noodle is a boy or a girl, and another quarter are people telling the aforementioned that she's female, with varying levels of politeness. She was even more ambiguous in Phase 1, before she reached puberty. In Phase 3, she wears a much more feminine ensemble -- a dress, stockings and lipstick -- and Cyborg Noodle wears belly shirts and hot pants, and from Phase 4 onwards she's fully matured into adulthood, so it seems like it's gone for good.
140* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Being band that consists of [[AnimatedActors animated music stars]], it's only inevitable that a large chunk of their music videos would feature top-notch animation. Especially with the MediumBlending consisting of various styles of 2D animation, [[TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects 3D animation]], and [[RogerRabbitEffect live-action]]. Standouts include "Clint Eastwood", "Feel Good Inc.", "On Melancholy Hill", and "Humility".
141* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: AnimationAgeGhetto seems to have worked on them some, as parents have mistakenly brought their kids to live concerts. It's an animated band with ridiculously catchy music... that features a character like [[AntiRoleModel Murdoc Niccals]]. Many of their songs and videos have prominent adult imagery and themes: "5/4" is all about how someone was DrivenToSuicide, the music video of "Stylo" features a shooting scene and the Boogieman, "On Melancholy Hill"'s video has a GoryDiscretionShot and Cyborg Noodle throwing up an ''octopus'', and "Feel Good Inc."'s video has Murdoc's "bass-shagging action", with the tower it's set in giving off a general feel of an adult nightclub or a brothel. While most of the lyrics are pretty ambiguous, they can be highly suggestive with moments of profanity, and it's not rare to see Murdoc with emptied tequila bottles, 2D with switchblade knives and cigarettes, and dead animals. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lWKt4vxOdg One early, unreleased music video]] for "5/4" would have started off with a view of a girl masturbating, and treated the viewer to a naked Murdoc with a very visible penis. Their first self-titled album and ''Humanz'' even have [[ContentWarning Parental Advisory stickers]] on them.
142* WinBackTheCrowd:
143** Phase 4 made its first musical step with "Hallelujah Money," which many fans were [[BrokenBase very wary about to say the least,]] [[TaintedByThePreview bringing up dread that maybe after 6 years, Gorillaz have lost their touch.]] A few months later however, they announced the next album, ''Humanz'' and its ''20-track tracklist'', and simultaneously released ''4 new tracks''[[note]]"Saturnz Barz," "We Got the Power," "Ascension," and "Andromeda"[[/note]] and a much more recognizable but still gorgeous ''360'' music video for "Saturnz Barz," all of which were very well-received by the fanbase.
144** After the release of ''Humanz'' itself [[BrokenBase polarized fans and critics alike]][[note]]One of its main criticisms being how it was less about the band itself and more like Damon Albarn just collaborating with whichever artists he could find[[/note]], "Sleeping Powder" and ''The Now Now'' were made specifically in response to it, containing almost no features and centralizing directly on 2D and his character, seen by many as a necessary, confidence-regaining bounceback for the band.
145** ''Song Machine'' continued the band's creative momentum, returning to their collaboration-heavy style, but handled in a way that fans and critics alike consider much more balanced and a return to their pre-''Humanz'' form. Along with the format shift from traditional album release cycles to a periodically-updating web series of full music videos, they've also shown they still have plenty of innovation in them as well.
146* TheWoobie:
147** You have to feel bad for 2D. First off, he got put in a coma and got an eye fractured after Murdoc hit him with a car, and had to be taken care of by Murdoc whilst in the coma, not to mention the rumors of what happened during that time. Then Murdoc managed to crash the car trying to 360 to impress a girl and 2D was thrown through the windshield. This woke him from the coma and ''shattered his other eye''. Murdoc abused him all the time, then drugged and kidnapped him for ''Plastic Beach''. During the iTunes sessions, Murdoc bragged about nailing his girlfriend and proceeded to chloroform 2D when he attacked. Finally, in the "[=DoYaThing=]" video, there is a final twisting of the knife -- 2D reads a newspaper with a cartoon called The Gorillaz in which Murdoc gives him a hug and says "It's good to have friends." 2D smiles at this, but then the real Murdoc comes downstairs and brutally smacks him across the head with a shoe. The heartbroken look on his face is ''awful''.
148** The whole band, really. Russel's friends were killed and then he got possessed and expelled from school for mauling some other students, Murdoc whilst being a complete dick did have an admittedly abusive childhood, and Noodle's life was crap between Phase 2 and Phase 4 although she's been back with her bandmates as of "[=DoYaThing=]".

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