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.
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There is no question that Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out made a serious impact and continues to hold weight. The project showed that hip hop is not limited by age and proved that a long-awaited return can still land in a major way regardless of the time away.
If you need a reminder, the Virginia duo’s fourth studio album debuted comfortably within the top five of the Hot 200. It secured the number four position and moved an impressive 118,000 units in its first week.
On top of that, it picked up a win at this year’s Grammys, earning Best Rap Performance for “Chains & Whips.” The album also received four additional nominations, including Best Music Video, Rap Album, and Album of the Year.
It is hard to believe the project will officially hit its one year mark this summer on July 11. Even so, Pusha T is making it clear that both supporters and critics should not be overlooking it anytime soon.
While performing at Coachella yesterday, King Push told the crowd that LGSEO still sits at the top, regardless of genre.
He said, “‘Let God Sort Em Out’ is still the album of the motherfckin year. Whole new year, still album of the year,” per Kurrco. “Album of the motherfcking year until we drop again. We don't care who dropping. It don't matter.”
That is a strong statement for obvious reasons, especially considering the recent claims surrounding Push himself.
Over the same weekend, hip hop social media lit up after several alleged reference tracks connected to Quentin Miller and Push began circulating. Three tracks surfaced in total, but one that drew the most attention was an alleged record titled “Real Gon’ Come.” It is said to come from the DAYTONA era, around 2017 to 2018.
The situation gained traction because fans remember the past tension between Drake and Pusha T before Drake’s clash with Kendrick Lamar. During that feud, Pusha accused Drake of using ghostwriters on tracks like “Infrared,” which appears on DAYTONA. On that song, he raps, “The bigger question is how the Russians did it /
It was written like Nas, but it came from Quentin.”
Reactions have been mixed. Some people argue it is not a major issue since Miller’s alleged contributions were limited to hooks. Others point out that the songs were never officially released, so they see no real problem. Meanwhile, critics view it as clear hypocrisy on Pusha T’s part, a perspective that DJ Akademiks has also supported.
