Just over two years since their last release, Gorillaz have confirmed that a new album is set for 2025. The news came directly from Damon Albarn, who mentioned the project in a recent interview with Les Inrockuptibles, where he also discussed the premiere of his latest opera, The Magic Flute II: La Malédiction.
“I’m finishing a new Gorillaz album,” Albarn revealed. “One opera and one new Gorillaz album seems like enough for 2025! Unless someone accuses me of taking my foot off the gas!”
Jamie Hewlett also confirmed the news, with an Instagram DM surfacing in which the Gorillaz co-creator stated, “Yes, the new album is coming out this year.” Albarn also mentioned on a French podcast that the record would be completed in “six more weeks.”
Albarn’s focus on French media aligns with his opera’s premiere at Paris’ Théâtre du Lido on March 27, where The Magic Flute II: La Malédiction runs until March 30. The production serves as a sequel to Mozart’s 1791 opera and draws inspiration from an unexpected source—Kraftwerk.
Gorillaz last released an album in 2023 with Cracker Island, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and earned a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2024 Grammys. Meanwhile, Albarn also revived Blur for The Ballad of Darren, their first album in eight years, though it became their lowest-charting release in the U.S. since 1995.
Despite their new music, both Gorillaz and Blur have taken a step back from live performances. Gorillaz last appeared at Coachella 2023, while Blur’s most recent performance was at Coachella 2024.