The Now Now is the sixth studio album by Gorillaz, released in 2018 through Parlophone Records (in conjunction with Warner (Bros.) Records in the US).
In the wake of the 2017 release of the group's previous album Humanz, Damon Albarn announced that he'd been busy writing and recording new music during the album's world tour, and that fans should expect a follow-up album soon (very similar to how 2011's The Fall was created during the Plastic Beach world tour).
Due to both the nature of its recording, as well as Albarn noting the polarized fan reaction towards Humanz on the matter, The Now Now had significantly fewer featured artists, instead focusing on 2D as the central singer/songwriter, with nearly all tracks depicting the character's point of view and mindset. Sonically, the album shifts away from the modern bombast of Humanz for a softer, retro-inspired direction influenced by the likes of classic Synth-Pop, Funk, and New Wave.
Unlike The Fall (which was mostly an ancillary companion album with little to no canon impact), The Now Now marked a new phase of the band's lore, specifically Phase 5. Murdoc — after years of past transgressions catching up to him — was imprisoned, leaving 2D the band's frontman as he campaigned extensively for his release. With the bassist role vacant, 2D snagged an unexpected mate of Murdoc's as a temporary replacement: Ace of the Gangreen Gang.
Preceded by Humanz, followed by Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez.
Tracklist:
- "Humility" (3:17)
- "Tranz" (2:42)
- "Hollywood" (4:53)
- "Kansas" (4:08)
- "Sorcererz" (3:00)
- "Idaho" (3:42)
- "Lake Zurich" (4:13)
- "Magic City" (3:59)
- "Fire Flies" (3:53)
- "One Percent" (2:21)
- "Souk Eye" (4:34)
'Cause right now, that's the tropes where we be chained:
- An Aesop: "Humility" is about how people need each other and the damaging effects of isolation, pride be damned.
- Breather Episode: Following the maximist, apocalyptic party that was Humanz, The Now Now isn't a high-concept album rich in narrative or theme, but rather a breezy setlist of softer, acoustic and Synth-Pop-inspired tracks for 2D to air his thoughts out while traveling.
- BSoD Song: "Souk Eye." The song even ends with 2-D abruptly dropping his microphone and audibly attempting to keep from breaking down in tears.
- Call-Back: "Fire Flies" does one of these to "Broken," a song off of Gorillaz's third album. Understandable, considering that both are songs that focus on damaged romantic relationships.
- "Fire Flies":
If all you ever get from the summit is the count of the fall of man
Every call and cost made to your heart- "Broken":
They connect with the fall of man
They breathe you in, and dive as deep as they can - Darker and Edgier: The Now Now is notably far more melancholy when it comes to both tone and lyrical content than its predecessor album Humanz, with even its more upbeat songs like "Humility" being subject to major Lyrical Dissonance.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: The protagonist of "Fire Flies."If all you ever get from the summit is the count of the fall of man
Every call and cost made to your heart
You were in the kind of game that put the force in me
I was ever-chasing fireflies - Dissonant Serenity: "Humility" has this in spades, with 2-D's perky tone and demeanor along with the track's bubbly, poppy nature standing in stark contrast to the nature of the lyrics.
- Horrible Hollywood: "Hollywood" is a downplayed example; the song repeatedly juxtaposes the bright promises and temptations from the titular city with a more skeptical outlook, finding it far more dark, materialistic, and manipulative in reality, especially since it encourages a culture of envy where people will step on each other in a rise to the top. However, none of the artists involved deny the allure of Hollywood, and Snoop Dogg claims that the base problem of envy can be overcome by those who make the effort. Ultimately, Jamie Principle's verses split the difference by saying that Hollywood has everything you could ever want, but also everything you don't.
- Lonely Piano Piece: The album's ending song "Souk Eye," a melancholy love song that centers around feelings of loneliness and longing for someone that you can no longer be around, or have regrettably grown apart from.
- Lyrical Dissonance: "Humility," a poppy, upbeat song that has lyrics centered around themes of isolation and loneliness.
- Ode to Apathy: It's heavily implied in the lyrics to the song "Humility" that the reason for the song's upbeat tune and carefree nature is due to the fact that the singer simply cannot bring themselves to truly feel anything about the world around them, thanks to the loneliness that they've discovered caring about the people around you brings.Calling the world from isolation
'Cause right now, that's the ball where we be chained
And if you're coming back to find me
You'd better have good aim - Ode to Intoxication: "Tranz" serves as one of these, along with its very strange music video.
- One-Word Title: The entire first half of the album is comprised of songs with one word titles.
- Textless Album Cover: Like Humanz it doesn't feature the title of the album and/or the band's name.
- Torch Song: "Souk Eye." More so if you're a believer in the commonly-held fan theory for it.I will always think about you
That's why I'm calling you back on my way through - Wanderlust Song: "Fire Flies." However, it's implied that the protagonist's flighty nature and tendency to follow their heart into the unknown is wrecking their personal relationships, because they refuse to acknowledge and be happy with what they already have and are constantly grasping for something "better."
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: Carrying the tradition over from the band's previous album Humanz, several songs utilize this trope heavily, such as "Tranz" and "Sorcererz."
