History Music / TheNowNow

In wake of ''Humanz'' in 2017, 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 ''Music/PlasticBeach'' 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'' has 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 SynthPop, {{Funk}}, and {{New Wave|Music}}.

''The Now Now'' is the sixth studio album by Music/{{Gorillaz}}, released in 2018.

[[caption-width-right:299:I think I'll coast a while.]]

In wake of ''Humanz'' in 2017, 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 ''Music/PlasticBeach'' 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'' has 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 SynthPop, {{Funk}}, and NewWaveMusic.

[[caption-width-right:299:I think I’ll coast a while.]]

# “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:''

* AnAesop: “Humility” is about how people need each other and the damaging effects of isolation, pride be damned.

--> ''If all you ever get from the summit is the count of the fall of man\\

--> ''They connect with the fall of man\\

--> ''If all you ever get from the summit is the count of the fall of man\\

* HorribleHollywood: “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 [[TakeAThirdOption split the difference]] by saying that [[AWorldHalfFull Hollywood has everything you could ever want, but also everything you don't]].

--> ''Calling the world from isolation\\

* TextlessAlbumCover: Like ''Music/{{Humanz}}'' it doesn’t feature the title of the album and/or the band’s name.

--> ''I will always think about you\\

In wake of the release of ''Humanz'' in 2017, Damon Albarn noted that he'd been busy writing and recording new music during the album's world tour, and that fans should expect an album soon (very similar to how 2011's ''The Fall'' was created during the ''Music/PlasticBeach'' 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'' has significantly fewer featured artists, instead focusing on 2D as the central singer/songwriter. Sonically, the album shifts away from the modern bombast of ''Humanz'' for a softer, retro-inspired direction influenced by the likes of classic SynthPop, {{Funk}}, and NewWaveMusic.

* AnAesop: “Humility” is about how people need each other and the damaging effects of isolation, which can be caused by {{pride}}.

* HorribleHollywood: “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 [[TakeAThirdOption split the difference]] by saying that [[AWorldHalfFull Hollywood has everything you could ever want, but also everything you don't]].

Unlike ''The Fall'' (which was mostly an ancillary companion album with little to no canon impact), ''The Now Now'' marked Phase 5 of the band's lore. Murdoc -- [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty 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 [[SpecialGuest a temporary replacement]]: [[Franchise/ThePowerpuffGirls Ace of the Gangreen Gang]].

* LonelyPianoPiece: 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 that you have grown apart from.

* WanderlustSong: "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 are simply unable to acknowledge and be happy with what they already have, and are [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife constantly grasping for something "better."]]

* WanderlustSong: "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 are simply unable to acknowledge and be happy with what they already have and are [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife constantly grasping for something "better."]]

* WanderlustSong: "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 in favor of [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife constantly grasping for something "better."]]

* WanderlustSong: "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 what they already have in favor of [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife always grasping for something "better."]]

* LonelyPianoPiece: 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 grown apart from.

* DarkerAndEdgier: ''The Now Now'' is notably far more melancholy when it comes to both tone and lyrical content than its predecessor album ''Music/{{Humanz}}'', with even its more upbeat songs like "Humility" being subject to major LyricalDissonance.

* LonelyPianoPiece: 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 grown apart from. Fittingly enough for the song's tone, you can hear 2-D dropping his microphone abruptly and [[TryingNotToCry letting out a small sniffle at the end of it.]]

* BSODSong: "Souk Eye." The song even ends with [[MicDrop 2-D abruptly dropping his microphone]] and audibly attempting to keep from [[TryingNotToCry breaking down in tears.]]