The idea of Gorillaz, the British cartoon band, joining forces with Sparks, the ever-evolving American alternative pop pair, feels like something straight out of imagination for fans who lean toward the more unconventional side of music.
Night owls were treated to that dream becoming reality on Thursday evening, April 9, when the two acts came together for a live take on “The Happy Dictator,” the lead single from Gorillaz’s ninth studio album The Mountain, released through the group’s own imprint KONG.
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Any time Gorillaz hit the stage, there is always curiosity about how Damon Albarn and his collaborators will bring the band’s animated world to life. In the early years, figures like 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs and Noodle appeared on large screens while the real musicians stayed mostly hidden behind the visuals.
For their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Jamie Hewlett’s signature artwork stepped aside, allowing the performers to take center stage. Albarn embraced the role of the “happy dictator,” dressed in military-style clothing, complete with aviator sunglasses and a red beret.
The Mountain reached the top of the U.K. albums chart in March, marking the third time Gorillaz have landed at No. 1 there. In the United States, the group also secured another chart-topping moment, earning their fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock and Alternative Albums chart.
Produced by Gorillaz alongside James Ford, Samuel Egglenton and Remi Kabaka Jr., with additional work from Bizarrap, The Mountain was recorded across multiple locations including Studio 13 in London and Devon, as well as sessions in India spanning Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan and Varanasi, plus Ashgabat, Damascus, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. The project brings together a wide range of collaborators, including Sparks, and features songs delivered in Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba.
Gorillaz will continue The Mountain Tour across the U.K. and Europe starting in June, with a run that includes festival appearances and a special headline show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, June 20. The performance is set to be their largest hometown concert so far, with support from Sparks and Trueno. Additional dates are scheduled through January 2027.
Watch the late night performance below and check out Gorillaz’ tour dates here.
Lizzo has made it clear that she never abandoned her album Love in Real Life.
The “Juice” artist recently responded to rumors that the project had been cancelled after fans expected it to arrive last year. Rather than putting out the album at the time, Lizzo instead released the mixtape My Face Hurts From Smiling in June.
During a new conversation with Billboard, the “Truth Hurts” singer explained that the album itself was never scrapped and is still the same body of work she plans to release on June 5 under its new title, B**ch.
“I think the biggest misconception about my album is that I shelved Love in Real Life when I didn't,” she said. “(B**ch) is technically the same album. I just changed the name. The music is the same.”
Lizzo shared that the main difference between the earlier version of the project and the upcoming release was taking away the original title track, which eventually led to the album being renamed.
“When you change the name of something, it changes its destiny,” the singer explained. “Like, when I went from Melissa to Lizzo, it changed my destiny.”
“When this album went from Love in Real Life to Bch, it changed the trajectory of its past,” she continued. “I do think that I feel like I can express myself the way that I want to express myself right now through Bch. I think Love in Real Life was really sombre and a little bit more introspective, and I think B**ch is a little bit more empowered and self actualised and bold.”
Before the newly titled album arrives, Lizzo has already released the singles B**ch and Don’t Make Me Love U.
The artist had previously spoken about stepping away from Love in Real Life during an earlier interview with Vulture, saying the project “just wasn't what I was feeling right now”.
She also mentioned that much of the album had originally been written back in 2022.
“By 2025, I've changed, the world has changed so much, and so much has happened,” she said. “I was like, ‘I need to do s**t differently, and I don't know what it is, but I'm going to just start following my instincts.’”
