You are now tuned into the tomb of Jehova...
Humanz is the fifth studio album by Gorillaz, released in 2017 through Parlophone Records (in conjunction with Warner (Bros.) Records in the US).
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 Plastic Beach). The album was approached as 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 Donald Trump 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 Benjamin Clementine, Popcaan, Vince Staples, Grace Jones, Pusha T, Jehnny Beth, and more.
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, The Now Now, was vastly more 2D-centric, and the eventual Song Machine series would consist of more evenly-handed collaborations.
Preceded by The Fall. Followed by The Now Now.
Tracklist:
- "Intro: I Switched My Robot Off" (0:23)
- "Ascension" (2:36)
- "Strobelite" (4:32)
- "Saturnz Barz" (3:01)
- "Momentz" (3:16)
- "Interlude: The Non-Conformist Oath" (0:21)
- "Submission" (3:21)
- "Charger" (3:33)
- "Interlude: Elevator Going Up" (0:04)
- "Andromeda" (3:17)
- "Busted and Blue" (4:37)
- "Interlude: Talk Radio" (0:19)
- "Carnival" (2:15)
- "Let Me Out" (2:55)
- "Interlude: Penthouse" (0:11)
- "Sex Murder Party" (4:19)
- "She's My Collar" (3:29)
- "Interlude: The Elephant" (0:11)
- "Hallelujah Money" (4:23)
- "We Got the Power" (2:17)
Bonus Tracks (Deluxe Edition):
- "Interlude: New World" (1:23)
- "The Apprentice" (3:55)
- "Halfway to the Halfway House" (3:57)
- "Out of Body" (3:44)
- "Ticker Tape" (4:28)
- "Circle of Friendz" (2:09)
Bonus Tracks (Super Deluxe Edition)
- "Long Beach" (3:17)
- "Columbians" (3:50)
- "Duetz" (2:39)
- "Midnite Float" (3:52)
- "Grilling with His Face" (2:09)
- "Charger" (Pauline Black Special) (2:51)
- "Andromeda" (D.R.A.M. Special) (3:58)
- "Busted and Blue" (Faia Younan Special) (3:36)
- "Carnival" (2-D Special) (3:43)
- "Five Whales in a Dream" (2:36)
- "Garage Palace" (2:31)
- "She's My Collar" (Kali Uchis Spanish Special) (2:47)
- "Phoenix on the Hill" (3:20)
- "Tranzformer" (2:36)
Tropezlite:
- Alternate Album Cover: Five different versions of the album cover exist; four depict each member of the band individually, while the fifth features the full quartet.
- Beneath the Mask: The lyrics of "She's My Collar" imply that this is the case with the song's protagonist, who although he loves 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.
- Call-Back: Done with "Out of Body" to "Busted and Blue."Everybody says I'm busted and blue
I feel better when I don't need that
Everybody gonna funk the night
It's so big, big, big - Den of Iniquity: Implied in the song "She's My Collar."I take her down to somewhere drab and naughty
I clear my system, I don't need no other
This is my persona, secret lover - Dissonant Serenity: 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.Pipe down, pipe down, pipe down, pipe down
We're here tonight for a very special offering
An offering of our spirits this evening in unison (unison)
But first, a word of instruction! - Downer Beginning: "Ascension" kicks off the album and its apocalyptic themes right away, establishing that the world is past the point of no return and annihilation is imminent, with all there left to is to party like there truly is no tomorrow.You are now tuned into the tomb of Jehova
Play my tunes loud enough to shake the room, what's the hold up?
Heard the world is ending soon I assumed that they told ya
They tryna dinosaur us, so now it's time to go up - Hell Is That Noise: The opening song "Ascension" boasts an absolutely startling modulated scream before its final chorus.
- Irony: "We Got The Power", a song about The Power of Love, has backing vocals by Noel Gallagher - infamous for having an extremely bitter feud with Albarn back in the 90s.
- "I Want" Song: "Saturnz Barz."
- Love Hurts: As per Gorillaz tradition.
- Musical Squares: The full band version of the album cover makes use of this, featuring 3D-modeled portraits of the band members.
- Revisiting the Roots: 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 their debut self-titled album, while it borrows a dark aesthetic and politically-driven tone reminiscent of Demon Days (Album).
- Serial Homewrecker: 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.I'm at the stakin' bar, I got debts, I'm a debaser
Saturnz about to make love and I'm just a heartbreaker
And I won't get a take in 'cause I'm out when I'm stakin'
And the rings I am breakin' are makin' you a personal day
With the holograms beside me, I'll dance alone tonight
In a mirrored world, are you beside me
All my life? - Shout-Out: The Musical Squares album cover is a noticeable homage to The Beatles’ Let It Be, featuring four square portraits of the individual band members against a black backdrop. This also isn't the first time that the group has referenced Let It Be for one of their covers, making it an internal Shout-Out as well.
- Each member's pose and appearance is an additional shout-out to a famous musician: 2D is Beck, Noodle is Björk, Russel is The Notorious B.I.G. and Murdoc is Keith Richards.
- Significant Anagram: 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).
- Silly Rabbit, Cynicism Is for Losers!: 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.
- Special Guest: 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 Blur bandmate Graham Coxon and synth parts by both Fela Kuti associate Cheick Tidiane Seck and French Synth-Pop pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre.
- Textless Album Cover: Unlike their previous LPs, Humanz does not feature the album's title and the band's name.
- Villain Song: "Hallelujah Money."It is love, that is the root of all evil
But not our tree
And thank you, my friend, for trusting me
Hallelujah - While Rome Burns: The broad overarching concept of Humanz is depicting a party as the world begins succumbing to the apocalypse. 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, but also very thematically stark and political, referencing a world about to self-destruct from corruption and either despairing in it, or attempting to grow from it while it lasts. - Xtreme Kool Letterz: Utilized on both the album's title and multiple songs within, most notably "Saturnz Barz," "Momentz," and "Circle of Friendz."
- The Super Deluxe edition also gives us "Duetz", "Midnite Float" and "Tranzformer".
